BRITISH IMPERIALISM AND POSTCOLONIALISM

概要

This course will survey the history, urban development, and culture of London from the late seventeenth century to the present day. It will focus on the relationship between London and the broader British empire, asking how imperial trade, slavery, and immigration made London into a “global” city, and how London has been affected by the decline of British empire after World War II. Topics will provisionally include: the way that London’s architecture has been changed as a result of disaster and rebuilding (from the Great Fire of 1666 to the Blitz of 1940-41), the impact of imported luxuries such as sugar and porcelain on London society; immigration to London; women in London history; Victorian infrastructure; the emergence of London as a financial capital of Europe; debates about immigration and multiculturalism (including Brexit). Classes will be taught through a combination of lectures and active learning (including worksheets and class discussions). We will read essays by historians, but also a number of primary sources from different periods of London’s history (e.g. first-person accounts of the slave trade; cartoons, illustrations and paintings; poems; and works of literature set in the city, by writers such as Daniel Defoe and Arthur Conan Doyle). You will be asked to read 20-40 pages of material in English before each class. There will be a midterm test and a final essay. I will also ask you to post several short reaction essays (1-2 paragraphs) on Slack. The course will be taught in English.

目標

1. To improve your knowledge of the history and culture of London, and the ways in which these have been shaped by contact with the wider world. 2. To improve your English skills (particularly listening and writing). 3. To improve your ability to read academic texts written in English. 4. To improve your ability to write in English (short essays and a final paper)

授業外の学習

Reading the texts for each week; producing short written exercises (e.g. summaries of articles) in preparation for class; writing mid-term and final paper. (Total of at least 2 hours per class).

所要時間: 190 minutes