Language, Race, and Indigeneity

This course will survey historical and contemporary theories of language, race and nation throughout the expansion of western civilization from the ancient Mediterranean to the present. Students will examine how science, religion, and law have contributed to contemporary understandings of race and indigeneity. Special attention will be given to the establishment and reproduction of overarching categories such as “Indian” and “Indigenous”. Students will also compare national and racial contexts, including their own, to better understand the processes of social movements where language serves as a fundamental category for group work.