ESF 25A: Development and Dispossession

Course Description

Many students come to Stanford hoping to "make the world a better place," but what does that mean? Where do our ideas about human development, progress and improvement come from? This class asks you to consider this goal from a global historical perspective, including but not limited to the Middle East. How do ideas about human progress intersect with the development of nonhuman landscapes, built environments and infrastructure? What are the intended and unintended consequences of the projects and plans these ideas inspire? In particular, we will examine how projects aimed at improvement have legitimated and shaped colonial expansion, large-scale infrastructure schemes, and population exchanges, alongside human experiences of dispossession, loss, and exile.