Race and Ethnicity in the U.S. (undergrad)
This course examines the central role that race and ethnicity play in U.S. Politics. This course surveys the literature in political science and related disciplines to understand how ethnoracial minorities and racialized groups shape, interact with and are impacted by politics in the United States. We focus on both the historical and contemporary political realities of African Americans, Latinas/os/xs, Asian Americans, Indigenous peoples and Muslim Americans. The goal of the course is to assess and evaluate the political constraints and opportunities
of racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. Specifically, we will examine how minority groups fare in electoral politics, political representation, political incorporation, public opinion and social
movements. The course surveys materials to expose students to how race and ethnicity have drastically shaped citizenship, group membership, structural racism, racial hierarchies, racial attitudes and intergroup relations.
Belonging, Immigration and Citizenship in the U.S. (undergrad)
This course explores the concepts of membership, belonging, immigration and citizenship in the U.S. context. In this course, we examine how individuals from various racial, ethnic, religious, immigrant and non-immigrant backgrounds have been defined as belonging or not belonging members of U.S. society historically, politically, socially and culturally. Given the multifaceted nature of the topics, the class draws from materials and knowledge in political science, sociology, history, public policy and the law. We pay particular attention to understanding the contours of American identity and the political impact of inclusion or exclusion specifically as it pertains to present-day debates about political engagement, political attitudes and immigration politics. We also examine theoretical and policy debates on the topics of immigration and citizenship and we will evaluate the research that informs these debates. We investigate what citizenship means, why people migrate, the determinants of anti-immigrant sentiment, the politics of immigration control and immigrant inclusion.
Research Seminar in Political Behavior (grad)
This seminar focuses on the most recent advances in the study of political behavior. We consider contemporary research that aims to make theoretical and empirical contributions to the study of political participation. We will also consider promising new directions in political behavior research including, but not limited to, turnout, voting, protest and other contentious politics.
Readings draw from political science and related disciplines and will predominantly focus on political behavior in the American context. Course assumes familiarity with foundational work on public opinion and political participation. Class discussions and assignments focus on critically examining recently published research, as well as a constructive look at students’ individual work.
Latina/o/x Politics (undergrad and grad)
Latinas/os/xs encompass the largest ethnoracial minority group in the U.S. This course starts with an overview of the foundation of Latinx politics as an area of inquiry and how Latinas/os/xs
emerged as a key political group. We explore classic and more recent debates on whether Latinxs are a cohesive group and interrogate the concept of Latinidad. The course also examines major themes in Latinx politics including pan-ethnic identity, national origin identities, social movements, political behavior, mobilization, partisanship, public opinion, religion, transnationalism, representation, and gender in Latinx politics. Lastly, the course considers future directions of the subfield and promising new avenues for research.