what is an ethnic studies course

by Hubert Johns 8 min read

Ethnic Studies

  • Lower Division. This course examines key historical events and debates in the field that center around land and labor, including disputes about territory and natural resources, slavery and other forms ...
  • Upper Division. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor. ...
  • Graduate. ...

Description of the Major in Ethnic Studies. Ethnic Studies is the study of the histories, experiences, cultures, and issues of racial-ethnic groups in the United States. As an interdisciplinary major, the B.A. in Ethnic Studies emphasizes the social and historical study of race and racism in the United States.

Full Answer

What jobs can you get with Ethnic Studies degree?

Representative Job Titles and Area of Specialization

  • Museum Curator *
  • Personnel Analyst
  • Probation Officer
  • Professor/Instructor/Teacher *
  • Psychologist *
  • Public Administrator
  • Public Relations
  • Rehabilitation Counselor *
  • Researcher
  • Revenue Agent

More items...

What does it mean to be ethnic studies student?

Ethnic studies.Ethnic studies, in the United States, is the interdisciplinary study of difference—chiefly race, ethnicity, and nation, but also sexuality, gender, and other such markings—and power, as expressed by the state, by civil society, and by individuals.Ethnic studies is an academic field that spans the humanities and the social sciences,...

What are the benefits of ethnic studies classes?

We believe the Ethnic Studies Program benefits students by:

  • Broadening their major fields of study.
  • Preparing them for interdisciplinary inquiries at the graduate level.
  • Enhancing students' employment opportunities in law, education, business, medicine, government, communication and social services, among other professions.

Do ethnic studies classes have academic benefits?

The law’s proponents, which included the Indiana State Teachers Association, leaned heavily on research that links ethnic studies to improved academic performance by students of color. In 2016, a Stanford University study found that taking an ethnic-studies course led to better grades, especially in math and science, and also increased attendance among high school students at risk of dropping out.

What is the purpose of ethnic studies courses?

Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary program. The program aims to develop fundamental skills in critical and global thinking and in comparative analysis, as well as an understanding of the interactions of race, class, gender, and sexuality in the experiences of a range of social groups.

What are examples of ethnic studies?

Ethnic Studies is the umbrella term that encapsulates the following scholarly disciplines: African American Studies, Native American Studies, Chicanx and Latinx Studies, and Asian American Studies.

What are the 4 major studies within ethnic studies?

It remains centered on the four major groups: African Americans, Chicano/Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans.

What are the five themes of ethnic studies?

To recognize both the positive and negative aspects of ethnic identity, as well as to heed the significance of transnational migrations in the creation of diasporic identities, the ethnic studies minor focuses on five themes: diaspora, colonialism, slavery, genocide, and community formation.

What can I do with a degree in ethnic studies?

Ethnic StudiesAdministrative Analysts.Advertising Agent.Bilingual Education Consultant.City Planner *Claims Adjuster.Community Organization Worker.Customs/Immigration Inspector.Grant/Proposal Writer.More items...

Is ethnic studies a good major?

That knowledge is also useful in many different careers, such as: journalism, marketing, community and housing development, radio and television, health and medicine, community and union organizing, social work, and a wide variety of positions in federal, state, and local governments as well as those at the city and ...

Is ethnic studies required in college?

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday making California the first state to require all students to complete a semester-long course in ethnic studies to earn a high school diploma.

What Does Ethnic Studies Teach?

Ethnic studies combines insights from historians, economists, political scientists and other scholars, and it focuses on how ethnicity shapes life experience.

How to Use an Ethnic Studies Degree

Students interested in investigating the causes behind major, longstanding problems in the U.S. might want to consider pursuing an ethnic studies degree, says David K. Yoo, a professor of Asian American studies and history at the University of California—Los Angeles and an editor of the anthology "Knowledge for Justice: An Ethnic Studies Reader."

What is the interdisciplinary study of race and ethnicity in the United States?

The course will examine key topics such as racial discrimination, immigration, economics, labor, political conditions, cultural expression and resistance, social justice movements, racial and ethnic identity, and gender and sexuality. A comparative approach covering African American, Arab American, Asian American, Chicanx/Latinx, Native American, and Pacific Islander American groups.

What is the historical survey of American Indians in the United States from earliest times to the present day?

Emphasis on Indian societies and cultures, Indian relations with predominant cultures, Indian movement for self-preservation, and historical background necessary to understand contemporary problems of the Indians.

What is the Asian American survey?

A historical survey of Asian Americans from early 20th century to the present. Major topics will include war, refugees, immigration and settlement patterns, laws, labor and socioeconomic class, social movements, education, discrimination, gender, sexuality, and social identity. The course will interrogate the term “Asian American” and apply comparative analysis among diverse groups including Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, South Asian, and Southeast Asian. This course includes analysis of the U. S. Constitution, Supreme Court Rulings, and California State and local government issues related to the rights of Asian Americans.

This is the year

California’s upcoming legislative session looks like the year ethnic studies will become a statewide requirement for high school graduation.

What are Ethnic Studies?

Courses in ethnic studies are not a new idea. More than 50 years ago students led a historic strike at San Francisco State University to demand a more relevant curriculum. This resulted in the creation of the College of Ethnic studies. (As an aside, my own children are the beneficiaries of the ethnic studies movement in San Francisco.

What Should An Ethnic Studies Course Look Like?

Glad you asked. One reason for the robust debate over an ethnic studies curriculum is that its scope and definition is in many cases in the eye of the beholder.

Debate over ethnic studies

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has expressed a sense of urgency about adoption of the model curriculum. “Our students of color cannot wait additional years to see their stories represented in the classroom,” he said. “They have already waited generations.”

What Is Ethnic Studies?

Ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary field informed by sociology, psychology, history, anthropology, criminal justice, and legal studies. Ethnic studies departments now encompass areas like African American studies, Asian American studies, Chicano studies, and Native American studies.

5 Reasons Why Ethnic Studies Is Important

Despite recent opposition, ethnic studies is an important field that provides academic, social, and professional benefits for students. Here are five specific benefits of ethnic studies courses:

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