Course Description/BTSN Memo
This academic elective examines historical and contemporary issues pertaining to racial and ethnic minorities. The overarching theme of perspective and inclusion provides and anchor to examine issues surrounding race and ethnicity in the United States. Critically deconstructing the role of politics, geography, social perceptions, and economics will provide students the opportunity to examine our shared history from various perspectives. Throughout the semester, students examine the historical contexts that created modern inequalities. Unit topics give voice to groups who have suffered from systemic oppression, and develop theoretical and practical ways for students to deconstruct the power structures that create inequalities. Starting from an examination of white supremacy and its historical context, the African American experience is examined. Subsequently, case studies, including Native American, Hispanic American, and Asian American are explored to illuminate students’ understanding of the minority experience within the scope of American history.
This elective course is only offered to 11th and 12th grade students who are interested in disucssing the theoretical, sociological, historical, and political aspects of racism and race relations in U.S. and World History. This course engages in dicussions that prepare secondary education students for higher ed. Along with other theoretical frameworks, or lenses to view history and society, this course discusses Foucaultian ideas about Power Dynamics, Bourdieu's ideas of Capital, psychologcial concepts of Internalized Oppression and Dominance along with Critical Race Theory and current national debates surrounding it. Students will ideally leave class with well rounded perspectives that allow them to endgage in productive conversations about complex and difficult topics. Students will be assessed not only on their abilities to apply theory to create arguments but also their ability to explain the validity of viewpoints opposite their own.