SOCI 281 - Race, Racism and Struggle in Global History

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

According to Barbara Fields, ‘Race is not an element of human biology… nor is it even an idea… that can be plausibly imagined to live an eternal life of its own. Race is not an idea but an ideology. It came into existence at a discernible historical moment for rationally understandable historical reasons and is subject to change for similar reasons.’ For Audre Lorde, ‘Racism, the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over all others and thereby the right to dominance. Sexism, the belief in the inherent superiority of one sex over the other and thereby the right to dominance.’ With these definitions in mind, we work towards deepening our thinking about the numerous ways race and racism, as gendered and classed projects, were/are constructed and resisted across the globe and through time. Impossible to understand and interrogate without excavating the various systems created by racial capitalism since the 15^th century, this course gives a brief overview of institutions and political projects such as chattel slavery, colonialism, Jim Crow, and neo-colonialism/neo-liberalism. If we are successful, all participants in the class (including the instructor) leave with a deeper appreciation of how race and racism has been constructed globally, mediated through racial capitalism, evolved through time, and been resisted consistently. A variety of teaching methods and tools are utilized such as lectures, class discussions, viewing short documentaries, and listening to music from Billie Holiday to Lupe Fiasco to Jamila Woods. Toivo Asheeke.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS