Critical Social Inquiry 0186 - Theorizing the Color of Law

Who is a "person" before the law? Does the color of one's skin trump one's entitlement to rights? Do rights even matter? How has the judiciary participated in racializing the nation's "non-white" populations, and what ideological and material effects have its decisions produced? The course will help students develop answers to such questions through analysis of Supreme Court opinions purporting to determine the legal personhood of Native, African, Asian and Latino Americans, the incarcerated, immigrants, colonial subjects and those labeled enemies of the nation. In addition to court decisions, readings in critical race theory, political theory and history will deepen our inquiry.

Power, Community and Social Justice Writing and Research Multiple Cultural Perspectives Students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.