Critical Social Inquiry 0196 - Intro to Philosophy of Race

W.E.B. Du Bois famously declared "the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line." In this class, we will explore the complex and conflicted meaning of Du Bois' utterance in the context of the contemporary United States, specifically focusing on how racial norms have shifted in various ways creating the superficial impression that the problem of the color-line is no more and that we are living in a post-racial era. We will begin by exploring race and racialization as it initially emerged in the modern period as a pseudo-science. We will then discuss the way in which the scientific project collapsed in the post WWII period, giving way to a questionably new phenomenon of targeting. In other words, the trajectory of this class will work to problematize the myth of a post-racial society and interrogate the meaning of terms like "Criminal," "Illegal," and "Terrorist" as ultimately being shrouded continuations of racist norms. Finally, insofar as one might understanding the color-line, as Du Bois describes it, as being akin to a border or an unresolved conflict, we will also explore ways in which this conflict might be transformed and repaired.

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