Department of Social Science

Comparative Studies

in Race/Ethnicity, Class & Gender

“The Borderlands are physically present wherever two or more cultures edge each other, where people of different races occupy the same territory, where under, lower, middle and upper classes touch, where the space between two individuals shrinks with intimacy" --Gloria Anzaldua.

The Comparative Studies in Race/Ethnicity, Class and Gender Major offers students an opportunity to conduct an in-depth exploration of issues related to diversity in the United States.  Majors engage in an interdisciplinary course of study that investigates the historical and contemporary condition and contributions of minorities, women and the poor.  Graduates of this major are prepared to work in a variety of settings in both the public and private sector. 

The major includes a Social Science Core requirement that provides students with a critical review of social science theory and it’s application in a diverse society.  Students may select from electives in Asian American Studies, Mexican American Studies, African American Studies and Women’s Studies for breadth in the field of study.

Interested students should consult with the Chair of the Social Science Department for more information.

Major requirements

Lower Division:  (15 units)

Upper Division:   (30 units)

Social Science Core: (15 units)

SOCS 193.        Women and Minorities in the Social Sciences

SOCS 194.        Intellectual Foundation of the Social Sciences

SOCS 195.        Theory and Practice in the Social Sciences

WOMS 160.     Women, Race and Class

AAS 185.          Multicultural Perspectives within American Society

Required for the Major: ( 3 units )

SOCS 177.       Society and Education

Electives for this Major: (12 units)

Select one course from among the following:

AAS 125.          Filipino Experience in the U.S.

AAS 144.          Vietnamese Women in America

AAS 160.          Asian American Women

AAS 186.          Vietnamese Experience in America

AAS 187.          Multicultural Asian American Experience

AAS 191.          History of Chinese Americans

Select one course from the following:

WOMS 101.       The Study of Women

WOMS 112.       Women in the Global Economy

WOMS 144.       Vietnamese Women in America

WOMS 155.        Contemporary Women’s Movement

Select two courses from among the following:

AFAM 110.        Education of the Black Child

AFAM 115.        The Black Community Past and Present

AFAM 134.        Martin L. King and the Civil Rights Movement

AFAM 143.        Politics of Poverty and Welfare in the African American Communities

AFAM 152.        The Black Woman

MAS 120.          Economics and the Chicana/Chicano Community

MAS 127.          Chicanas/os and the Criminal Jusitice System

MAS 130.          Chicanas and Chicanos in American Society

MAS 160.          Gender and Sexuality in Chicana/o Community      

MAS 175.          Comparative Latino Cultures in the Americas