اطلاعات درس

In this seminar, we move beyond the view of oceans as empty expanses or mere transit routes. Instead, we approach the sea as method, archive, and transformative text.

We explore how maritime spaces have shaped histories of colonialism, migration, and resistance—from the transatlantic slave trade and Pacific indenture to Indigenous seafaring and contemporary cruise tourism.

Drawing on literature, theory, visual culture, and archival fragments, we ask: How does water function as both boundary and conduit? Who moves across it, under what conditions, and at what cost?

Readings include historical accounts, film, poetry, and theoretical texts, with particular attention to questions of race, empire, and environment. Students will engage in both critical and creative work, culminating in a final paper that expands on oceanic forms of knowledge, connection, and control.