ANTH 4020 Explorations in Anthropology: Brown Studies

Instructor Contact:

Bailey Duhé, GPTI

Email: bailey.duhe@colorado.edu

About the Course:

This course is part of the “Explorations in Anthropology” series which discusses special topics in cultural and biological anthropology and archaeology. ANTH 4020: “Brown Studies” is a cultural anthropology course that applies an anthropological perspective to mixed race identities portrayed in popular culture, comedy, ethnography, and academic texts. In this course, we will study those who live in more than one and between racial lines, who simultaneously are both (or many) and neither in order to better understand the concept of “race.” The goal of this course is twofold. First, this course will work as an introduction to Critical Race Theory (CRT) for students interested in studying race. We will discuss race and racial mixing throughout the world to gain perspective into how we, in our own lives, view race at home. Second, each student in this course will work to create a reflection paper with the goal of taking the course readings and discussions and making them useful and applicable in their own lives. Overall, this course seeks to complicate how we view race, messy the concept of racial belonging, and foster dialogue around the fluidity and permeability of race around the world.

Course Prerequisites: List course prereqs here:

• ANTH 2100 (Introduction to Cultural Anthropology) OR SOCY 1001 (Introduction to Sociology) OR ANTH 2200 (Introduction to Archaeology)

Proctoring (if applicable): N/A

Objectives:

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1.     Define “race” as a theoretical concept, social construct, and identification tool across a variety of cultural contexts and historical periods

2.     Summarize U.S. policies, dominant cultural ideas, and legal rulings on race, mixed race identity, ethnicity, and ideas of racial belonging

3.     Recognize (1) the constructed nature of race and (2) the lived realities and impacts of “race” on U.S. society today

4.     Apply course materials, themes, and concepts to (1) current events such as U.S. census surveys and genetic/genealogy testing and (2) your own daily lives and interactions

Required Texts:

1.     Guevarra Jr., Rudy P. 2012. Becoming Mexipino: Multiethnic Identities and Communities in San Diego. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

2.     Readings, podcasts, videos, and website links available online via Canvas.

Grading (out of n points):

Your final grade for this term will be calculated out of 100 points:

• Discussion Remarks – 10 required (1 point each), 10 points total
• Discussion Comments – 20 required (.5 point each), 10 points total
• Seminar Papers – 3 required (20 points each), 60 points total
• Reflection Final – 1 required, 20 points
• TOTAL POINTS: 100