SO/HS/PO 330 - Translating Race: A Comparative Approach

This course will examine the various ways law constructs race and racial identity in the Netherlands, the United States, and Europe. We will build on the term “law” in the title by drawing on sources from history, sociology, and anthropology as well as statutes and case law of various countries. We will examine the ways laws construct and define race and trace the privileges and burdens associated with those definitions over different times and places. We will assess the effectiveness to-date of using of domestic and international laws as well as courts to combat racism or racial inequality and will brainstorm strategies to pursue these goals in the future. As much as possible we will draw on the people and resources in the City of Amsterdam to contextualize our discussions and make them as concrete as possible.

NOTE: This course is offered during the regular semester and in the winter. For winter sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.