Ethnicity in Contemporary Society 
Identity, Diversity, Globalization

Ideas about "race" and "ethnicity" have long been central to the structure of American society.  What are we recording when we allow multiple choices for race and ethnicity on the census?  What (and whose) history is being honored when states display Confederate flags?  Is affirmative action a good way to overcome centuries of discrimination in education and hiring?  In this course, we will examine why race and ethnicity remain important organizing principles and symbolic flash points in the U.S.

Ethnicity seems to be a source of pride and conflict around the world.  What are the roots of the Hutu-Tutsi conflicts in Rwanda and Burundi, age-old hatred, colonialism or contemporary African politics?  Why did the fall of communism in Europe lead to fierce ethnic strife in some countries, such as Yugoslavia, but not in others?  What does it mean to be Black in London or an Arab in Paris?  Drawing on recent ethnographic research from around the world, we will try to determine if there is an essential core to ethnic categories, strategies and identities.

Why do ethnic identities persist in a globalizing world?  With the global spread of McDonald's and Coca-Cola, why does ethnicity seem to be on the rise around the world?  How does the constant movement of people across borders - such as the border between the U.S. and Mexico - transform the way people think about identity?  Do tourism and international aid programs work to foster the revival of ethnicity in some places?  We will consider recent theory from cultural studies, anthropology and other disciplines in order to reflect critically on the place of race and ethnicity in our own society and around the world.

Home http://fs.uno.edu/dberiss/ethnicity/  Revised 9/25/01.