Policing the Globe

From the Casbah of Algiers to the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, police militarization has become one of the key features of the contemporary security state across much of the world. In order to better grasp this global phenomenon, we will adopt a global historical approach. We will trace the historical origins of police militarization by investigating the rise of modern police forces in the nineteenth century, the history of European colonialism, decolonization, and the Cold War. Finally, we will finish with a study of the contemporary policing of dissent. Students will select a contemporary topic in policing and write a research paper, make a podcast, create a website, or make a documentary video. (not open to students who have taken HIST 1044)