Source: University of California, Davis
Program: Department of Human & Community Development
Course: CRD 002: Ethnicity and American Communities
Instructor: Dr. Lawrence Torry Winn, PhD and JD
Description
Since 1950, American communities (neighborhoods, schools, organizations, etc.) have become more diverse and multicultural. There has been an increased belief in the notion of a post-racial society, i.e. race is not a major concern. However, within the past decade a plethora of defining racial events and persistent racial disparities have plagued the United States. Although many of us live, learn, and work in ethnically diverse settings and have colleagues and friends from different socioeconomic backgrounds, we often do not have the time or opportunity to critically analyze issues of race, social identity, oppression, privilege, and class.
“Ethnicity and American Communities” is designed to create a learning environment where students explore and examine recent racial issues. The course provides a historical overview of concepts, theories, policies, and laws, which have influenced race-relations in present-day America. We will examine the impact that systems of oppression have on historically marginalized groups (Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, South East Asians, etc.) and the ways in which these same systems maintain privilege and opportunities for others. We will read and discuss a host of alarming trends including mass incarceration, under-resourced schools, the privatization of public goods, and overly aggressive policing of communities of color. The ultimate goal of this course is to provide students with a historical analysis of race and ethnicity so that they can develop critical and multiple perspectives needed to build democratic societies.