Ethnic Studies Course

Lesson 1 • Origins and Purpose of the Field

Traces ethnic studies from 1960s campus activism to institutionalisation. Establishes why the discipline exists and what distinguishes it from mainstream social sciences.

Lesson 2 • Interdisciplinary Methods Overview

Surveys qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods used in ethnic studies research. Prepares students to evaluate methodological choices in scholarly literature.

Lesson 3 • Core Concepts and Terminology

Defines race, ethnicity, racialisation, and related terms with precision. Provides shared vocabulary used throughout the entire course.

Lesson 1 • Theories of Racial Formation

Examines racial formation theory and how race is shaped by historical and political forces. Grounds subsequent structural analysis in theoretical rigour.

Lesson 2 • Intersectionality as Analytical Tool

Applies Crenshaw's intersectionality framework to race, gender, class, and sexuality. Demonstrates how overlapping systems compound disadvantage.

Lesson 3 • Colonialism and Its Legacies

Connects colonial history to contemporary racial structures and resource distribution. Students apply colonial frameworks to current policy debates.

Lesson 4 • Systemic Racism and Institutions

Identifies how racism operates through education, housing, criminal justice, and healthcare systems. Moves analysis beyond individual prejudice to structural causation.

Lesson 1 • Contemporary Indigenous Activism

Covers pipeline protests, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women advocacy, and urban Indigenous organising. Connects historical analysis to present-day mobilisation.

Lesson 2 • Land, Environment, and Sacred Sites

Examines Indigenous relationships to land and environmental justice struggles. Links land rights to cultural survival and spiritual practice.

Lesson 3 • Cultural Revitalisation Movements

Analyses language revitalisation, ceremonial renewal, and cultural reclamation efforts. Shows how cultural survival connects to political sovereignty.

Lesson 4 • Indigenous Histories and Colonisation

Surveys pre-contact diversity and the impact of colonisation on Indigenous nations. Establishes historical context for contemporary Indigenous politics.

Lesson 1 • Contemporary Black Lives and Movements

Analyses mass incarceration, police violence, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Applies historical frameworks to twenty-first-century struggles.

Lesson 2 • Black Political Thought Traditions

Surveys integrationism, nationalism, Pan-Africanism, and Black feminism as political frameworks. Equips students to situate contemporary movements within intellectual lineages.

Lesson 3 • Transatlantic Slavery and Its Aftermath

Traces the slave trade, plantation economies, and emancipation's incomplete promises. Grounds contemporary racial disparities in this foundational history.

Lesson 4 • Black Culture and Artistic Expression

Examines the Harlem Renaissance, hip-hop, and visual arts as sites of political and cultural meaning-making. Connects cultural production to community identity.

Lesson 1 • Chicanx Identity and Political Thought

Examines Aztlan ideology, Chicanx feminism, and cultural nationalism as political frameworks. Situates Chicanx thought within broader Latinx intellectual traditions.

Lesson 2 • Latinx Cultural Production

Examines muralism, Chicano literature, and contemporary Latinx media as cultural expression. Shows how art articulates community identity and political demands.

Lesson 3 • Contemporary Latinx Politics and Identity

Covers DACA, anti-immigrant policy, and pan-ethnic Latinx coalition building. Applies historical frameworks to current political mobilisation.

Lesson 4 • Historical Roots and Migration Patterns

Covers Spanish colonisation, mestizaje, and twentieth-century migration waves to the United States. Establishes demographic and historical context for Latinx communities.

Lesson 1 • Incarceration, War, and Racial Violence

Examines Japanese American incarceration, anti-Asian violence, and wartime racial politics. Connects historical trauma to contemporary anti-Asian hate.

Lesson 2 • Pacific Islander Sovereignty and Identity

Addresses Hawaiian sovereignty, Guamanian self-determination, and Pacific Islander cultural identity. Distinguishes Pacific Islander experiences from Asian American frameworks.

Lesson 3 • AAPI Political Organising and Coalitions

Analyses pan-ethnic AAPI organising, Third World solidarity, and contemporary advocacy. Connects historical activism to present-day political engagement.

Lesson 4 • Model Minority Myth and Its Harms

Deconstructs the model minority stereotype and its use to divide communities of colour. Reveals how the myth obscures intra-AAPI diversity and structural barriers.

Lesson 1 • Community-Based Participatory Research

Applies CBPR principles to co-design research with community partners. Shifts power from researcher to community throughout the research process.

Lesson 2 • Quantitative and Mixed Methods

Introduces survey design, demographic data analysis, and integration with qualitative findings. Equips students to use numbers without reducing community experience to statistics.

Lesson 3 • Writing and Disseminating Research

Covers academic writing, policy briefs, and community-accessible reporting formats. Ensures research reaches both scholarly and community audiences.

Lesson 4 • Qualitative Data Collection Methods

Teaches interviewing, focus groups, and ethnographic observation in community contexts. Builds practical skills for gathering rich, contextual data.

Lesson 1 • Policy Analysis and Advocacy

Applies ethnic studies frameworks to analyse and influence public policy. Connects scholarly analysis to legislative and administrative advocacy strategies.

Lesson 2 • Leadership and Organisational Change

Develops skills for leading equity-centred organisational change from within institutions. Prepares students for specialist and leadership roles in diverse settings.

Lesson 3 • Equity Audits and Institutional Assessment

Teaches methods for auditing institutional policies, practices, and data for racial equity gaps. Produces actionable findings for organisational change.

Lesson 4 • Ethnic Studies Curriculum Development

Guides design of K–12 and higher education ethnic studies curricula aligned with community needs. Applies pedagogical theory to real curriculum planning.