This class is an ambitious and demanding course designed as an introduction to global history in the last fifty years. The course will provide you with a framework for thinking about the recent past, world geography, and some general trends. The course is organized comparatively, and will emphasize selected "cases" in Asia (The People's Republic of China and the Republic of China), Africa (Egypt, South Africa and Mozambique) and Latin America (Cuba and Guatemala).
Throughout the course we will not only attempt to understand the big picture of global history (East West rivalry in the Cold War, the North South division in development, global ecology and economy) but also how changes have affected people's everyday lives. We do this through the concepts of livelihood and identity that reveal the impact of national and international forces at the personal level. We will seek out the "voices" of individuals by reading short stories and biographical accounts
