Taught by Professor John Mundell, AFAS 1130: Introduction to Race introduces students to the concept of race and explores how racial identities and categories have developed, evolved, and shaped societies throughout history. Through major theories, concepts, and scholarly perspectives, students will examine how race is socially constructed and why it continues to have significant consequences in people's everyday lives.
From historical understandings of racial identity to contemporary experiences of racialization, the course encourages students to consider how race intersects with gender, class, sexuality, and other dimensions of identity. Students will explore how racial categories are created, maintained, and transformed across different societies and historical periods.
Students will also consider the social, political, and economic consequences of race. How have historical understandings of race shaped contemporary institutions and communities? What does it mean to say that race is socially constructed? And how do racial categories continue to influence people's identities, experiences, and opportunities?
Drawing on major theories of race, historical analysis, scholarly research, and contemporary discussions, the course encourages students to think critically about one of today's most widely debated topics and develop the language and analytical skills necessary to engage in thoughtful conversations about race and racial identity.
Why Take This Course?
AFAS 1130 offers students an opportunity to deepen their understanding of race and examine how racial identities and categories shape the world around them.
Rather than approaching race as a fixed or purely biological concept, students will explore how racial categories have been socially and historically constructed, how they have changed over time, and why they continue to have real consequences for individuals and communities.
The course introduces students to major theories, concepts, frameworks, and scholars of race. Topics include racial identity, racialization, the social construction of race, historical understandings of racial categories, and the intersections of race with gender, class, and sexuality.
Through readings and course materials examining race in different historical periods and societies around the world, students will gain a broader understanding of how racial categories emerge, operate, and influence social, political, and economic life.
The course also provides students with an opportunity to develop essential skills in critical reading, analytical writing, discussion, and contextual thinking. Students will learn to engage with complex questions about race, evaluate different perspectives, and participate in informed conversations about racial identity and inequality.
Students will leave the course better equipped to recognize how race shapes everyday experiences, understand the historical and social processes that produce racial categories, and critically examine the role of race in contemporary society.
Spring 2026 Course Information
Instructor: Professor John Mundell
Course: L90 AFAS 1130 – Introduction to Race
Semester: Spring 2026
Meeting time: Monday and Wednesday, 10:00–11:20 a.m.
Format: In person
Credits: 3
Enrollment capacity: 120 students
