Even in the age of globalization and highly advanced communication and transportation technologies, human beings still belong to different groups, each with its own set of identifying markers and priorities. These human identities and groupings are fundamentally informed by their historical past. This course is an exploration of human society through a historical analysis of the roots of these broad categories that we use to organize ourselves. The first value of “identity and community” examines the formation and changes in basic categories of differences in human society. These categories include ethnic, religious, and linguistic differences that gave rise to varying layers of identities that each individual may possess. Exploring the second value, “contact and conflict,” entails analyzing how these differences in identities caused competition over ideologies and resources. Finally, understanding the value of “justice and resolution” is an investigation of the ways through which human beings have devised ways to resolve conflicts and disputes within and between groups.