New York

Description

The New York City summer course, “The Global City,” offers a unique learning experience since the City itself is the classroom. This course reveals how America’s largest metropolis has been transnational since its very inception: from the conquest of indigenous land, to the city’s involvement in the U.S. slave trade and plantation economy, to its central role in the industrial revolution, to its status as a destination point for migrants from around the world and, finally, to its emergence as the preeminent center of world finance.

Students study the City’s history through first-hand visits to major landmarks and historic neighborhoods including African burial grounds, ports, factories, tenements, Harlem, el Barrio, Chinatown, Bed-Stuy (Brooklyn) and Jackson Heights (Queens)—to name a few. Students will also visit major museums and collections, meet with community-based organizations and attend a range of cultural events (music, film and theater). Course readings draw from history, sociology, anthropology, geography, literature and film.