Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This interdisciplinary course provide an opportunity to explore the topics of race and racism including the study of the early theorists; learning about theoretical and societal racism, racism organizations, state racism, anti-racism. Students will learn about how and why racism persists. Compassion, tolerance and a greater understanding of what it means to be human are goals that make this course relevant to the modern world and especially the United States as we move towards more and more ethnic diversity. Your ability to think critically and synthesize knowledge will be exercised regularly through readings, writings and class discussions. An essential question for this course is: What does it mean to be human? The course also provides practice in reading and writing skills. Finally, a key purpose of humanities is to increase students' ability to appreciate the commonality of all human beings.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Engage in critical thinking to evaluate culturally based assumptions that underlie the modern concepts of race and racism.
• Understand that the study of humanities involves an analysis of what it means to be human through an examination of the motivation, creativity, values and world views of people of different ethnic groups.
• Communicate effectively about the defining moments in the development of race-based ideas as well as anti-racist strategizing.
• Articulate and evaluate the world views and interactions of people of different ethnicities over time.

The SAC expects that instructors will assess student learning throughout the term using a variety of methods. The SAC encourages instructors to consider the following in determining the achievement of course outcomes:

• Quizzes, exams or exercises.
• Essays.
• Participation in large and small groups.
• Capstone projects.
• Term paper.
• Written analysis of primary and secondary sources of information

Themes

• Origins of the concept race
• Construction of race
• Racial politics
• State racism
• Developments in literature, film and theater
• Religions and philosophies supporting race thinking
• Racial conflict and violence, and cooperation
• Slavery, colonialism and imperialism Concepts
• Ideological racism
• Societal racism
• The “Other”
• Institutional racism
• Theories of racism