Advanced Theories of Race, Nation, Ethnicity

• GEORGE M. FREDRICKSON, 2003. RACISM. A SHORT HISTORY. Princeton University Press. ISBN: 0691116520

• GEORGE M. FREDRICKSON, 2008. DIVERSE NATIONS. EXPLORATIONS IN THE HISTORY OF RACIAL & ETHNIC PLURALISM. Paradigm Publishers.  ISBN: 9781594515743

• ROBERT STAM & ELLA SHOHAT, 2012. RACE IN TRANSLATION: CULTURE WARS AROUND THE POSTCOLONIAL ATLANTIC. New York University Press. ISBN: 9780814798386 

• MAE NGAI, 2005. IMPOSSIBLE SUBJECTS: ILLEGAL ALIENS & THE MAKING OF MODERN AMERICA. Princeton University Press. ISBN: 9780691124292

This course attempts to advance our understanding of the various theories and historical accounts of the social constructs of race & racism, nation & nationalism, ethnic groups and ethnicity, multiculturalism, and forms of migration in the modern world-system. There are many ways to do this. In our case, we will explore these historical constructs in four ways, corresponding to the four books we have selected: 1) How racism against Africans in the Americas and anti-semitism against Jews in Europe originated and combined. 2) We compare the nature of racial and ethnic experiences and policies in various countries like the United States, South Africa, France, and Brazil, and others. 3) At the level of theories of peoplehood, we explore the trans-Atlantic circulation of ideas of race and nation in the U.S., France, and Brazil, the intercultural conflicts, translations, and synthesis they produced over time and space, and the inadequacy of rightist and leftists visions of modernity to grapple with race & ethnicity, yielding the current "culture wars" everywhere. 4) The origins in the 1920s of the "illegal alien" social construct in U.S. law and society, and its increasing impact ever since not just on mobile households -- immigrants & their descendants -- but on our central ideas and practices of citizenship, race, and the viability of the nation-state in a globalized world.

Class Presentations: The course will be run as a seminar based on the four textbooks chosen. At every session, on a rotational basis, three students will make formal class presentations on an equal number of assigned readings for that day, followed by Dr. Santos comments and open discussion. Each student will be assigned a total of three presentations during the quarter, but are required to come fully prepared to discuss the assigned readings for every class. The individual presentations will be oral (no need for PowerPoint), accompanied by a page or two outline handout containing the following: (a) title of the reading, date, student name, (b) brief abstract, (c) listed topics covered (use Roman Numerals I, II, III, etc.) and arguments/points made by author, (use letters a, b, c, etc.) and (d) one or two well-thought follow-up questions for discussion. Presentations ought to take between the ten-to-fifteen minutes. Dr. Santos will expect everyone to come to class fully prepared to discuss all the assigned texts for each class. Please be on time, especially the presenters. Absences & tardiness/leaving early, especially for the presenters, will be severely penalized. Presenters should bring enough copies of their presentation handouts for all in class (13 copies).

Research Papers: Students will write two research papers, the first due on Wednesday, February 20 in class, and the second due on Wednesday, March 20, before noon, at Dr. Santos' office. The topics of these papers, which must be cleared by Dr. Santos, may vary widely by area and space-time range; they may focus on theoretical and/or historical issues pertaining a certain period or people, from civilizations to national and subnational groups, phenomena as diverse as racialization, nation-building,  ethnogenesis, ethnicity & migration, political economy, etc.; or it may be a critical & comparative study of particular thinkers or schools of thought; or ethnohistories of certain countries or regions of the world; or an investigation of the role of any of these categories in particular contemporary social, political, cultural, or economic processes.

Extra credit: There are two general studies courses that students are strongly encouraged to take if they wish to develop their research skills, and if they do will receive extra credit in this course:

GST 126 - Researching the Electronic Library (2 units)
Introduces students to effective research techniques using Library electronic resources. Emphasis will be placed upon skills necessary for the identification, retrieval, and evaluation of information for general and specific topics. Students will acquire the competencies necessary to develop an effective search strategy and find research materials, including references to journal articles, full text articles in electronic format, government publications, books, and Internet resources.

 GST 153 - Research on the Internet (2 units)
Introduces students to the information resources available on the Internet for research purposes Students will develop general knowledge of the Internet, navigation skills, effective search strategy skills, familiarity with Internet finding tools, evaluation methodologies and other Internet research skills.

Contact: Ms. Christy Gavin
Librarian, Walter W. Stiern Library
cgavin@csub.edu
661-664-3237