American capitalism

Elective Course

This course explores the dynamics and development of American capitalism, from the era of slavery to the financial crisis of 2007. In this period the United States emerged as the dominant financial and industrial power of the global order. The development of American capitalism produced unprecedented material wealth but also growing inequality and class- and race-based social divisions. This course explores the ever-shifting dynamics of capitalism over four centuries, and will allow students to explore the cultures of capitalism from a number of perspectives. Topics will include Wall Street tycoons and the culture of the stock exchange; the growth of global American consumer chains like McDonald's and Starbucks; the varieties of working-class and immigrant life in the modern American city; and the devastating effects of financial crises on the lives of ordinary Americans.