Ethnic and Racial Politics

Catalog description

This course explores the roles race and ethnicity play in politics and government. Students will learn how social groups organize to achieve political goals, how and why opposition to those goals arises in plural societies, and what policies governments can pursue to defuse tensions between groups. Students will be introduced to research explaining the historical and cultural basis of ethnic identities. Additionally, students will examine and compare case studies of political disputes that arise when groups differentiate themselves from one another. Ethnic and racial politics in the United States will be compared to ethnic and racial politics in other countries, such as Canada, Indonesia, Bosnia, Switzerland, Rwanda, and South Africa, with attention to political movements and government policies. The course will also explore the complex relationship between government and social groups by looking at immigration policy, the role of ethnic groups in shaping foreign policy, and the legacy of settlement and conquest. Through individual cases and cross national comparison, students will critically assess the sources of inter-group conflict, coexistence, and integration to identify best practices in order to achieve peaceful and inclusive plural societies. The course draws upon resources from a variety of disciplines, including political science, anthropology, sociology, economics, history, linguistics, and religious studies.