Multicultural and Gender StudiesAA Degree

A multi-disciplinary exploration of the cultural and social milieu of Chicanos in the United States. "Chicano" is defined as the first generation of Mexican-Americans born to parents from Mexico. Students will trace the development of a definition and rationale for Chicanismo through a critical and comparative examination of relevant literature. Areas that will be examined will include economics, family and religion, social and political behavior, health, education and prejudice, among others. Also included in this examination will be a specific look at the Chicano movement, its goals, methods, and people.

This course is a multi-disciplinary exploration of the cultural history and experience of African Americans. The African American experience is described and conceptualized as a function of cultural history and the adaptations made by African Americans in more contemporary contexts. The culmination of the comprehensive and detailed history highlights the challenges and creative triumphs of African Americans as indicated through action in social, political, economic, religious, and artistic endeavors.

This course is a survey of the rich and diverse cultural history of various Asian American communities (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Southeast Asian American, etc.). Emphasis is given to the cultural and historical circumstances that caused various Asian populations to resettle in the United States. Various Asian American populations will be described according to their immigration and refugee challenges, cultural adaptations, and unique contributions to American society as a whole.

This course examines representations of "queer" sexuality and identity in films and literary texts ranging from turn-of-the-century works that encode homosexuality in an assortment of ways to contemporary works that explore a variety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, ally and pansexual (LGBTQ+) identities. This course emphasizes the diversity of perspectives on homosexuality and gender that may be found in 20th and 21st century film and literature, and highlights how texts by self-identified LGBTQ+ authors have responded and contributed to U.S. culture and history. Graded only.

This course is a survey of the history of the United States from pre-colonial times to the present with particular emphasis on the nation’s multicultural heritage. The historical experiences of Americans from diverse religious, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds will be studied in the context of the growth and development of the United States.

This course is a survey of the experiences of men and women in the American past from the pre-colonial era to the present. The course examines the ways that ideas about masculinity and femininity have shaped men's and women's participation in major political, economic, social, and cultural events and developments, and why and how ideas of manhood and womanhood change. The course also introduces students to the historical reasoning skills necessary to form their own understanding of the past, and of contemporary society.

This course is an introduction to the history of African Americans in the United States and provides a broad and critical analysis of what it means to be black and to live in America. The course examines the experiences of Africans in America from the colonial era to the present. Major themes include the influence of the African tradition, the struggle for equality, and contributions of individual African Americans to the growth and development of the nation. The course also introduces students to the historical reasoning skills necessary to form their own understanding of the past, and of contemporary society.

This course is a sociological analysis of the social construction of gender, masculinity, and femininity historically and cross-culturally. It examines the debates on sex and gender. It analyzes the impact of economic and political change on gender expectations and practices. It focuses on macro-analyses of how institutions and culture shape gender and micro-analyses of how individuals are socialized and how they "do" and practice gender. (C-ID SOCI 140).

This course is a sociological analysis of race, ethnicity, prejudice and discrimination. It examines the cultural, political and economic practices and institutions that support or challenge racial and ethnic inequalities, as well as patterns of interaction between various racial and ethnic groups. (C-ID SOCI 150).