66-114 DC Grand Challenge First-Year Seminar: Racism
9 units, Carnegie Mellon University
Racism is everywhere in the twentyfirst century. In August 2009, the renowned Indian actor, Sharukh Khan, was detained at Newark International Airport. According to Khan, his Muslim surname led American immigration officials to question him about the nature of his visit for over two hours. Was his treatment racist In 2011, Luis Suarez a Uruguayan soccer player was punished for allegedly calling French footballer Patrice Evra negro in England. But was the word negro, said in Spanish, racist Racism is a complex phenomenon that refers to historically hierarchical power differences between groups e.g. Native populations and Europeans during the conquest, ideas about how humans can be classified into groups by race, and also discriminatory practices against nondominant groups. This system of social relations and ideology serves to justify social inequality and differential treatment. If we are to end racism, we must strive to understand it. What are the historical origins of racism How is racism reproduced How does race influence identity formation Can racism produce positive identities Why has the struggle against racism shifted from a demand for human rights to a search for diversity and inclusion This course will examine racism in Pittsburgh, in the United States, and in several other countries and regions throughout the world. We will approach racism from multiple academic perspectives with a team of three faculty from the departments of History, English and Modern Languages. This teambased interdisciplinary approach to FirstYear Seminars draws on several departments and guest speakers.
Prerequisites: none listed
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