Race & Ethnicity – A College Requirement

The LS&A faculty added the Race & Ethnicity requirement in 1991 after long and thoughtful discussion. The faculty does believe that because racial and ethnic intolerance has fundamentally affected the development of contemporary American society and because its effects will continue to be felt well into the future, all students should take at least one course that deals on a fairly sophisticated level with topics such as the historical development of racism, and the social, political, and economic effects of racism and other types of discrimination.

In an article for the Spring, 1991 edition of LSAmagazine, LSA Dean Goldenberg wrote that the faculty "agreed that racism is an urgent problem facing the University and society at large and that it is desirable that courses in the College address questions of race and ethnicity and teach students to think analytically and critically about such topics.... The aim [of the requirement] is to provide students with relevant information about an important social issue since the changing world and work-place the student will enter will require being better able to listen to and understand a diversity of voices."

Courses approved to meet the Race & Ethnicity requirement will address issues arising from racial or ethnic intolerance. In approving the requirement, the faculty of the College made the following statements:

Required content. All courses satisfying the requirement must provide discussion, consistent with disciplinary approaches, of:

the meaning of race, ethnicity, and racism;
racial and ethnic intolerance and resulting inequality as it occurs in the United States or elsewhere;
comparisons of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, social class, or gender.

Required focus.

Every course satisfying the requirement must devote substantial, but not necessarily exclusive, attention to the required content. Courses may meet this requirement by various means consistent with disciplines or fields of study, and faculty members from all departments are urged to think creatively about how their fields might contribute to the requirement.
Although it is hoped that many of these courses will focus on the United States, it is not required that they do so. Courses that deal with these issues in other societies, or that study them comparatively, may also meet the requirement.

Students who are new to the College of LS&A (that is, first time enrolled as an LS&A student) in the Fall Term of 1991, and thereafter, must (in any term before graduation) receive credit for one of the approved Race and Ethnicity (R&E) courses. Each term's listing will vary as courses are added or deleted by the College of LSA Curriculum Committee. The College offers several courses taught by a number of different departments each term. Although the list of courses that fulfill this requirement varies from term to term, all such courses are designed to give students exposure to questions focusing on the meaning of race and racism, racial and ethnic intolerance and resulting inequality, and comparisons with other types of discrimination.

The courses that have been granted blanket approval for meeting the requirement are:

Afroamerican and African Studies

303/Soc. 303. Race and Ethnic Relations. (4; 3 in the half-term). (SS).

American Culture

212. Introduction to Latino Studies – Social Science. (3). (SS).

213. Introduction to Latino Studies – Humanities. (3). (HU).

214. Introduction to Asian American Studies – Social Science. (3). (SS).

215. Introduction to Asian American Studies – Humanities. (3). (HU).

216. Introduction to Native American Studies – Social Science. (3). (SS).

217. Introduction to Native American Studies – Humanities. (3). (HU).

240/WS 240. Introduction to Women

243/WS 243. Introduction to Study of Latinas in the U.S. (3). (HU).

312/Hist. 377. History of Latinos in the U.S. (3). (Excl).

399. Race, Racism, and Ethnicity. (4; 3 in the half-term). (SS).

Cultural Anthropology

101. Introduction to Anthropology. (4). (SS).

272/Ling. 272. Language in Society. (4). (SS).

Film-Video

365. Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary American Television. (3). (HU).

History

377/Amer. Cult. 312. History of Latinos in the U.S. (3). (Excl).

Linguistics

272/Anthro. 272. Language in Society. (4). (SS).

Romance Languages and Literatures

French 469. African and Caribbean Literature. (3). (Excl).

Sociology

103. Introduction to Sociology Through Race and Ethnicity. (4; 3 in the half-term). (SS).

303/CAAS 303. Race and Ethnic Relations. (4; 3 in the half-term). (SS).

University Courses

298. Race, Racism, and Ethnicity. (4). (HU).

Women's Studies

240/Amer. Cult. 240. Introduction to Women

243/Amer. Cult. 243. Introduction to Study of Latinas in the U.S. (3). (HU).

Other courses are approved on a term-by-term basis. It is most important that you are careful to elect the section of the course taught by the faculty member whose name is listed with the course. Other sections of the course have not been approved to meet this requirement and may not be substituted. Courses meeting the R&E requirement may also help meet either distribution or concentration or composition requirements.

Advanced Placement credit can not be used to meet this requirement.

Please direct any questions regarding fulfillment of the LS&A Race & Ethnicity requirement to your advisor or to LSA Checkpoint at POINT10.

Race & Ethnicity Courses, Fall Term, 1996

This list is subject to change by the College of LS&A Curriculum Committee.

Afroamerican and African Studies

303/Soc. 303. Race and Ethnic Relations. (4). (SS).

470/Comm. 470/Film-Video 470. Cultural Issues in Cinema. (3). (HU). (Ukadike)

American Culture

100. What is an American? (4). (SS). (Scobey)

205. American Cultures. (3). (HU). (Bell)

212. Introduction to Latino Studies. (3). (SS).

214. Introduction to Asian American Studies . (3). (SS).

217. Introduction to Native American Studies. (3). (HU).

240/WS 240. Introduction to Women's Studies. (4). (HU).

243/WS 243. Introduction to Study of Latinas in the U.S. (3). (HU).

304/Soc. 304. American Immigration. (3). (SS). (Pedraza)

314/Hist. 378. History of Asian Americans in the U.S. (4). (Excl). (Nomura)

410. Hispanics in the United States. (3). (Excl).
Section 002 – Women in Prison: Gender and Crime Among Blacks and Latinas. (José-Kampfner)

Anthropology

Cultural 101. Introduction to Anthropology. (4). (SS).

Cultural 315. Native American Peoples of North America. (4). (SS). (Bierwert)

Cultural 447. Culture, Racism, and Human Nature. (3). (Excl). (Williams)

Cultural 474/Ling. 410. Language and Discrimination: Language as Social Statement. (3). (SS). (Lippi-Green)

Asian Languages and Cultures

Asian Studies 121/History 121. Great Traditions of East Asia. (4). (HU). (Forage)

Communication Studies

470/CAAS 470/Film-Video 470. Cultural Issues in Cinema. (3). (HU). (Ukadike)

English

317. Literature and Culture. (3). (HU).
Section 003 – Bigotry and Maturity in the Literature of Several Cultures. (Fader)

Film and Video Studies

470/CAAS 470/Comm. 470. Cultural Issues in Cinema. (3). (HU). (Ukadike)

History

121/Asian Studies 121. Great Traditions of East Asia. (4). (HU). (Forage)

320. Briatian, 1901-1945: Culture and Politics. (3). (Excl). (Israel)

378/Amer. Cult. 314. History of Asian Americans in the U.S. (4). (Excl). (Nomura)

383. Modern Jewish History to 1880. (3). (Excl). (Endelman)

391. Topics in European History. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – History of the Jews in Spain. (Bodian)

542. Modern Iran and the Gulf States. (3). (Excl). (Cole)

Judaic Studies

296/HJCS 296/Rel. 296. Perspectives on the Holocaust. (4). (HU). (Ginsburg)

451/Poli. Sci. 451. The Politics and Culture of Modern East European Jewry. (3). (Excl). (Gitelman)

Linguistics

410/Anthro. 474. Language and Discrimination: Language as Social Statement. (3). (SS). (Lippi-Green)

Near Eastern Studies

HJCS 296/Judaic Studies 296/Rel. 296. Perspectives on the Holocaust. (4). (HU). (Ginsburg)

Philosophy

355. Contemporary Moral Problems. (3). (HU). (Railton)

455. Contemporary Moral Problems. (4). (Excl). (Railton)

Political Science

451/Judaic Studies 451. The Politics and Culture of Modern East European Jewry. (3). (Excl). (Gitelman)

Psychology

120. Seminar in Psychology as a Social Science. (3). (SS).
Section 001 – The Psychology of Culture, Power, and Human Relations. (Beale)
Section 002 – I, Too, Sing America: Psychology and Cultural Differences. (Behling)
Section 003 – Intergroup Relations, Conflict, and Community. (Gurin)

501. Special Problems in Psychology as a Social Science. (3). (Excl).
Section 003 – African-American Women in Context. (Hunter)

Religion

296/HJCS 296/Judaic Studies 296. Perspectives on the Holocaust. (4). (HU). (Ginsburg)

Residential College

Core 100. First Year Seminar. (4). (Intro. Comp.).
Section 009 – On Listening to Holocaust Survivors. (Greenspan)
Section 010 – Writing About Cultural Communities, Ethnicity, and Imposed Categories. (Larimore)
Section 013 – Rethinking American History: The Asian American Experience. (Nomura)

Romance Languages and Literatures

French 244. Issues in Race and Cultural Diversity in the Francophone World. (3). HU).
(Ekotto)

French 469. African and Caribbean Literature. (3). (Excl).

Slavic Languages and Literatures

Slavic Surveys 225/UC 173. Arts and Cultures of Central Europe. (3). (HU). (Carpenter)

Sociology

100. Principles of Sociology. (4). (SS). Section 001. (Kimeldorf)

105. First Year Seminar in Sociology. (3). (SS).
Section 001 – Transforming America Then and Now. (Pedraza)
Section 002 – Intergroup Relations, Conflict, and Community Building. (Schoem)

303/CAAS 303. Race and Ethnic Relations. (4). (SS).

304/Amer. Cult. 304. American Immigration. (3). (SS). (Pedraza)

University Courses

173/Slavic Surveys 225. Arts and Cultures of Central Europe. (3). (HU). (Toman, Eagle, Carpenter)

Women's Studies

240/Amer. Cult. 240. Introduction to Women

243/Amer. Cult. 243. Introduction to Study of Latinas in the U.S. (3). (HU).

346. African-American Women in Context. (3). (SS).
Section 001 – African-American Women in Context. (Hunter)

483. Special Topics. (3). (Excl).
Section 003 – Women in Prison: Gender & Crime Among Blacks and Latinas. (Jose)

School of Natural Resources and Environment (Division 711)

While this course may be used to meet the Race & Ethnicity Requirement, the credits are counted as NON-LS&A.

NR&E 492. Race, Poverty, Environmental Justice, and the International Connection. (3). (Bryant)

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