Dr. Terry Kading, Dr. Annie St. John-Stark
HRSJ 5230 gave me broader understanding of the political world we live in. It changed the way I thought of the nation‑state and global capitalism as fixed, almost natural structures – just “the way things are.” But working through the histories of revolution, war, pacification, and constitutionalism made it clear how constructed, contested, and fragile these systems actually are.
Tracing the emergence of modern states alongside the rise of global capitalism helped me see how deeply intertwined violence and political order have always been. Revolutions, uprisings, and struggles for democratization weren’t just historical events; they were moments where people tried to reshape the world, sometimes successfully, sometimes with devastating consequences. Understanding those dynamics made contemporary conflicts feel less random and more connected to long patterns of power, resistance, and negotiation.
One of the most meaningful parts of the course was exploring cosmopolitanism and the idea of global interconnection. It pushed me to think beyond national borders and consider how states, social groups, and individuals are entangled in systems that cross regions and continents. The discussions about whether peaceful coexistence is possible in an anarchic world system were challenging, but they opened up space to think about cooperation, conflict, and responsibility in new ways.
Working across sociology, anthropology, social work, and political theory helped me appreciate how different disciplines illuminate different aspects of the same problems. Materialism, post‑structuralism, and cosmopolitan theory weren’t just abstract frameworks – they became tools for understanding why states act the way they do, how people resist, and how global capitalism shapes everyday life.
The collaborative work in the course also mattered. The conversations (sometimes messy, sometimes energizing) helped me refine my thinking and I learned to communicate complex ideas more clearly. I became more aware of how to engage respectfully, how to listen, and how to build arguments grounded in research rather than assumption. The research project, with all its drafts, feedback, and revisions, taught me a lot about my own habits as a thinker and writer.
By the end of the course, I felt more capable of analyzing political structures, more confident in my ability to communicate theoretical ideas, and more aware of the responsibilities that come with studying systems built on both cooperation and violence. The course didn’t offer simple answers, but it offered a deeper understanding of how the world came to be.
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