Module SOCI3737: Global Racisms: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Department: Sociology

SOCI3737: Global Racisms: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Prerequisites

• At least 20 credits of level 2 modules from the Department of Sociology.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• Through research-led teaching, this module will provide students with:
• A historical-sociological and interdisciplinary understanding of both race as a potent socially constructed idea and sociological significance of racism in a global context.
• A deep understanding of a range of theoretical perspectives which centre the experiences of Black and global majority communities around the world.
• Knowledge of the intersectional nature of race and racism, with reference to relationships between class, disability, race and gender.
• Insight into the nature and impact of systemic racism at the global level. Including the enduring impact of racial capitalism, neo-colonialism and white settler colonialism on racially oppressed and Indigenous peoples.
• A critical understanding of social justice and meaningful engagement with ideas and examples of anti-racist, Indigenous and anti-colonial activism.

Content

• Key theories and concepts drawn from sociology, across the social sciences and the humanities, including criminology, human geography, history, philosophy, political science and psychosocial studies.
• Exploration of different theoretical traditions, including but not limited to: Black radicalism; Africana social theory; critical race theory; critical indigenous studies; cultural studies; decolonial and post-colonial theory; feminist perspectives; post-structuralism and postmodernism; (neo-) Marxism; and critical whiteness studies.
• Mapping the global history of racism by locating the study of racism against the backdrop and enduring legacies of imperial expansion, enlightenment and scientific racism, decolonisation and the evolving nature of racial capitalism.
• International case study examples of racism, anti-racist, anti-colonial and Indigenous struggles for social justice in Africa, Europe, Asia, America and Oceania/Australia.
• The impact of White privilege and Whiteness on racism, including an interrogation of the notion of ‘global white supremacy’, as well as an examination of forms of racial domination and supremacy in contexts where white people are not the dominant racialised group.

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated:
• Their racial literacy and awareness of their own positionality and experiences of power, privilege, and identity.
• An understanding of key concepts related to the study of racism, such as the idea of race, ethnicity, racialisation, diaspora, Whiteness and White privilege, nationalism, populism, far right extremism and reactionary democracy.
• Knowledge of the history of racism and its enduring impact on racialised people’s subjected to different modalities of racism, including, but not limited to: anti-Black, Arab and Latinx racisms; Islamophobia and antisemitism; Romaphobia, Sinophobia and xeno-racism; racist nativism; gendered and sexualised racisms; cultural and colourblind racism; everyday racism; colourism and pigmentocracy.
• An understanding of the enduring legacies of imperial expansion, enlightenment and scientific racism, postcolonial liberation and the evolution of racial capitalism.
• Awareness of how racism operates at the structural, systemic, ideological and interpersonal levels, as well as the interconnectedness of local, national and global contexts.
• Knowledge of the potency of Whiteness, white privilege and white supremacy, as well as the contingent and probationary nature of Whiteness.
• An understanding of forms of racial domination and notions racial supremacy in contexts where White people are not the hegemonic racialised group.
• Detailed insight into the role played by anti-racist, Indigenous and anti-colonial actors and movements in pursuit of equality, civil rights and social justice at local, national and transnational levels.

• By the end of the module students will be able to:
• Explain and critique complex theories and concepts relating to the study of racism and the ongoing struggle for liberation and social justice.
• Critically evaluate sociological and wider social scientific arguments and evidence, and the relationship between academic and non-academic evidence, theories, social policy and lived experience.
• Analyse the role played by social movements, the state and supranational institutions in either reproducing and/or challenging different types of racisms.

• Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated the ability to:
• Co-design empathetic learning spaces by co-producing a set of guidelines for discussing sensitive and controversial topics in a way that participants feel comfortable bringing themselves into the classroom.
• Work constructively and empathetically as part of a small group.
• Reflect on their own lived experiences and learning.
• Identify and process appropriate information from a range of academic and non-academic sources, as well as evaluate and synthesise information obtained from these sources.
• Plan workload and manage time.
• Construct systematic, theoretically and conceptually-informed, evidence-based questions and arguments orally, visually and in writing.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures: introduce the main issues to be considered. Whilst they will encourage students to develop skills in active listening and purposeful notetaking, they will also have interactive components. Seminars: provide an opportunity for students to discuss module themes in empathetic small group settings. Students will be supported to explore key theories, concepts and debates, and apply these to specific topics and issues. As well as the subject-specific skills mentioned above, students will also be supported to reflect on their own experiences and positionality, in addition to developing a number of transferable skills, such as oral communication, group work, the ability to evaluate evidence and make reasoned arguments. In-class exercises and discussions will also provide students with feedback on their understanding and progress at regular points during the module.
• Preparation and reading: constitutes an important mode of learning on this module. It develops many of the subject-specific and key skills indicated above, including the ability to undertake and present work in a scholarly manner, engaging with a range of related research and policy/practice examples. It will also involve preparation for the workshops, independent post-workshop reflection exercises and subsequent further reading, including in support of developing assignment submissions (including the annotated scrapbook and commentary).
• Summative assessment: The annotated scrapbook (Maximum of 10 pages) will enable students to demonstrate their understanding of key issues relating to the study of racism, anti-racism, anticolonialism and Indigenous struggles for civil rights, equality and social justice, and connected understandings of the relationship between social scientific knowledge, social policy and practice in this field of study. The supporting commentary will provide a further opportunity to demonstrate critical depth in relation to the issues, examples and material presented within students’ scrapbooks.
• Formative Assessment: The short vlog will require preparation in advance and give students the opportunity to test and develop their knowledge and understanding of module topics in preparation for the summative assignment. They will develop key communication and library skills, as well as subject-specific skills outlined above. Group, peer and verbal feedback during the class will enable students to improve their future performance in the module by identifying strengths, weaknesses and areas to improve.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Suubmission of a 5-minute group vlog, with accompanying PowerPoint presentation, based on a single page from the summative scrapbook. This will enable students to test out their skills in identifying and thinking critically about theory, evidence, policy and practice in relation to racism and the struggle against racial inequity. Feedback on the Vlog will enable students to deepen their learning in preparation for the summative assessment.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University