HHIA04105U HIS, Beyond the state and deep into history - state formation, ancient history and modern sociology
MA-level:
Module I-VI [MA Programme, 2008-Curriculum]
MA-elective:
Module I-VI [MA-elective Programme, 2008-Curriculum]
BA-level [Internal BA-elective for BA students of History]
Module T4 (Subject element HHIB10501E) [BA-elective studies, 2007- and 2013-Curriculum]
Module T5 (Subject element HHIB10511E) [BA-elective studies, 2007- and 2013-Curriculum]
Beyond the state and deep into history - state
formation, ancient history and modern sociology
How to create political order has become one of the burning issues
of our time. The spectre of failed states, sectarian strife,
revolution and civil war are everywhere on our horizon. Meanwhile
the steady advance of globalization is often said to render
existing states obsolete while transnational institutions are
required to take over. Should the European Union develop into a
super-state or should it leave greater room for the member nations?
All this points to a need to re-examine prevalent notions of
statehood. Our current understanding of the state has been heavily
shaped by the European experience of state-formation from the
middle ages onwards. Increasingly, however, that experience seems
inadequate. In this course, therefore, we attempt to seek beyond
the European experience the better to grasp the prospect of our
future. We do so by turning, unexpectedly perhaps, both to ancient
history and modern sociology. The first part of our course will
test the European experience of state-formation by confronting it
with ancient history, from Mesopotamia, to Greece, Rome and the
rise of Islam. Armed with a new and widened reading of the history
of the state, in the final part, we then approach the present
challenges of state-formation worldwide. Come join us for what we
hope will be a fascinating and unconventional tour of the ancient
past to illuminate the problems of our present.
The course will be structured around two book projects. The first
is the Oxford Handbook of the State in the Ancient Near East
and Mediterranean, edited by Peter Fibiger Bang & Walter
Scheidel, which came out last year. The second, is a book
manuscript currently being written by John Hall. John Hall is
professor of historical sociology at McGill University in Canada,
but will be visiting the Saxo Institute to join our seminar for a
couple of weeks.
Course objectives (clarification of some of the objectives
stipulated in the curriculum):
•
See "Content"
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 56
- Total
- 56
History: anlum@hum.ku.dk
Deadline for application form: 1st June 2014.
- Credit
- 15 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Other under invigilation
Criteria for exam assesment
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- HHIA04105U
- Credit
- 15 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree MasterBachelor choice,Full Degree Master choice
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Schedule
- See scheme link
- Continuing and further education
- Study board
- Study Board of Archaeology, Ethnology, Greek & Latin, History
Contracting department
- SAXO-Institute - Archaeology, Ethnology, Greek & Latin, History
Course responsibles
- Peter Fibiger Bang (5-736564716a436b7870316e7831676e)
Lecturers
With John A. Hall