Requirements & Courses

The ethnic studies minor requires 24 s.h. of credit. A maximum of 6 s.h. may be used to satisfy requirements for both the foundations curriculum and the ethnic studies minor. A course may not count both toward the student’s major requirements and the ethnic studies minor requirements.

Click on the image above to link to Ethnic Studies Face Book Page.

Director

Dr. Su-ching Huang

2150 Bate Building

252.328.2423

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary program that uses cross-cultural comparative methods to explore the diverse histories and cultures of ethnic groups in the US to examine the formation of identities and societies in local, national, and global contexts, and to analyze the social, cultural, and political sources of bias and discrimination.

Spring 2013 COURSES

ETHN 2001: Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Humanities (FC:HU)
TR 11:00am-12:30 pm | Bate 2020 | Instructor: Carla Pastor (pastorc@ecu.edu)

In this course we will explore ethnicity and race in the United States by examining our own experiences as well as literary and scholarly explorations of the concepts. Our goal will be to develop a critical framework that will help us better understand our multicultural society. Questions we will consider include: What is race? What is ethnicity? How does ethnicity relate to race? What is ethnic studies? How are ethnicity and race perceived in America? What constitutes membership in an ethnic group? How have concepts of, policies toward, and treatment of ethnic groups changed over time? How do authors explore, express, extend and resist notions of ethnicity and race in literary, scholarly, and documentary works? How can considering these works help us understand better America's past, present, and future?

*This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity Requirement and the Humanities Foundation Credit Requirement.

ETHN 3501 Selected Topics in Ethnic Studies: (FC: HU) | DE Course--taught fully online | Instructor: Dr. Mona Russell (russellm@ecu.edu)

The basic premise of this course is that the notion of a hybrid identity, such as Arab-American, is a post-colonial phenomenon, based upon the politics of colonization, nationalism, and the development of the modern nation-state. We will explore the expression of that identity as it evolves over the course of the twentieth century, comparing and contrasting the experience of individuals from different locales, ages, and genders. Memory, home, and identity as expressed in poetry, autobiography, and fiction will be recurring themes for discussion. We will contrast those images with representations of Arabs in mainstream media, Hollywood cinema, and popular culture. Finally we will examine 9/11 as a pivotal moment in the creation and expression of Arab-American identity.