Sophomore Seminar on Multiculturalism in the U.S.

Description

According to the approved Liberal Studies program, the Sophomore Seminar on Multiculturalism is designed to address some dimension of multiculturalism in the context of the United States. In this regard, the Council understands multiculturalism to include questions of ethnicity, race, class, gender, language, religion, and sexual orientation. Our committee also recommends that issues related to inequalities related to age and disability also be included as topics for consideration. In order to accommodate the range of approaches in different disciplines and fields, as well as interdisciplinary studies, we also recommend that courses which address multicultural issues in countries and contexts outside of the United States be included as long as the U.S. remains the central focus and connections are made among the various contexts examined.

Meeting Liberal Studies Program Goals

Regarding the modality of the course, we recommend that the Sophomore Seminar on Multiculturalism be in the form of multiple courses, with common goals, which meet the following requirements.

Of the goals identified below, regarding the Multicultural Sophomore Seminars, for courses to qualify for this requirement, they must address the first four goals. Some attention to the remaining goals in whole or in part is strongly encouraged.

• Some attention to the history of Multiculturalism and its development within the United States and a global context. This aspect of the course includes both the study of literature on multiculturalism as a field as well as the multicultural nature of society.
  
  
• At a minimum, courses should examine the experiences and perspectives of three distinct cultural groups constructed along the lines of some combination of ethnic, racial, gender, class, language, and religious identities.
  
  
• Development of a critical perspective about the meanings of multiculturalism.
  
  
• Investigation of the historical roots of inequalities related to differences in class, ethnicity, race, gender, age, language, religion, ability, and sexual orientation.
  
  
• Examination of the construction of group-based identities, the multiplicity of identities and their relation to social location, the processes of individual and group identity formation, as well as the self-definition of groups.
  
  
• Study of issues of power regarding inter-group and intra-group relations.
  
  
• Development of an informed understanding of others, respect and/or empathy for individuals and groups who are different; examination of pluralistic values, and multiple world views.
  
  
• Promotion of social transformation.

Assessment of student learning should contain some activities, projects, assignments which require reflection on the issues and ideas examined. The methods used to assess student learning should complement the teaching methods and the desired course goals and objectives. These methods should be at the discretion of the faculty member.