Based on two immersive historical role-playing games, this course examines a fundamental transformation of the twentieth-century world: the end of European colonial rule in Africa and Asia. Students take on roles of key historical figures involved in the efforts to forge stable, democratic nations in India and South Africa. Students explore how the political factions and stakeholders involved in decolonization dealt with a common set of dilemmas: building a democracy in a region lacking democratic traditions; forging a unified nation in a region of tremendous ethnic, religious, and social diversity; reconciling antagonistic communities after years of oppression and conflict; and assuring the rights of vulnerable minorities from the potential tyranny of a democratically-elected majority.
HIST 230: History Role-Playing Games: Dilemmas of Diversity, Democracy, and Nationhood
Class Program