DVRS2302

Meets the requirements for MN transfer curriculum Goal Area 7B. This interdisciplinary course analyzes the historical origins and social construction of race and ethnicity within a U.S. context. The content includes an examination of the impacts of institutional and structural racism, while distinguishing between individual prejudice and systemic inequality. An intersectional framework is used to examine how race, class, gender, and sexuality intersect and overlap within existing power structures. The course moves beyond theory, emphasizing the study of agency and relational skills, as well as the antiracist strategies needed to understand social movements and drive change.Student Learning Outcomes

• Analyze the social construction and historical origins of racial, ethnic, and national identities to evaluate their impact on social stratification.
• Evaluate forms of institutional discrimination within societal systems such as education, media, housing, or the legal system.
• Examine the historical and contemporary contributions and resilience of Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.
• Explain how individual, institutional, and systemic factors - including racist cultural ideologies - reproduce racial and ethnic inequality.
• Differentiate between individual prejudice and systemic racism to evaluate how power dynamics operate within social institutions.
• Examine the significant challenges and contributions of groups experiencing racism and intersecting forms of oppression (e.g., sexism, ableism, classism).
• Analyze how historical and contemporary structures of exclusion impact diverse identities and communities.
• Critique existing communication materials to identify embedded racial biases and structures of exclusion.
• Engage in self-reflected dialogue concerning racism and systemic privilege to develop interpersonal competencies.
• Formulate socially just and antiracist strategies by evaluating and synthesizing the roles of social movements in driving systemic change.