The Politics of Identity: Race, Ethnicity, and Power in Global Perspective

GOV 94LM Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This class will examine the varied relationships between identities and political behavior in the United States and around the world. Over the course of the semester, we will investigate questions such as: What is identity and how does it affect social and political outcomes? Why are some identities salient for particular people or groups while others are not? Can we change our identities, and if so, under what circumstances and to what end? How do forces outside of us – such as the state or society – determine which identities are ascribed to us? And what are the causes and consequences of what we term “identity politics”? While the primary focus of this course is on racial and ethnic identity, we will also explore gender, class, and nationality. The capstone project of this course is a research paper by each student on an identity-related topic of their choice.