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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
ICS D025.
Course Title (CB02)
Grassroots Democracy: Race, Politics and the American Promise
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
Applied and theoretical learning for students of social justice, this course will examine race, culture and contradictions in the ideal of the American Dream through a comparative analysis of American experiences of migration. Particular emphasis will be on the historical experiences of European immigrants, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Asian Americans. The course will also discuss the contemporary social and cultural implications of the migration process. Using a multidisciplinary social science approach, attention will be given to issues of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and ecology as well as the role of the state (policy) to the process of migration and immigration.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course meets a general education requirement for °®¶¹´«Ã½, CSUGE and IGETC; fulfills one of the elective options for °®¶¹´«Ã½'s AA-T degree in Political Science; and also meets the UC Berkeley American Cultures graduation requirement. This course is CSU and UC transferable. This course provides an interdisciplinary, multicultural and gendered view of American politics with a particular focus on race, racism and the complicity of the state in the perpetuation of racism throughout the history and political development of the United States and as such is cross-listed. By developing students understanding of the intersectional and institutionalized nature of racism in the United States, this course helps students become socially responsible leaders in their communities, the nation and the world.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
°®¶¹´«Ã½ GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GDX°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area D - Social and Behavioral SciencesApproved
2GES°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE - Environment Sustainability and Global CitizenshipApproved
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGDYCSU GE Area D - Social SciencesApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG4XIGETC Area 4 - Social and Behavioral SciencesApproved

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

(Not open to students with credit in the cross-listed course(s).)

(Also listed as POLI D015.)

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

In-class exploration of Internet sites

Homework and extended projects

Field observation and field trips

Guest speakers

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Civic Engagement and/or Service Learning Projects

Porfolio projects

Assignments

  1. Field Research and Participant Observation: Students will choose an individual or group service learning/civic engagement project related to course content at the beginning of the term. Students may also carry out interview assignments as part of research projects.
  2. Oral: Students will participate in class discussions, in small problem-solving groups, in listening partnerships/narrative learning groups, and make oral presentations based on their service learning/civic engagement, and/or other class assignments.
  3. Written: Students will engage some combination of the following: weekly study question assignments, journal entries, short papers, term papers, autobiographical narration summaries, mid-term and/or final essay exams. Students will write a minimum of 2500 words during the quarter.
  4. Reading: Students will carry out daily reading assignments relating to the overall theoretical and methodological concerns of this course, specific content areas relevant to their civic engagement or service learning projects and to the specific case studies encompassed in the course.
  5. Collaborative Learning: students will engage in periodic listening partnerships or narrative learning groups regarding their own subjective perceptions and experiences relating both to the substance and process of their field study and other course material. Students will also engage in in-class collaborative learning groups to present on course material.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Small and large group participation that assesses students ability to identify and critically evaluate contemporary legacies of migration histories among other class learning goals.
  2. Quizzes that assess students ability to investigate key events and experiences in the migration histories of African Americans, European Americans, Mexican Americans and Asian Americans, among other class learning goals.
  3. Short papers that assess the students ability to identify and critically evaluate major conceptual issues regarding migration to and within the United States, among other class learning goals.
  4. Field work/group work reports that demonstrate students ability to identify and practice major methodologies of social science field research, among other learning goals for the course.
  5. Narrative learning partnership reports that demonstrate students ability to use and assess "listening partnerships," "dyadic relationships," and/or other forms of "narrative partnerships" to listen to, comprehend, and communicate cognitive and affective experiences relating to the course material.
  6. Oral Reports that among other things assess students ability to identify and critically examine the role of gender stereotypes and gender role enforcement plays in the functioning of racism in the American context.
  7. Mid-term examinations that appraise comprehension and require synthesis and application of course material.
  8. Weekly journal/homework assignments that assess students ability to explore and assess the critical role played by women in the development of social movements or and since the 1960s, among other learning goals for the course.
  9. Comprehensive cumulative research paper that appraises comprehension and require synthesis and application of course material.
  10. Comprehensive cumulative project/portfolio that appraises comprehension and require synthesis and application of course material.
  11. Final exam that appraises comprehension and require synthesis and application of course material.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Ronald Takaki, "A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America" (New York: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown & Co., 1st rev. ed., 2008).
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me. Spiegel & Grau, 2015.
Vicki Ruiz & Carol Dubois, "Unequal Sisters: an Inclusive Reader in U.S. Women's History" (New York: Routledge, 4th ed., 2008).
Gary Delgado & Zoltan Grossman, "Multiracial Formations: New Instruments for Change" (Oakland, CA: Applied Research Center, 2003).
Chang, Jeff. Who We Be: A Cultural History of Race in Post-Civil Rights America. St. Martin's Press. 2016.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Suzanne Lipsky, "Internalized Racism," (Seattle, WA: Rational Island Publishers, 1987).
Gloria Anzaldua, ed., "Making Face, Making Soul: Haciendo Caras" (San Francisco, CA: Aunt Lute Foundation Books, 1990).
Benjamin P. Bowser and Raymond Hunt, eds., "Impacts of Racism on White Americans" (second edition) (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1996).
Cherie Brown, "The Dynamics of Anti-Semitism," Tikkun (March-April, 1991), Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 26-28.
Gloria Anzaldua & Cherie Moraga, eds., "This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color" (Berkeley, CA: Third Women Press, expanded and rev. 3rd ed., 2002).
Cherie Brown and George J. Mazza, "Healing Into Action: A Leadership Guide for Creating Diverse Communities" (Washington, DC: National Coalition Building Institute, 1997).
Lan Cao and Himilce Novas, "Everything You Need to Know About Asian American History" (Plume, 1996).
Jan Carew, "Columbus and the Origins of Racism in the Americas" in Fulcrums of Change
Ward Churchill, "Crimes Against Humanity," in N.G. Yuen, ed., The Politics of Liberation, (second edition) ( Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1997).
Adam Hochschild, "Against All Odds," by (Mother Jones, Feb. 2004)
Paulo Freire, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" (New York: Continuum, 1983).
Michael Lerner, "Surplus Powerlessness" (Oakland, CA: Institute for Labor and Mental Health, 1986).
Michael Lerner, "Giving White Men and Other Supposed Oppressors a Break, in The Politics of Meaning" (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1996).
David Montejano (Editor), "Chicano Politics and Society in the Late Twentieth Century" (University of Texas Press, 1999).
Francisco A. Rosales, "Chicano! : The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement" (Arte Publico Press, 1997).
Haunani Kay Trask, "From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawaii," (Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press, 1993).
Julian Weissglass, "Ripples of Hope: Building Relationships for Educational Change" (Santa Barbara, CA: Center for Educational Change in Mathematics, 1998).
Peggy McIntosh, "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," in Nicky Gonzalez Yuen, The Politics of Liberation, 4th Ed. (Kendall/Hunt, 2004)
Erica Sherover-Marcuse, "Liberation Theory: Axioms and Working Assumptions about the Perpetuation of Social Oppression," in Nicky Gonzalez Yuen, ed., The Politics of Liberation (4th edition), (Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 2004).
Erica Sherover-Marcuse, "A Working Definition of Racism," in Nicky Gonzalez Yuen, ed., The Politics of Liberation (4th edition), (Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 2004).
Ronald Takaki, "Strangers from a Different Shore" (New York: Penguin, 1998).
Cheng Im Tan, "The Liberation of Asians" (Seattle: Rational Island Publishers, 1993).
Sally Roesch Wagner, "The Untold Story of The Iroquois Influence On Early Feminists," (on line article)
Bob Wing, "Crossing Race and Nationality: The Racial Formation of Asian Americans, 1852-1965"
Nicky Gonzalez Yuen, "Oppression and Democracy," in Nicky Gonzalez Yuen, The Politics of Liberation, 4th Ed. (Kendall/Hunt, 2004)

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Explore the nature of the social sciences as a disciplinary field.
  • Identify and practice major methodologies of social science field research.
  • Investigate key events and experiences in the migration histories of African Americans, European Americans, Mexican Americans and Asian Americans.
  • Identify and critically evaluate major conceptual issues regarding migration to and within the United States.
  • Identify and critically evaluate contemporary legacies of migration histories.
  • Identify and critically examine the role of gender stereotypes and gender role enforcement plays in the functioning of racism in the American context.
  • Identify and assess the impact of sexual exploitation and sexual oppression on racism and race formations within the United States.
  • Explore and assess the emotional or affective issues arising from the U.S. history of race and racism and the various modes of developing and deploying skills of emotional intelligence and public narrative to make the world more socially just and environmentally sustainable.
  • Explore and assess various models of civic and political participation that can make a difference in making a positive impact at various levels of society in making the world more socially just and environmentally sustainable.

CSLOs

  • Students will identify key events and experiences in the migration histories of African Americans, European Americans, Mexican Americans and Asian Americans.

  • Students will identify and critically evaluate major conceptual issues regarding migration to and within the United States.

  • Students will identify, critically evaluate, and compare contemporary legacy of migration histories.

Outline

  1. Explore the nature of the social sciences as a disciplinary field.
    1. Social Science as the study of people as members of society.
    2. The study of social structures/institutions.
    3. Political science methodologies examining institutional power structures and the nature of social authority.
    4. Sociological methodologies such as macro- and micro- institutional analysis.
    5. Psychological and Social Psychological approaches to individual, social, and institutional behavior.
    6. Economic analysis that explores the micro and macro systems for the production, allocation and distribution of social and material resources.
    7. Jurisprudential approaches which examine formal and informal systems of law, regulation, and social control.
    8. Historical methodologies which explore and interpret the development of human events over time.
    9. Women's Studies as:
      1. an examination of power and gender roles and how they vary for women and men of different racial, ethnic, class and sexuality groups; and
      2. an examination of the varying positions of women in society, emphasizing the diverse nature of women's experiences, including an investigation of family, work, beauty images, social movements and the media.
      3. a multi-faceted discipline including such diverse perspectives as:
        1. liberal feminism
        2. socialist feminism
        3. ecofeminism
        4. radical feminism
        5. multisystems feminism
  2. Identify and practice major methodologies of social science field research.
    1. Interview.
    2. Observation.
    3. Participant observation.
    4. Differentiate the types of data available through each, and assess the strengths, weaknesses, and reliability of each methodology.
    5. Compare and contrast experiences and perspectives shared by the student and people from culturally different backgrounds.
    6. Use community civic engagement and service learning opportunities to explore the reality of social environments outside of classroom settings, to explore and assess the ways student can make a difference in making a positive impact at multiple levels in making the world more socially just and environmentally sustainable, and use this experience to compare and analyze the theoretical models available through various social science disciplines.
  3. Investigate key events and experiences in the migration histories of African Americans, European Americans, Mexican Americans and Asian Americans.
    1. African Americans: Pre-slavery and Slavery era; South to North migration 1900 to 1950s; re-migration patterns to the South in the current era.
    2. European Americans: 1840s to 1940. Post WWII suburban exodus to current issues of urban gentrification.
    3. Mexican Americans and other Latin American immigrants: 1848 to the present.
    4. Asian Americans: 1840s to the present.
    5. Indigenous cultures- pre-Colonial era to the present.
    6. Resources extraction and exploitation; ecosystems impacts; environmental racism and environmental justice.
  4. Identify and critically evaluate major conceptual issues regarding migration to and within the United States.
    1. Race and class as factors in the history of U.S. immigration policy.
    2. Economic production, economic change and migration.
    3. Migration, ethnicity and cultural change.
    4. Gender issues in migration histories.
    5. The Environment: Reciprocal impacts of factors such as migration, technology, and modes of economic production on the natural environment and how these in turn are affected by nature.
    6. Obstacles and aids in community development: political resistance, integration, assimilation; separatism; internalized oppression; language; religion.
  5. Identify and critically evaluate contemporary legacies of migration histories.
    1. Institutional practices of discrimination (in state policy and in civil society).
    2. Contemporary immigration issues: trans-nationalism, new immigrant groups, the global economy, the new nativism.
    3. Environmental racism and mass resistance.
  6. Identify and critically examine the role of gender stereotypes and gender role enforcement plays in the functioning of racism in the American context.
    1. African Americans: Slavery era through South to North migration and early civil rights era gender formations.
    2. European Americans: 1700s to 1960s (colonial era through early modern feminism, including variations by social class and the role that ethnicity/class play in shaping dominant and popular views of "femininity").
    3. Mexican Americans: 1848 to pre-civil rights era (including how shifting national boundaries, migration, and work patterns shaped family and gender formations.)
    4. Asian Americans: 1840s to 1970s (including the ways that immigration restriction, migration and work patterns shaped family and gender formations as well as population growth and political power.)
  7. Identify and assess the impact of sexual exploitation and sexual oppression on racism and race formations within the United States.
    1. Heterosexism
    2. Homophobia
    3. Sexual Slavery
    4. Prostitution
  8. Explore and assess the emotional or affective issues arising from the U.S. history of race and racism and the various modes of developing and deploying skills of emotional intelligence and public narrative to make the world more socially just and environmentally sustainable.
    1. Erica Sherover Marcuse's "emancipatory dialectics."
    2. Julian Weissglass's "constructivist listening" groups.
    3. Marshall Ganz's model of "public narrative"
    4. Pamela Roby's "dyads."
    5. Application of key theorists to student's own experiences of race, culture and political change within the context of classroom learning, reading material, and course civic engagement or service learning opportunities.
  9. Explore and assess various models of civic and political participation that can make a difference in making a positive impact at various levels of society in making the world more socially just and environmentally sustainable.
    1. Grassroots Community Organizing
    2. Public Policy Formation and Advocacy
    3. Electoral Engagement
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