COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS

COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO
WINTER/SPRING 2008
RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS
INSTRUCTOR: DR. JUNE TERPSTRA

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Course provides critical examination of issues of race and ethnicity in the world, with special emphasis on the U.S. Students explore concepts, theoretical perspectives, and research on patterns of cooperation and conflict between different racial and ethnic groups. Sources of prejudice, discrimination, power relations and stratification are discussed. Instruction covers history and present status of various major racial and ethnic groups, including some white ethnics, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. Students examine contemporary problems and issues in the area of racial and ethnic relations.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum/General Education Credits:
This course bears Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and General Education
credit for Social Science.  By taking this course you will complete three
(3) of the required Culture, Values, Ethics credits needed to graduate from
Columbia College.  In addition, the course will assist you in achieving the
following LAS core objectives:

Students should be able to:

-         conduct research and as part of that process learn to measure, evaluate,
and assess;
- reflect on and appreciate human endeavor across cultures and eras;
- consider and examine, historically and comparatively, human behavior,
ethical issues, and social institutions;
- utilize various tools of analysis to enable critical thinking;
- express themselves orally in a clear and effective manner.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1.  Identify your present thinking about your race, ethnicity and ancestry and how you developed these ways of understanding and relating with those from races, cultures, countries, classes, and ethnicities different than yours.
2. Develop an understanding of cross cultural historical accounts about patterns of conflict, collaboration and cooperation globally and the role of the USA historically.
3. Understand present geo-political power-struggles that foster race and ethnic conflicts and collaboration.
4. Develop and practice cross-cultural communication skills.
5. Identify future possibilities for respectful human relations honoring people’s rights to self-determination across the globe.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Class Participation--25% OF GRADE= 250 pts

2. An in-class mid-term presentation on your research on a specific ethnic  group (Nigerians), tribe (Navajos) or country (Iraq) before colonization.  This presentation requires you to summarize history, customs, religions, gender relations, political creeds and art. You are encouraged to use graphics, film, music, and art.  A bibliography is required.  25% OF GRADE= 250 pts

3. A final in-class research report will continue your study of the group of people chosen in the mid-term with an emphasis on what happened to the people after colonization and into the present.   25% of Grade =250 pts. 

4. Weekly reaction paper reflexively analyzing the assigned class readings.--25% of Grade= 250 pts

COURSE TEXTS

All readings on web at:  juneterpstra.com or URL’s and links provided

 Week #1

Race and Ethnicity: Self-knowledge

Read and Respond:

1. Christopher Columbus And The Indians
by Howard Zinn at http://www.newhumanist.com/md2.html

2. Bartoleme de Las Casas, Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies(1542) at http://personal.pitnet.net/primarysources/casas.html

 Week#2

Imperialism and Colonialism 

Read and Respond:

 Staying Alive for the New Struggle by  Rudolph Lewis

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=322&Itemid=33

Film:  Trail of Tears

 Week #3

History Lessons on Slavery

Read and Respond:

Moving Onward From Racial Division to Class Unity by Brooke Heagerty and Nelson Peery

http://www.speakersforanewamerica.com/Moving%20Onward.php

Film: Sankofa

 Week 4

Class, globalization, and imperialism today

Rich and Poor

Read and Respond: USA HISTORY: A QUICK STUDY FOR STUDENTS
A summary by Dr. June Scorza Terpstra

http://juneterpstra.com/whats_new.html

Guest Speaker

  Week#5 

 Immigration

Read and respond

Another Side to Race and Immigration by Bill Fletcher Jr.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=13400

IMMIGRATION & UNIFICATION Part 1 and 2 by Stan Goff

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/041306_immigration_unification.shtml

http://www.copvcia.com/free/ww3/041906_immigration_unification_part2.shtml

Film—Salt of the Earth

Week#6 -8
Mid-term Presentations 

Week# 9

Foreign Affairs

Read and Respond:

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0811-10.htm

Film—Occupation 101

 WEEK 10

 http://www.hispaniconline.com/magazine/PDF/July%201996%20Ban%20the%20Bandito.pdf

Hip Hop Profanity, Misogyny and Violence: Blame the Manufacturer

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=200&Itemid=33

Film—Orientalism

Week #11

War and genocide 

Read and Respond:

1.  Terrorism, Theirs and Ours by Eqbal Ahmad

http://www.quaker.org/chestnuthill/eahmed.htm

Hezbollah: A Primer by Lara Deeb

http://www.merip.org/mero/mero073106.html

 Weeks # 12-15 (

 Final Presentations