3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This course investigates two familiar concepts in sociology: race and caste. For the majority of theoretical contributions on race and caste focus on North America or the developed world, this course aims at advancing an understanding of race and caste from non-western experiences. In modern history, many scholars have debated the similarities and differences between the two concepts and the course aims at introducing the students to these writings. The course focuses on a specific historical phase: capitalism. To build more explicit connections of both race and caste with class, the course will focus on developments since colonization in most of the world, which introduced capitalist relations as a hegemonic force. The students will engage with broader questions such as: how are caste and race different from and similar to each other? Is it possible to use one category to describe the other? If so, how? What are the essential elements of these two categories in their given social contexts? How does incorporating ‘class’ into analysis shape the defining elements of race and caste?