NORAM2571 – Race and Racism in the United States
Course description
Course content
This course gives an understanding of the history of race and racism in the United States, both as a set of ideas and an institutional system. We will focus on how definitions of race have changed over time, as well as contemporary discussions of race as ethnic identity, and the political results of each.
Learning outcome
After completing this course you will have:
- learned to identify and analyze key elements in the historical development of race and racism in the United States, such as, historical ideologies about race, and how American racial ideologies fit into the international debates about race.
- increased your awareness of how personal and cultural biases affect scientific thought about race.
- learned communication skills in academic English and improved your abilities in reading and writing academic English through individual and group work.
- learned scholarly ethics and the appropriate tools for documenting your work.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Prerequisites
Recommended previous knowledge
The course assumes a good proficiency in written and oral English.
Overlapping courses
This course overlaps with NORAM4571 – Race and Racism in the United States (discontinued).
Teaching
Seminar, two hours per week for 10 weeks, 20 hours in all.
80% attendance is required.
There will be two qualifying assignments, one writing assignment – paraphrasing vs. plagiarism, and one Power Point slide presentation of a set of primary sources (may be done as a group).
Examination
Portfolio including a 5-page essay, and a two-hour classroom exam.
Essay: Question to be assigned. (Note the question can cover any or all of the readings and will be handed out late in the semester. Therefore it is important to read and participate in class throughout the semester.)
Classroom Exam (2 hour)
(Optional.) Write a review of the films, discussing how they relate to the readings for the course.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
The results will be found on the StudentWeb within three weeks of the exam.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.