Course Information

747 - Civil Rights

Professor: john a. powell
Semester: 2011 Winter

Second Writing Requirement? Yes
Seminar? Yes
Professional Responsibility? No
Prerequisites: None

Course Description

Civil rights is largely about who belongs to the polity and part of the national community and what rights and benefits attach to such belonging.  Who belongs and the rights accorded or denied associated with that membership is law of civil rights.  Civil rights law however, does not just distribute rights but is also important in the constitution of the legal subject and in the making of public and private identities.  This course will survey the history of civil rights laws and issues with a strong focus on race and ethnicity. It will also look at other categories such as gender and age. The development of civil rights law will be explored by studying a number of legal doctrines such as housing, public accommodation, education, employment, voting, and the criminal justice system.  The course will look at development of constitutional doctrines such as anti-discrimination, color blindness, and anti-subordination to see if these doctrines satisfy the evolving aspiration of belonging.

The course materials listed above are for informational purposes only and should not be considered final. Students must check with the Registrar for a current list of closed courses.