This course aims to introduce students to diverse ways of understanding modernity from a humanistic perspective, and to help them develop a critical awareness of our present human condition through a comprehensive view of the formation and nature of the contemporary world. Emphasis will be placed on the intellectual, social, philosophical, political, cultural and technological developments that have transformed the modern world into the contemporary world. Though everyday cultural sites such as intimacy, body, work, art, cities, nation, and risk, the course examines issues including gender equality, the working poor, industrial development, social exclusion, sustainable cities, sustainable tourism, climate change, and inclusive societies. The course will draw on perspectives on modernity from cultural studies, sociology, politics, religion, and the arts, while encouraging students to understand how contemporary to the promises, conflicts, and risks of modernization.