ANT 330 - Thinking Through Skin: Race in America

The American “skin game” of race. How do we even approach the vexing task of making sense of something that Michael Eric Dyson has characterized as “our most sturdy and endurable conundrum”? We begin, as is the intention of this course, by thinking through skin to spark and inform discussion about racialized difference. Where do our perceptions of racialized difference come from? Why were racial categories constructed in the first place? How is one’s lived experience of race here in Maine similar to, and different from, that of someone who lives in another part of the country? Why should we even care about the ways in which race operates in contemporary, everyday life? We’ll tackle these questions and more as we develop personal, critical inquiries into racial matters. Course Typically Offered: Every 2 years.

Prerequisite(s): None.

Credits: 4