POL492H1S L0101

Graduate Course Code: POL2392H1S L0101

Topics in Comparative Politics IV

Race

Themes

This course explores the history and transformation of the concept of race, in theory and practice. Race has meant different things in different historical periods, and has been used for different purposes. It also means different things in different parts of the world. Some countries have invented multiple racial categories, while others recognize only a limited number; in some countries race can be transcended, in others it is fixed. Although race has disappeared as a biological or genetic category, it has not ceased to be socially and politically relevant, and it is still an important mediator of identity and experience in most parts of the world. It is also an important form and anchor of political opposition. What accounts for the persistence and ubiquity of race, even as the concept is repeatedly emptied of content?

Prerequisites

2.0 POL credits