California Cultures in Comparative Perspective Minor

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223 Social Sciences Building
(858) 534-1739

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.

The Minor

The California Cultures in Comparative Perspective minor allows students to better understand California’s place in the global community and in history. Students can learn about the impact of language, immigration, market forces, the arts, politics and culture, music, and globalization in the past, present, and future of California.

The California cultures minor will be a core component in a broader, cutting-edge interdisciplinary program that encourages research, teaching, and collaboration among faculty, students, and the public to explore the broad implications of the history and current growth of the state of California’s immigrant and ethnic populations. This minor is a university-wide interdisciplinary initiative that integrates faculty across a range of departments who all share a common focus on the people, economies, and cultures of California.

The minor in California cultures in comparative perspective is administered by the program director. The minor helps students prepare for careers in the legal, governmental, corporate, and nonprofit sectors that service socially, culturally, and economically diverse populations. The minor concentration in California cultures would also allow undergraduate students to enroll in courses focusing on racial/ethnic populations in the United States and the border region, from departments across the social sciences and humanities.

Minor Requirements

California cultures minor requirements include lower- and upper-division courses from departments in the social sciences and the arts and humanities. Alternatively, minor requirements may be fulfilled with course work in conjunction with internships at local and community-based organizations. Requirements are as follows:

Students will be required to take one lower-division course from the following list. These courses will provide them with background on California cultures and race/ethnicity in the US.

Anthropology 23. Debating Multiculturalism: Race, Ethnicity, and Class in American Societies (4)

Ethnic Studies 1. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Land and Labor (4)

Ethnic Studies 2. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Circulations of Difference (4)

Ethnic Studies 3. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Making Culture (4)

History LD 7A. Race and Ethnicity in the United States (4)

History LD 7B. Race and Ethnicity in the United States (4)

History LD 7C. Race and Ethnicity in the United States (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 3. The City and Social Theory (4)

Students will be required to take one upper-division course (HIUS 114. California History or ETHN 118. Contemporary Immigration Issues). These courses will provide students with broad coverage of the various social, economic, cultural, and political aspects of California’s changing population dynamics and how these relate to transnational trends as well.

Students will be allowed to complete the minor (twenty more required units) by pursuing one of two separate tracks:

Track 1: Additional Course Work

Students can choose to take five additional courses from the following list, four of which must be upper division. These courses generally provide students with in-depth coverage of specialized topics in California cultures and/or race, immigration, urban studies. They may not take more than three courses from any one department.

Communication 114. Bilingual Communication (4)

Communication 115. Education and Global Citizenship (4)

Critical Gender Studies 2A. Introduction to Critical Gender Studies. Social Movements (4)

Economics 135/USP 102. Urban Economics (4)

Ethnic Studies 1A. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Population Histories of the United States (4) (if not taken as a required course above)

Ethnic Studies 1B. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Immigration and the Transformation of American Life (4) (if not taken as a required course above)

Ethnic Studies 1C. Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States (4) (if not taken as a required course above)

Ethnic Studies 109. Race and Social Movements (4)

Ethnic Studies 111. Native American Literature (4)

Ethnic Studies 116. The United States-Mexico Border in Comparative Perspective. (4)

Ethnic Studies 118. Contemporary Immigration Issues (4)

Ethnic Studies 121. Contemporary Asian American History (4)

Ethnic Studies 123. Asian American Politics (4)

Ethnic Studies 129. Asian and Latina Immigrant Workers in the Global Economy (4)

Ethnic Studies 130. Social and Economic History of the Southwest I (4)

Ethnic Studies 132. Chicano Dramatic Literature (4)

Ethnic Studies 136. Topics in Chicano/a-Latino/a Cultures (4)

Ethnic Studies 148. Latino/a and Chicano/a Literature (4)

Ethnic Studies 144. Bilingual Communities in the USA (4)

Ethnic Studies 149. African American History in the Twentieth Century (4)

Ethnic Studies 160. Black Politics and Protest in the Early Twentieth Century (1895–1941) (4)

Ethnic Studies 161. Black Politics and Protest since 1941 (4)

Ethnic Studies 164. African Americans and the Mass Media (4)

Ethnic Studies 168. Comparative Ethnic Literature (4)

History 108/ETH 112A. History of Native Americans in the United States (4)

History 114. California History (4)

History 117. History of Los Angeles (4)

History 124. Asian American History (4)

History 158. Social and Economic History of the Southwest I (4)

History 159. Social and Economic History of the Southwest II (4)

History 180. Immigration and Ethnicity in Modern American Society (4)

Literature 28. Introduction to Asian American Literature: Race and Modernity (4)

Literature 108. Intellectual and Political Traditions: The Chicano Movement, 1965–1975 (4)

Music 13AM. World Music/Multicultural America (4)

Poli Sci 100H. Race and Ethnicity in American Politics (4)

Poli Sci 100J. Race in American Political Development (4)

Poli Sci 150A. Politics of Immigration (4)

Sociology B 114. Culture and Ethnicity (4)

Sociology D 151. Comparative Race and Ethnic Relations (4)

Theatre/History (TDHT) 110. Chicano Dramatic Literature (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 105/SOC 153. Urban Sociology (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 107/POLI 102E. Urban Politics (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 109/POLI 103A. California Government and Politics (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 113/POLI 103B. Politics and Policymaking in L.A. (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 115. Politics and Policymaking in San Diego (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 136/SOC 148M. Labor Market Inequality in Los Angeles and the Border Region (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 165. History of the American Suburb (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 166. History of San Diego (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 171. Sustainable Development (4)

Urban Studies and Planning 172. Planning/Policymaking: U.S.-Mexican Border (4)

Visual Arts 126CN. Art of the North American Indians (4)

Visual Arts 126DN. African and Afro-American Art (4)

Track 2: Internship Opportunities

Students who choose Track 2 will be able to gain a greater depth of knowledge and appreciation for the California cultures curriculum by applying themselves in an academic or community-based setting. The California cultures in comparative perspective staff has established relationships with several institutions and organizations on and off campus in the San Diego area and other parts of the state, to provide undergraduates firsthand experience at applying themselves and engaging in collaborative efforts and service with a network of practitioners. Internships are to be arranged by the Academic Internship Program for up to eight units. The remaining units needed to complete the internship track will consist of upper-division courses from the list under Track 1.