Race, Ethnicity, & Identity Studies

This class examines racism as a cultural system observed through our beliefs and practices about spoken English. The goal of the course is to develop an understanding of how linguistic prejudice contributes to the cultural programs of racism in the US.

3 CreditsSW-US 

Women. Work. Identity. These three words are related in a complex web that many of us struggle to untangle for our entire working lives. In this course, we identify and name the components of the relationships among these words--all in the context of the unique perspective that the communication discipline offers.

3 CreditsSPrerequisites: CM130 or CM230 or CM220 or CM365 or permission of the instructor.

The study of human social groups and the social processes that lead to both structural and cultural integration and differentiation primarily within contemporary American society.

3 CreditsS

An exploration of the factors that shape the experiences of minority group members in both domestic and global contexts. The social processes that functions to construct minority identity among racial, ethnic, gender, and ability groups are studied.

3 CreditsSPrerequisites: SO101 or AN151.

Introduction to topics in mathematics related to democracy including voting theory, gerrymandering, and apportionment. We will discuss the comparison between these topics mathematically versus politically.

4 CreditsN,QM,WK-FRPrerequsite or Corequisite: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109.

The Introduction to Poverty Studies course will offer students an interdisciplinary exposure to the study of poverty, challenging them to explore the ways in which factors such as class, culture, race, gender, and geographic place operate to form an interrelated system that produces poverty and alters the trajectory of many important life outcomes. Among other course objectives, students will gain an evidence-based understanding of theoretical models of poverty and the ways in which poverty manifests differently within this country and across the globe.

3 Credits

Cultural psychology is the scientific study of how cultural norms influence how individuals think, feel, and behave. Cultural psychologists study the ultimate social situation: culture. Questions from this field are relevant to our everyday lives and are important in shaping our understanding of ourselves and views of others.

3 CreditsS 

Studies literature by and about women; looks at the rich history of women's literature and the variety of traditional and non- traditional approaches women have used to describe their experience, from poetry, plays, and novels to letters and diaries; explores the effect of culture on women's writing.

4 CreditsH 

The personal autobiographies of American slaves are the foundational works of the African American literary tradition, and they have influenced generations of American authors. Originally written as a means of promoting the abolition of slavery, contemporary writers have taken this historical form and transformed it to reflect upon the past and engage with problems of the present. Neo-slave narratives are a reminder that, as Faulkner writes, " The past is never dead. It's not even past. " In this course, we will read a variety of original slave narratives and put them in dialogue with contemporary fictionalized slave narratives. In doing so, we will explore topics such as the boundaries between fact and fiction, the political uses of literature, the afterlife of slavery, and many others.

4 CreditsH, CWPrerequisites: EN110 or EN109.

This course looks at the history of conflict and cooperation between different religious groups in the United States, as well as how religious diversity has impacted, and been impacted by, American politics.

3 CreditsCA,H 

The course examines the origins and development of the Gullah Geechee cultures of the Lowcountry. How did these members of the African diaspora develop a creole culture within the profound and brutal limitations of slavery, and how did they sustain it and change under Jim Crow and into the climate and development challenges of the present?

3 CreditsH, CA, SW-US 

This course will provide students with an understanding of women in sub-Saharan African cultures, their history, traditions, diversity, resilience and adaptability. To do this we will be looking at social structure, kinship networks, economic systems, gender relations, ethnicity and ethnic conflicts, traditional religion, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other health issues.

4 CreditsCA, H, I, CTDH 

This course looks at the intersection of gender and conflict to understand what it means to say that a conflict is gendered. It uses gender as an organizing concept to study issues of gender equality, justice, and peace, challenging and interrogating dichotomous, oppositional constructions of masculinity and femininity to understand how they contribute to direct, structural, and cultural violence. 

3 CreditsS,I,CW,SW-ERPrerequisite: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109

A study of the theory and practice of non-violence, this course explores both the theoretical development of nonviolence and the use of nonviolence as a means for waging and resolving conflict. The course explores nonviolence theory as it applies to issues of social change, alternative defense, and personal transformation, using writings from political, sociological, feminist, religious and philosophical perspectives. (Formerly titled Nonviolence: Theory and Practice)

3 CreditsS,H,CW,SW-USPrerequisite: FYC-101 or EN-110 or EN-109.