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Academic Year 2004/2005

Introduction to Ethnic Studies
AMST 217 FA

This course provides an introductory overview of the study of race, ethnicity, and culture in the United States. We will focus on the historical, sociological, and political movements that affect the arrival and settlement of African, Asian, European, American Indian, and Latino populations in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This course will study specific histories unique to each group as well as the similarities of their experiences. Utilizing theoretical and discursive perspectives, we will discuss and explore the experiences of these groups in the United States in relation to issues of immigration, population relocations, government and civil legislation, ethnic identity, gender and family relations, class, and community.

MAJOR READINGS

GROWING UP ETHNIC IN AMERICA(Penguin 1998)

Ronald Takaki, A DIFFERENT MIRROR: A HISTORY OF MULTICULTURAL AMERICA (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1993)

Silvia Pedraza and Ruben G. Rumbaut, Eds., ORIGINS AND DESTINIES: IMMIGRATION, RACE, AND ETHNICITY IN AMERICA (Belmont, CA: Wdsworth Publishing, 1996)

Margaret Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins, Eds., RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER: AN ANTHOLOGY, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 1996)

Coursepack (will include essays by John Fiske, Amy Kaplan, Robin Kelly, George Lipsitz,Eric Lott, Lisa Lowe, Annette Kolodny, Richard Slotkin, and others).

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Exams: There will be two in-class exams consisting of identifications/or multiple choice and short essays. You will be responsible for material from the lectures and the readings.

Journals: The journal will be a compilation of weekly observations stating your thoughts in response to the readings or the materials presented or discussed in lecture. If you attend an outside event with themes related to the course (e.g. a film, reading, performance) or if you see/read news events related to social or political issues, you may also record your impressions. Journal writing is inherently informal but the content should show substantial reflection, not just first impressions.

Independent Project:

For the final project, students will have a choice: 1) prepare a research paper (5-7 pages) on an issue we have discussed in class. Students will be expected to have at least 4 outside sources (with a limit of 2 Internet sites) and will hand in a prospectus of their final project before continuing on with the final paper. 2) conduct oral history interviews (4-6 pages) with either a family member or someone from the community. The final project must be written (typed, double-spaced) and include the list of questions (separately) you asked and a one page reflection (separate from the interview) on the process of the interview. Further details (including examples) will be discussed in class.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Course requirements:

Exam 1 20%
Exam 2 20%
Journal 20%
Independent Project 30%
Class Participation 10%

Class participation:
This will include attendance and class participation. You are responsible for signing only your name on the attendance sheet.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS AMST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-21-2005

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