Minor in Ethnic Studies in the United States
Department of English, College of Liberal Arts
Effective Spring 2008
The minor provides students with an opportunity to take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of ethnicity. This allows students to analyze and compare the experiences of various ethnic groups within the United States.
The minor's comparative perspective gives students a unique opportunity to select and link courses from a variety of departments within the College of Liberal Arts.
The program also encourages students to connect the experiences of people of various ethnicities within the United States to those in other countries both from a current and historical context.
The minor includes 18 credits, two courses from each of three categories.
Core courses provide students with a broad background in the study of ethnicity. These courses help students develop a critical framework for analysis. Courses address the complex national and international forces that have shaped ethnicity in the U.S., as they relate to gender, class, generation, race, religion, regional, urban, rural, sexual and political identity.
Focus courses allow students to pursue a concentrated examination of particular ethnic groups. Classes examine the oppressive forces of discrimination and racism. However, they also explore ethnic group empowerment by studying creative strategies used to negotiate and construct ethnic identity. This includes the creation of kinship networks, ethnic enclaves and ethnic community associations.
Global/Elective courses allow students to develop an individualized program of study based upon their own interests.
The minor is overseen by an advisory committee with representatives from the Multicultural Center and Departments of English, Political Science, Languages and Cultures, Educational Studies and Secondary Education, Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice, History, Communication Studies and Theatre Arts and Anthropology.
Requirements
Core Courses - designed to provide students with a broad background of ethnicity in the United States.
Choose two from the following nine courses:
ANTHRO.333 Ethnic Identity in the United States
ENGLISH.152 Growing up Other
ENGLISH.388 Gender/Race/Class
GEOG.200 Geography of the United States and Canada
HISTORY.224 The Immigrant Experience
HISTORY.404 History of the American West
HONORS.302 Ethnic and Racial Studies (Honors course)
HONORS.302 Diversity Seminar (Honors course)
POLISCI.375 Multiculturalist Theory
SOC.215 Race and Ethnic Minorities
THEATRE.490 Playwrights of Color
Focus Courses - designed to provide students with a concentrated study of the various ethnic groups within the United States.
Choose two from the following courses:
ANTHRO.240 Native North Americans
ANTHRO.311 Archaeology of North East North America
ENGLISH.152 Literature and Society: African-Americans in Rural Pennsylvania
ENGLISH.281 U.S. Latino Literature
ENGLISH.287 Black Women Writers
ENGLISH.334 Studies in American Literature (Topic: Whiteness in American Literature)
ENGLISH.436 African-American Literature
HISTORY.228 African-American History
HISTORY.395 African-American Radicalism and the 20th Century
HISTORY.404 Topics in American History: Native American History
SPANISH.213 U.S. Hispanics: Culture and Literature
SPANISH.214 The Hispanic World Today (in Spanish)
Global and Elective Courses - students may:
- Select or petition global courses
- Select additional elective courses from the core or focus lists
- Design an ethnic studies internship
Global courses allow students to link their knowledge in the United States with those in other countries.
Courses approved to date:
ANTHRO.102 Anthropology and World Problems
ANTHRO.200 Principles of Cultural Anthropology
ANTHRO.310 Aztecs and Mayas
ANTHRO.320 Contemporary World Cultures
ANTHRO.450 People and Cultures of South America
FRENCH.212 French Today
GEOG.100 World Regional Geography
GEOG.102 World Cultural Geography
GEOG.203 Geography of Australia
GEOG.204 Geography of South Asia
GERMAN.211 German Culture and Civilizations
HISTORY.131 Asian Civilization to 1500
HISTORY.132 Asian Civilization since 1500
HISTORY.141 Modern China and Japan
HISTORY.151 History of Africa to 1884-1885
HISTORY.143 Black Africa
HISTORY.354 Modern Japan
HISTORY.355 East Asia Since 1800
HISTORY.405 The Jews of Europe
POLISCI.371 Political Systems of Africa
SPANISH.212 Spanish-American Culture and Civilizations
To petition additional global courses not approved above, provide the director of the Ethnic Studies Minor with a course syllabus. The Ethnic Studies Committee must approve all global courses and internships.