History 288 - Aspects of World History: The History of Borderlands in the Global South

Topics Course. Enrollment limited to 18: This colloquium focuses on the history of borderlands in the Global South. We read case studies about how borders were made and maintained as well as how ordinary people lived in borderland places. This class emphasizes the spatial dimension of history, asking: How is power created or contested by dividing territories? What opportunities do the borderlands offer for making a living, resisting state projects, or forging hybrid identities? We use the lenses of gender, race, and nation to scrutinize differentiation within frontier societies. The final project involves using historical newspapers to write an essay about a particular borderlands region.