Approaches to History (393-0-26)
Topic
Science and Decolonization
Instructors
Colin Bos
Meeting Info
Harris Hall L04: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
Do the modern sciences have colonial tendencies? If so, what would it mean to decolonize them? This historiography seminar approaches these questions through historical case studies that explore how postcolonial states and professionals attempted to rid scientific practice of the vestiges of colonialism. There are scientists in nearly every country on earth, and scientific institutions in many of those countries date to the colonial era. Historians are increasingly interested in finding out what happened to colonial science after independence, and we will read exciting new scholarship that approaches this issue from the Americas, Africa, and East and South Asia, on topics ranging from medicine to botany to nuclear physics. We will use these case studies, along with short theoretical essays, to better understand contemporary proposals to decolonize science. As a historiography seminar, the course will also introduce students to the craft of history, exploring what it means to be an academic historian today.
Learning Objectives
• To track the historical relationship between science, empire, and decolonization • To understand what people mean when they talk about decolonization today • To evaluate arguments for and against decolonizing contemporary institutions • To analyze the merits of debates between historians, and to read scholarship with an eye toward those debates • To discuss difficult topics respectfully and cogently • To research relevant scholarship on a topic • To write clearly about historiography
Evaluation Method
Response papers (30%); Historiography paper (30%); Participation (30%); Presentation (10%)
Class Notes
Concentration(s): Americas, Africa/Middle East, Asia/ Middle East, Global
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Distro Area