Ethnic Studies Courses
Courses

ES 101. Introduction to Ethnic Studies. 4 Credits.
This course is an introduction to the academic field of Ethnic Studies, the interdisciplinary, comparative and relational study of race, ethnicity and indigeneity in the United States. Special attention paid to how systems of domination and acts of resistance (re)create racial subjects.

ES 196. Field Studies: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: approval of program administrators.

ES 198. Workshop: [Topic]. 1-12 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 199. Special Studies: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable up to five times.

ES 200M. Temporary Multilisted Course. 4 Credits.

ES 250. Introduction to Black Studies. 4 Credits.
This course introduces students to the theoretical models used in the interdisciplinary study of African-America. Using a thematic approach, students will learn to critically engage the development of and dynamics between race, racism and blackness in the United States.

ES 252. Introduction to Asian American Studies. 4 Credits.
Focuses on historical, cultural, and social issues in Asian America and surveys scholarship in Asian American studies.

ES 254. Introduction to Chicanx and Latinx Studies. 4 Credits.
Focuses on historical, social, and cultural issues in Chicanx and Latinx communities and surveys scholarship in Chicanx and Latinx studies.

ES 256. Introduction to Native American Studies. 4 Credits.
Interdisciplinary approaches to understanding Native American lives, examining Native American identities, practices, histories, creative works, cultures, and political status in context.

ES 258. Introduction to Pacific Islander Studies. 4 Credits.
Focuses on historical, social, and cultural issues in Pacific Islander communities and surveys scholarship in Pacific Island Studies.

ES 301. Theoretical Perspectives in Ethnic Studies. 4 Credits.
Introduction to contemporary theoretical frameworks in the discipline of ethnic studies. Intended to be taken by junior year to introduce students to the second half of the ES major. Required for ES majors. Offered once per year.
Prereq: ES 101; one from ES 250, ES 252, ES 254, ES 256.

ES 310. Race and Popular Culture: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Examines the interface between race and popular culture, surveying the historical development, political significance, and social influence ofpopular culture in the United States. Repeatable four times for a maximum of 20 credits when topic changes. Offered alternate years.

ES 321. Indigenous Peoples of Oregon. 4 Credits.
This course examines the history, culture, social and political issues of the Indigenous peoples of Oregon through oral traditions, primary sources, and secondary sources, focused on the major themes of sovereignty, traditional knowledge, and decolonization.

ES 330. Women of Color: Issues and Concerns. 4 Credits.
Contemporary social issues and feminism among women of color in the United States.
Prereq: ES 101 recommended.

ES 350. Native Americans and the Environment. 4 Credits.
Critical issues in Native American environmentalism.

ES 352. Social Equity and Criminal Justice. 4 Credits.
Critical issues related to police, prisons, criminal justice, and racial and gender inequalities.

ES 354. Environmental Racism. 4 Credits.
Explores environmental justice as both a field of scholarship and organizing framework that links power, justice, and inequality to environmental issues. Special attention is given to the specific forms of racism which produce environmental injustice.

ES 360. Black Sexual Politics. 4 Credits.
Explores the gender and sexuality politics that influence the social, political, economic and cultural development of black communities in the diaspora, including the United States.

ES 370. Race, Ethnicity, and Cinema: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Examines the history and politics of race, ethnicity, and indigenousness in relation to film, including questions of production, distribution, and reception in the United States. Repeatable four times for a maximum of 20 credits when topic changes. Offered alternate years.

ES 380. Race, Migration, and Rights. 4 Credits.
Examines historical and contemporary politics in race, immigration, and migration.

ES 385. Critical Whiteness Studies: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
This course explores the social construction of race by investigating and historicizing “whiteness” as a racial category in the U.S. Repeatable once for a maximum of 8 credits.
Prereq: ES 101 or one 200 level ES course.

ES 399. Special Studies: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Recent topics include Caribbean Migrations; Asian American Women; Critical Whiteness Studies; Native Americans and Film; Asian Diasporas; Race and Resistance in United States History. Repeatable up to 5 times.

ES 401. Research: [Topic]. 1-21 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: majors or minors only.

ES 404. Internship: [Topic]. 1-12 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 405. Reading and Conference: [Topic]. 1-21 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: majors or minors only.

ES 406. Practicum: [Topic]. 1-12 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: majors or minors only.

ES 407. Seminar: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 409. Terminal Project. 1-12 Credits.
Repeatable.
Prereq: majors or minors only.

ES 410. Experimental Course: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 440. Race, Literature, and Culture: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Examines race, literature, and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective. Repeatable four times for a maximum of 20 credits when topic changes. Offered alternate years.

ES 442. Caribbean Literature and Politics. 4 Credits.
Discusses how Caribbean diaspora literature employs themes of colonialism, sexuality, racism, migration, state violence, nationalism, and identity.

ES 450. Race and Incarceration. 4 Credits.
Introduces several key questions necessary for understanding the crisis of prisons and incarceration in the United States, with an emphasis on race, gender, and class.

ES 452. Race and Ethnicity and the Law: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Addresses issues of social justice and the participation of Asian Americans, African Americans, Chicanos and Latinos, and Native Americans in the legal system. Repeatable when topic changes.

ES 456. History of Native American Education. 4 Credits.
Examines the historical conflict between traditional culture and knowledge transmission among Native Americans and the assimilationist educational system and practices of Euro-American culture. Offered alternative years.

ES 460. Race, Culture, Empire: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Examines how racial discourses have informed United States domestic and foreign policy, with special attention on cultural representations of U.S. colonialism and imperialism. Repeatable four times for a maximum of 20 credits when topic changes. Offered alternate years.

ES 464. Relational Studies of Indigeneity, Race and Culture: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Seminar centers relation between Indigenous peoples and peoples of color instead of focusing on white/non-white line. Called comparative or relational studies, the approach yields unique insights into how race and settler-colonialism work in the United States and beyond.

ES 465. Feminist Theories of Race: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
This course focuses on the political and theoretical trajectory of feminist and race theories associated with particular groups, such as Asian American feminisms, or comparatively in relation to Women of Color and queer politics. Repeatable three times for a maximum of 16 credits when topic changes.

ES 466. Native American Ethnohistory. 4 Credits.
In this seminar, we read, evaluate, analyze, and critique major texts in Native American ethnohistory (a combination of anthropological and historical methods) with a focus on perspectives and concerns of contemporary Indigenous peoples.

ES 468. Indigenous Research Methods and Ethics. 4 Credits.
This course addresses methodological and ethical issues related to conducting research about and with Indigenous peoples. The course introduces students to the principles of Indigenous research, including practices, collaboration, ethics, and Indigenous approaches to the construction of knowledge.

ES 470. Native American and Indigenous Feminisms. 4 Credits.
This class will acquaint students with critical issues in Native American and Indigenous feminisms. We will review past and present struggles, including gendered violence, cultural systems of gender and sexuality, successes and failures in efforts towards alliance, life stories, film, and literature, in comparative perspective.

ES 507. Seminar: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 510. Experimental Course: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 540. Race, Literature, and Culture: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Examines race, literature, and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective. Repeatable four times for a maximum of 20 credtis when topic changes. Offered alternate years.

ES 542. Caribbean Literature and Politics. 4 Credits.
Discusses how Caribbean diaspora literature employs themes of colonialism, sexuality, racism, migration, state violence, nationalism, and identity.

ES 550. Race and Incarceration. 4 Credits.
Introduces several key questions necessary for understanding the crisis of prisons and incarceration in the United States, with an emphasis on race, gender, and class.

ES 552. Race and Ethnicity and the Law: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Addresses issues of social justice and the participation of Asian Americans, African Americans, Chicanos and Latinos, and Native Americans in the legal system. Repeatable when topic changes.

ES 556. History of Native American Education. 4 Credits.
Examines the historical conflict between traditional culture and knowledge transmission among Native Americans and the assimilationist educational system and practices of Euro-American culture. Offered alternative years.

ES 560. Race, Culture, Empire: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Examines how racial discourses have informed United States domestic and foreign policy, with special attention on cultural representations of U.S. colonialism and imperialism. Repeatable four times for a maximum of 20 credits when topic changes. Offered alternate years.

ES 564. Relational Studies of Indigeneity, Race and Culture: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
Seminar centers relation between Indigenous peoples and peoples of color instead of focusing on white/non-white line. Called comparative or relational studies, the approach yields unique insights into how race and settler-colonialism work in the United States and beyond.

ES 565. Feminist Theories of Race: [Topic]. 4 Credits.
This course focuses on the political and theoretical trajectory of feminist and race theories associated with particular groups, such as Asian American feminisms, or comparatively in relation to Women of Color and queer politics.Repeatable three times for a maximum of 16 credits when topic changes.

ES 566. Native American Ethnohistory. 4 Credits.
In this seminar, we read, evaluate, analyze, and critique major texts in Native American ethnohistory (a combination of anthropological and historical methods) with a focus on perspectives and concerns of contemporary Indigenous peoples.

ES 568. Indigenous Research Methods and Ethics. 4 Credits.
This course addresses methodological and ethical issues related to conducting research about and with Indigenous peoples. The course introduces students to the principles of Indigenous research, including practices, collaboration, ethics, and Indigenous approaches to the construction of knowledge.

ES 570. Native American and Indigenous Feminisms. 4 Credits.
This class will acquaint students with critical issues in Native American and Indigenous feminisms. We will review past and present struggles, including gendered violence, cultural systems of gender and sexuality, successes and failures in efforts towards alliance, life stories, film, and literature, in comparative perspective.

ES 601. Research: [Topic]. 1-16 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 603. Dissertation. 1-16 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 604. Internship: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable for a maximum of 10 credits.

ES 605. Reading and Conference: [Topic]. 1-16 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 607. Seminar: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 610. Experimental Course: [Topic]. 1-5 Credits.
Repeatable.

ES 614. Colloquium: Professional Development. 1 Credit.
Professional development, teaching skills, and mentorship for first year Ethnic Studies PhD students. Repeatable twice for a total of three credits.

ES 617. Genealogies of Ethnic Studies. 5 Credits.
Examines the emergence and evolution of the discipline of Ethnic Studies, including major intellectual shifts in the field, particularly as they relate to changes in the social science and humanities; and the state of the discipline today.

ES 618. Theoretical Foundations in Ethnic Studies. 5 Credits.
Introduction to the theoretical foundations and debates in Ethnic Studies scholarship.

ES 619. Interdisciplinary Research Methods in Ethnic Studies. 5 Credits.
Introduction to interdisciplinary methodologies in the various fields of ethnic studies, with an eye towards developing interdisciplinary competence and students applying it to their own work.

ES 620. Race, Space, and Power: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
This course questions the variety of ways that social constructions of race and space are inextricable from one another and constitute, as much as they are constituted by, modern power relations. Repeatable once for a maximum of 10 credits.

ES 621. Cultural Production: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Graduate introduction to the theories and methods utilized within Cultural Studies scholarship with attention to race, gender, nation, sexuality and indigeneity. Repeatable twice for a maximum of 15 credits.

ES 622. Resistance and Dissent: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
Surveys historical and contemporary methods people of color have used to subvert and challenge white power and privilege in the United States. Repeatable twice for a maximum of 15 credits.

ES 623. Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies: [Topic]. 5 Credits.
This course closely examines the ways in which race is deeply intertwined with gender and sexuality in the production of racial, gender, and sexual violence since the inception of European settler colonialism in the Americas. Repeatable twice for a maximum of 15 credits.