Critical Social Inquiry 0243 - History of Race & Childhood

Each culture defines childhood according to their own values and beliefs. These definitions of childhood change over time. Since the nineteenth century, racial ideologies have shaped dominant conceptualizations of childhood in the U.S. In this course, students will examine the history of race and childhood. The guiding questions of the course include: How do racial ideologies affect the concepts of childhood, dependency, and age? How have defining historical moments in race relations such as U.S. slavery, the Brown vs. Board of Education case, and the Black Lives Matter movement influenced conceptualizations of the "American child" and "American childhood"? To answer these questions, we will engage scholarship in the History of Childhood and Youth Studies alongside representations and analyses of "American childhood" in literature and sociology. Placing history in conversation with literature and sociology is essential for exposing students to diverse interpretations of the interrelationship of race and childhood.

Power, Community and Social Justice Multiple Cultural Perspectives Writing and Research Students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.