51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ

Course Description

Summary

This course will explore some of the major economic transitions throughout history with a particular focus on the pre-conditions underlying the changes and the resulting socio-economic developments. The course will span a broad time period across several regions of the world. First, we will study the transition from feudalism to capitalism in Europe. Next, we will pursue the causes of the demise of the Soviet system and the diverging development paths of post-communist countries following shock therapy market reforms. Then we will examine resistance movements that came about in response to globalization and free-trade agreements such as the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas. We will also look at China's gradualist transition to a market economy and analyze the social, economic and ecological challenges the country is currently facing. Finally, we will explore Latin America's leftward turn toward socialism in the twenty-first century. We will also explore potential future turbulent transitions, such as the zombie apocalypse.