Seminar on Human Diversity

3 credits · Undergraduate

The seminar begins with key concepts related to human diversity: cultural and structural competence, cultural humility, stigma, prejudice, implicit bias, microaggressions, colorblindness, privilege, race, ethnicity, the biology of skin color, intersectionality, and co-synthesis. With these concepts as a backdrop, the course then focuses on different “isms” or “phobias,” e.g., racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, nationalism, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, islamophobia. An emphasis is placed on how these “ism” and “phobias” relate to: (1) health and mental health care disparities; (2) incarceration disparities, and (3) student experiences at Vanderbilt. Students also learn tools that facilitate their self-awareness of, and life-long learning about, human diversity. [3]