Decolonization, Independence and Post Cold War
William Faulkner wrote, “the past is never dead. It’s not even past” and we see that sentiment in this unit more than any other we’ve had this semester. Today, migration is somewhat reversed from what we’ve discussed this semester because immigrants from colonized territories are traveling to the global north. This has raised a number of complex issues. Furthermore, globalization means that students are using computers made in China, texting on cellphones made with raw materials extracted from the Congo, enjoying “Mexican” tacos and burritos, etc. European migrations and imperialism ended with the emergence of the postcolonial states, globalization, feminism, terrorism, etc. The questions below are intended to challenge you into reflecting about some of the issues we have covered so far and to elicit your opinion on these matters as they resurface today. By doing so, these questions seek to challenge every student’s grasp of the major challenges facing the world such as globalization, religious fundamentalism, the #MeToo movement, slavery, genocide, etc. This is your last discussion for this course, so feel free to use any or all of the information which you have learned from this course so far and news reports.
Task
Based on what you have learned this semester, please reflect upon and answer one of the questions below. After you make your initial post, respond to at least two of your classmates. Your follow-up comments must address the post of at least two students who answered different questions from you. For example, if you answered question #1, your first follow-up comment must be addressed to a student who answered any of the other questions except #1 and your second comment must be on a post which is different from yours and your first comment.
Discuss women’s rights and the feminist movements, their successes and failures. Your work should include a discussion of the recent #MeToo development. How do you reconcile these developments in feminism over time?
On July 4th, the Atlanta Journal Constitution carried an op-ed piece idolizing those Americans who fought for independence from the British. The authors appreciated the contributions of freedom that the world has enjoyed under American leadership. However, in their conclusion, they also praised Western colonization as a good faith effort to help less fortunate nations in Africa, Middle East, America and Asia. To what extent do you agree or disagree with these assessments? Why?
Although religious fundamentalism cuts across all religions some people still see extremism only as an Islamic problem. What do you think and why? Your supporting evidence could be drawn from the entire course material.
Throughout this course, we have seen how various people and nations have come together to solve vexing problems such as the right to self-determination, decolonization movements, communism, slavery and genocide, etc. Identify any single global issue covered in Unit 8, discuss the problem, describe what historical attempts were made to resolve it and finally explain what you think could be done in the future regarding this problem. Is there any global consensus to address this issue?
