Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies at Edgewood College integrates multiple perspectives and disciplines to study the historical and contemporary experiences of African American, Latinx American, Asian and Pacific Islander American, and Native American peoples and other historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the United States within a global and postcolonial context. Our curriculum promotes critical thinking, creative analysis, and civic engagement by examining issues of race and ethnicity as they intersect with class, gender, sexuality, religion, and other salient social identities. Combining academic excellence with a commitment to social justice, our interdisciplinary undergraduate minor prepares students for ethical leadership and personal fulfillment in an increasingly multicultural, transnational, and globalized society.

The program offers a number of courses that fulfill both Multicultural Perspectives and many other General Education requirements. Ethnic Studies courses also complement many majors in the humanities and arts, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and education, such as English, History, Religious Studies, Art, Communication Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, and various Education or Teaching majors. It is often possible to pair an Ethnic Studies minor with a more traditional major or minor represented in the program.

A background in Ethnic Studies provides a strong foundation for a career in the fields of diversity and inclusion, education, law, health care services, business, advertising and marketing, advocacy, journalism, community organizing, social services, psychology, counseling, and a wide variety of civil service positions in all levels of government, as well as graduate study in a number of disciplines.

The Goals of the Program are for Students to:

• Develop knowledge and understanding of the historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. and other parts of the globe in their historical and cultural contexts, and their contributions to society
• Articulate the ways in which racial categories and racialized experiences shape U.S. social life
• Critically examine the intersections of race and ethnicity with class, gender, sexuality, religion, and other salient social identities in identity constructions
• Understand and apply different conceptual approaches to race and ethnicity, including historical, literary, cultural, sociological, and other approaches
• Integrate academic inquiry and civic engagement, and reflect on one’s own role in building just, compassionate communities
• Develop multicultural competence for lifelong learning