Fall 2009

ANT 310L • Anthropology of Race and Ethnicity: an Introduction

Course Description

Why are race and ethnicity such important aspects of our everyday lives? This course critically examines how these forms of identity matter so intensely, both in this country and around the world. We will work at comprehending the fundamental dynamics that shape the development and maintenance of racial identity by drawing on key concepts from anthropology. After a general overview of how racial relations are socially structured in the United States, we will examine some of the symbolic materials and mediums through which people express a sense of ethnic identity and belonging; music, dress, dance, and stories. This portion of the course will also focus on the performance of racial and ethnic identities in various forms of popular culture. Subsequently, we will concentrate on a variety of urban settings where ethnicity is the basis for political and social mobilization. Students will have an opportunity to develop a detailed awareness of a particular ethnic group through a research paper.

Students must attend discussion sections as well as lectures. Please see course schedule for times/days.

Texts

Preliminary reading list: How Race is Lived in America: Pulling Together, Pulling Apart, (Lelveld) The Making and Unmaking of Whiteness (Wray)

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