Nations, Cultures and Peoples - 4 credits

As globalized capitalism leaves its mark on nearly every part of the world and the power of the nation-state is diminished by vast inter-connected markets, two important questions arise: What happens to local cultures? What are the real values that shape our identity and who we are and want to be? Social and political theorists have been concerned for some time about the relationship of globalization to cultural identity. In this course national and cultural identity are examined from the perspective of religious traditions, language, and ethnicity using selected peoples, countries, and regions of the world as examples. Students describe their own national and cultural identity and compare and contrast it with a hypothetical or actual resident of another part of the world. Is modernization strengthening or weakening these identities? Is it possible to be a “citizen of the world” while maintaining one’s national and cultural identities? What is the relationship of collective human identity and indigenous culture, citizenship, and religious tradition?