Santa Clara University

ETHN 130 Black Political Thought in Action (Winter 2010)

This course explores the political theories and praxis of social movements in the black diaspora through the lens of memoir.  Beginning with the slave narrative genre, autobiographies of activists of African descent have served as important tools for organizing support for social movements, providing historical evidence of the experiences of black communities and challenging domestic and international policies that affect people of color.  In addition, memoirs have provided an alternative space for black voices to be heard when they have been excluded or ignored by academic, media and political institutions.  Throughout this course, we will examine social movements in the African diaspora through the life stories of activists.  We will also observe how these texts reveal concerns about the meaning of autonomy, freedom, justice and collective consciousness that are common to historically marginalized groups and significant to our understanding of democracy and political liberalism.  In addition, we will consider how personal experiences of race, class, gender, sexuality and citizenship influence various forms of political participation.  Last, we will interrogate the subjectivity and distortion of fact that are often found in even the most well-intentioned memoirs. (5 units)

ETHN 132 - Transnational Political Movements (Winter 2010)

This course examines the various forms and dynamics of organizations, activists and movements that engage in collective action to transform institutional policies and practices across nation-state boundaries.  This course is particularly interested in how social movements, international protests and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) interact with nation-state governments as well as economic and cultural institutions and why certain communities engage in transnational political contention.  In addition, we will explore what effects transnational movements have on domestic and world politics as well as how participating in this kind of activism and advocacy effects the communities involved.  We will specifically examine whether transnational political movements are effective tools for acquiring social justice for historically marginalized communities.  This course is designed to be a collective learning experience in which students examine and interrogate scholarship about social movements, globalization and identity in transnational perspective.  In addition, students will consider how these theories illuminate the work of, and challenges faced by, present-day organizations. (5 units)

ETHN 157 – Race, Gender, Class & the College Experience (Winter 2010)

How do we understand our experiences in college? This course will explore student experiences in higher education by using lenses that focus on race, gender and class. This course will use activities, self-reflection, lecture, and discussion to explore student identity, the history of higher education, college access and retention, campus climate, and student development. (5 units)