NGOs and the Making of the Twentieth Century World (HI6100, Winter 2021)

NGOs and the Making of the Twentieth Century World (HI6100, Winter 2021)

University course taught by Kevin O'Sullivan.

Non-Governmental Organizations

Kevin O'Sullivan

2021 Winter

syllabus for synchronous course, PDF, 2 pages

Lesson Plan

English

syllabus

Semester. Online meetings every week (Mondays, 4-6pm) for a two-hour discussion session.

10% = Participation in seminars
20% = Review essay
20% = Presentation
50% = Final Essay

In the twentieth century, NGOs emerged as one of the key building blocks of the modern world. This module will engage students in a series of discussions and debates on the role of those organisations in re-shaping culture, society, and politics. We will examine the role of NGOs in the creation of a transnational civil society, in re-defining citizenship and the state, and in the ‘professionalisation’ of our everyday lives, as well as analyzing their impact on issues of governance and the organisation of the twentieth-century world. We will do so by examining some of the key issues addressed by NGOs, along with the key questions that they raised. How did NGOs operate? How should we study them? What can they tell us about the growing inter-connectedness of the modern world? In answering those questions this module will also introduce students to the historiography, key concepts, and methodologies in the study of transnational action.

The prescribed sources will be our jumping-off point to debate, discuss, question, and critique the week’s topic. Additional readings are provided for students who wish to delve deeper into a particular topic.