Empires and the Shaping of the Modern World

This course investigates concepts of hegemony and empire, their historical role in shaping global political and economic systems during the era of Western expansion, and the peoples, cultures, and regions embraced. Successive analytical models will be investigated, including mercantilism, 'free trade' imperialism, colonialism, liberation ideologies, movements, and neo-dependency, concluding with the contemporary significance, or otherwise, of these ideas.