Students explore the nature of language and the ways in which language reflects and informs social life. The course is taught by Graham. The first four weeks of the course are devoted to a survey of the social, economic, and politico-legal situation of contemporary American Indians. Following are about three weeks that involve a broad survey of the populating of the western hemisphere by the ancestors of the American Indians, their linguistic and tribal distributions, and the major outline of their prehistory as revealed by the archaeology of North America. Pertinent documentary films on the archaeology and ethnology of Native North Americans are shown throughout the course.
Exams consist of short essay and objective questions.
The course is taught by Helm. Students also examine contemporary African American societies with emphasis on cultural unity, variation, liberation, and themes. The course is taught by Monagan. It explores issues students may have thought of before, as well as contexts, problems, and dimensions that may seem unconnected on the surface. In the process, students look at what psychology, mental health, biology, politics, norms, language, economics, and culture have to do with people's identities.