LFU:online

Topic may vary from semester to semester. The course may be repeated for credit.

This course defines racism broadly, and begins by examining ancient textual examples of cultural, ethnic and religious bigotry, and then investigates how these ideologies functioned in the societies that created them. Students next will examine the earliest texts to incorporate ‘color’ into existing ethno-centric stereotypes of the ‘other’, and the subsequent creation of color-based racial categories. The course will then examine how European imperialists used racial categories and stereotypes to justify conquest and enslavement across the globe in the centuries since 1500. Finally, in the twentieth century, Germany turned pseudo-scientific racism against fellow Europeans (mainly Jewish and Slavic peoples) in order to justify genocide. Only in the wake of a horrific Holocaust, directed against Europeans, did racism begin to lose its broad popularity among Europeans.
Required Field Trips:
1. Dachau, Germany-- Students will learn about the Holocaust and how it fits into the history of European imperialism and racism.
2. Students will participate in a second, afternoon-length field trip to a site near Innsbruck. See the syllabus for details.

The University of New Orleans International Summer School program has a mandatory class attendance policy. All students are required to attend class for all morning classes and any required afternoon and/or weekend fields trips and lectures. No unexcused absences are allowed. However, LFU students who have to miss a UNO class due to LFU examinations in the first two weeks of our program, can receive one excused absence for this. Any further unexcused absences will result in an academic penalty. Each faculty member determines the penalty for missed classes. Most professors deduct a letter grade for each additional missed class day. For details, please refer to your course syllabi, which will be distributed on the first day of class. The listed ECTS credits are a recommendation by the University of New Orleans Innsbruck Summer School, based on contact hours, anticipated out-of-classroom requirements such as field trips, and projected workload for readings, assignments, and exam preparation. Mail: Center-New-Orleans@uibk.ac.at