Course Code: HIST 2200
Academic Year: 2024-2025
The world we live in can appear chaotic and hopeless. It can feel overwhelming as we face looming climate catastrophe, extraordinary inequality between super-rich and poor, and cycles of violence that seem impossible to understand or resolve. And yet, our society is also shaped by movements built upon hope for a better world. As a result, scholars have called this an "Age of Extremes". This course will survey the history of humanity over the past century, illuminating why events happened and how they brought us to where we are today. The topics will be global in scope, and will emphasize the experiences of average people, from a wide range of social and cultural backgrounds. Students will consider the consequences of war and peace, wealth and poverty, and family and community in a global context.