Critical Race & Ethnic Studies: Geography/Race&Ethnicity in US

Examination of the ways in which spatial and locational processes shape and are shaped by ethnic and racial identities, struggles, and relationships. Cross-listed with: GEOG 1770.

Crosslisted with GEOG 1770 B Total combined enrollment = 120 Open to degree and PACE students

This class will be a great opportunity to learn how profoundly race and ethnicity have influenced the unique identity of the United States. We'll be unspooling layers of history at levels national, regional, and local that will be complicated and at times unsettling, but always essential to the greater conversation. Included will be a deep dive into the formulation of race and its central role in the birth of “American” identity and culture. We will be learning about those links between place, race/ethnicity, and power that have fundamentally formed the identity of many of our greatest cities, including Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. Most importantly, this class, as an introductory course, will provide you with critical perspectives on those intersections of place and identity. These learning objectives will likely be foundational as you continue higher education and, for some of you, provide a greater understanding of American culture as you try to understand your place within it.

This course fulfills a D1 general education diversity requirement for UVM. At the completion of a course fulfilling the D1: Race and Racism in the US requirement, students should be able to: (1) Develop an awareness of race and racism in the US at the individual or systemic levels including historical and/or contemporary issues, (2) Understand and contextualize foundational concepts, theories, histories, frameworks and/or methodologies regarding race and racism in the US, (3) Analyze arguments, processes, and debates including multiple perspectives related to race and racism in the US, and (4) Demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to recognize and name dynamics and/or problem-solve in specific cases related to race and racism in the US.

The grading scheme will consist of eight journal submissions (4 responses to readings, 4 responses to film screenings) comprising 40%, one mid-size research paper and brief presentation (20%), a mid-term (20%) and final exam (20%).