History, geography & globalization

What is globalization and what are the implications of such a concept for research in the field of humanities?

In this course, we will question the concept of globalization in some of its cultural, historical and geographical impacts in order to bring forward the general reshaping of our former conceptions of the world in terms of space (geography), History and representation of the “Other” (in terms of alterity).

Thus, this course aims at providing a general overview as well as a critical approach of the various theories related to, and derived from, the concept of globalization in the fields of History and Civilization, Geography and Social Sciences, and their influence on the shaping of state policies of global reach.

In order to shed a new light on the old debate about the East and the West, commonly referred to as Orient and Occident, we will question Eurocentric preconceived ideas and misconceptions and we will probe into issues related to the rise of Cultural Studies in a postcolonial world, the construction of the myth of the Occident and the supposed “clash of civilizations”, the controversial issues of Orientalism and its opposite Occidentalism, democracy, human rights and the rise of Asian values, the development of South/South relations …

The recalling of these numerous theories should lead us to a further analysis of a major shift in our representations of the world and of the “Other” that has already started reshaping state policies and global governance, redefining what was once considered a unique and universal movement towards progress.

The course will also briefly recall (as a case study) the specific historical links between the Indian subcontinent, the western coasts of South-East Asia and the eastern coast of Africa, so as to show the interconnectedness of cultures around the Indian Ocean.