Primitive Accumulation: The Beginnings of Capitalism
AMST 207
Spring 2024
| Section:
01
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| Course Cluster and Certificates: Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Certificate |
Karl Marx wrote in Capital, Volume I, "The discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a warren for the commercial hunting of black-skins, signaled the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production." This course will address the violent beginnings of capitalism from the perspective of the Americas and their connections to other parts of the world. By addressing class struggle, imperial expansion, and environmental degradation, we will analyze the emergence of an unprecedented mode of production that now dominates the world and threatens human existence. But this will not be a simplistic history of good and evil, a moralizing tale. We will unpack the complex historical process and the overwhelming historical forces that go beyond the moral choices of individual human beings. We will look into the interactions between society and nature to reflect on how capital has made an indelible mark in human lives and the rest of living beings on our planet. We will study primary and secondary sources to reconstruct the history of extraction and exploitation that gave birth to the modern era. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS AMST |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Major readings: Readings will include works by Karl Marx, Max Weber, Caio Prado Junior, Eric Williams, Immanuel Wallerstein, Cedric Robinson, Silvia Federici, Jason W. Moore, and Jennifer Morgan, among others.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Examinations and assignments: Take-Home Essays
Classroom Activities |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Additional requirements and/or comments: |
| Instructor(s): Saba,Roberto Times: .M..... 07:10PM-10:00PM; Location: CAMS 1; |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 15 | Permission of instructor approval will be granted by the instructor during pre-registration through the Electronic Portfolio. Click "Add to My Courses" and "To request a POI electronically, click here" to submit your request. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 8 | 1st Ranked: 1 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 7 |
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