Browse Hierarchy POL255: Colonialism, Capitalism and Development

According to Karl Marx, capital comes into the world'`dripping from head to toe, from every pore, with blood and dirt.' Whether you agree with Marx's ideas or not, it is impossible to understand the genesis and the development of modern capitalist societies ¿ both in the Global North and the Global South ¿ without looking at the ugly face of colonialism. This module will unpack Marx¿s and other theoretical understandings of capitalism, colonialism, and development. We will critically engage with the work of seminal authors such as Max Weber, Leon Trotsky, Karl Polanyi, Edward Said, Franz Fanon, and Silvia Federici. We will systematically inquire about the origins of capitalism and the relationship between capitalism and colonialism. We will explore alternative theoretical understandings of capitalism, colonialism and development, and the centrality of religion, culture, class struggle, race, gender, and international relations in shaping our contemporary world. Reading the original work of canonical sociological, economic, and political writers can be quite a challenge. The lectures will unpack their most important arguments, explore their implications, and help you develop your academic reading skills. In the seminars, you will have the chance to discuss contemporary issues in light of the authors we will study, question established theories, and develop your own perspective on capitalism, colonialism, and development.