Ethnic & Gender Studies, B.A.

Ethnic & Gender Studies is a major that gives you the intellectual knowledge and tools to be an agent of social change, to thrive professionally, and to flourish as a critic of social structures in the United States. Students in this major learn how multiple social identities – including ethnicity, race, class, gender, sexuality, and/or ability – intersect and shape our lives, contributing to our life experiences, our opportunities, and the challenges faced by members of our communities. Students also learn how communities can engage in collective action to resist and address oppression by affirming their agency and humanity. Students completing this major would be prepared to take what they learn and apply it to work as educators, community organizers, policy makers, advocates, and leaders, and are prepared to pursue many professions where knowledge of diverse communities is essential for success. Students in this major can also pursue law degrees, graduate studies in many fields including ethnic studies, feminist and gender studies, cultural studies, and American Studies.

Required Courses

Complete all of the following courses:
HCOM 242 - Intro to Women’s and Gender Studies Units: 3
HCOM 243 - Introduction to Ethnic Studies Units: 3
EGS 300: Major ProSeminar
HCOM 391 - Race and Ethnicity in the United States Units: 3
EGS 4XX: Capstone
Complete one of the following Intersection of Race and Gender courses:
HCOM 342 - Feminist Theories & Methods Units: 4
HCOM 344 - Chicana/Latina Experiences Units: 4
HCOM 443 - Black Feminist Theory & Praxis Units: 4
Complete one of the following courses:
HCOM 312 - Deliberation and Advocacy Units: 4
EGS 3XX: Research and Writing in Gender and Ethnic Studies
Complete one of the following Service Learning courses:
GS 339S - Sweat/Service/Solidarity SL Units: 5
GS 380S - Building an Int’l NGO Units: 5
HCOM 307S - Soc Impct Of Mass Media SL Units: 5
HCOM 317S - Advanced Composition, Composition Theories, Service Learning Units: 5
HCOM 340S - Topics in Social Movements Service Learning Units: 5
HCOM 350S - Oral Hist/Comm Mem SL Units: 5
HCOM 399S: Creative Writing and Service Learning
HCOM 432S - Social Action Writing SL Units: 5
SL 300S - Social Justice and Service Learning Pedagogy Units: 4
SL 394S - Service and Social Justice Units: 4
SL 491S - Topics in Civic Engage Units: 4
SPAN 301S - Service Learning in the Chicano / Latino Community Units: 4
Complete one of the following Cultural Expression/Representation courses:
GS 336 - Cultural Geography: Place, Power, and Positioning Units: 4
HCOM 324 - African American Narratives Units: 4
HCOM 328 - Latina Life Stories Units: 4
HCOM 329 - Auto/Biografias Units: 4
HCOM 333 - Women’s Writing Workshop Units: 4
HCOM 335 - Amer Ethnic Lit & Culture Units: 3
HCOM 336 - Poetry and Gender Units: 4
HCOM 337 - Women’s Literature Units: 4
HCOM 341 - Poetry & Pop Culture Units: 4
HCOM 348 - Race, Colonialism, and Film Units: 4
HCOM 426 - Travel Narratives Units: 4
SPAN 365 - The Chicano Narrative Units: 3
Complete one of the following Social Movements and Communities courses:
GS 317 - Global Migrant Workers: Ethnic Experiences, Resistance, and Empowerment Units: 4
HCOM 315 - Media for Social Change Units: 4
HCOM 343 - Race and Gender Justice Units: 3
HCOM 345 - Chicanx Life & Culture Units: 4
HCOM 440 - Leadership and Multicultural Communities Units: 4
HCOM 455 - Paradigms Of Chicanx Comm Units: 4
Complete one of the following Historical Formations courses:
GS 325 - Geography of International Development Units: 4
HCOM 346 - African American Life/History Units: 4
HCOM 356 - Digital Multicultural U.S. Histories Units: 4
HCOM 365 - Chicanx Latinx History Units: 4
HCOM 451 - Transnational Migrations Units: 4
JAPN 307 - Japan-American Experience Units: 3
SBS 350 - Domination and Resistance: US since 1880 Units: 3
SBS 353 - Race, Class and Gender in the American West Units: 3
Complete one of the following Theories of Race and Gender courses, not previously taken:
HCOM 344 - Chicana/Latina Experiences Units: 4
HCOM 443 - Black Feminist Theory & Praxis Units: 4
HCOM 445 - Slavery & Race in the Americas Units: 4
HCOM 451 - Transnational Migrations Units: 4

Learning Outcomes

1. Cultural Expression/Representations

Analyze the intellectual traditions, popular culture, and everyday practices of people of color/ethnic communities and how gender shapes these cultural expressions. Explain how representations shape our understanding of race, ethnicity, and gender.

2. Communities and Social Movements

Understand and evaluate how social structures shape the lived experiences and life chances of people in racialized and gendered ways and how people shape the conditions of their lives through collective action and coalition-building.

3. Historical Formations

Describe and critically analyze the different historical dynamics, including colonialism and slavery, that have impacted the lived experiences of indigenous people, people of color/ethnic communities and different gendered groups in the United States and/or transnationally.

4. Theories of Race and Gender

Recognize and apply key theoretical formations in ethnic and gender studies such as racial formation theory, intersectionality, racial capitalism, queer of color critique, Marxist feminism, relational-cultural theory and/or critical race theory. Illustrate how histories of colonialism and slavery shape social categories of race and gender.