printer friendly pageAMSTUD 169: Race, Ethnicity, and Water in Urban California (AFRICAAM 169A, CSRE 260, URBANST 169)
Is water a human right or an entitlement? Who controls the water, and who should control the water, in California? Private companies? Nonprofits? Local residents? Federal, state, or local governments? This course will explore these questions in the context of urban California more generally, the players and the politics to make sense of a complex problem with deep historical roots; one that defines the new century in California urban life. The required readings and discussions cover cities from Oakland to Los Angeles, providing a platform for students to explore important environmental issues, past and present, affecting California municipalities undergoing rapid population change. In addition, our research focus will be on the cities located on the Central Coast of California: agricultural Salinas, Watsonville, and Castroville and towns along the Salinas Valley; tourist based Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Pacific Grove; the bedroom community of Prunedale to the north, and former mil
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Is water a human right or an entitlement? Who controls the water, and who should control the water, in California? Private companies? Nonprofits? Local residents? Federal, state, or local governments? This course will explore these questions in the context of urban California more generally, the players and the politics to make sense of a complex problem with deep historical roots; one that defines the new century in California urban life. The required readings and discussions cover cities from Oakland to Los Angeles, providing a platform for students to explore important environmental issues, past and present, affecting California municipalities undergoing rapid population change. In addition, our research focus will be on the cities located on the Central Coast of California: agricultural Salinas, Watsonville, and Castroville and towns along the Salinas Valley; tourist based Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Pacific Grove; the bedroom community of Prunedale to the north, and former military towns, Marina and Seaside, as all of these ethnically, socioeconomically diverse communities engage in political struggles over precious, and ever scarcer water resources, contend with catastrophic events such as droughts and floods, and fight battles over rights to clean water, entitlement, environmental racism, and equity. Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: WAY-SI, GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-EDP
Instructors:
McKibben, C. (PI)
AMSTUD 169B: Race and Ethnicity in Urban California: Research Seminar (CSRE 260B, SOC 169B, URBANST 169B)
This course is part of an ongoing research project that examines the consequences of social, demographic, economic, and political changes in ethnic and race relations in in urban California. Students taking this course will construct will investigate a particular issue, place, policy, or event of special interest and write a 15-20-page paper. Through individualized research projects, our aim is to understand how and why policies and practices developed that isolated and marginalized communities of color leading to environmental racism, housing inequality, public health crises, socioeconomic (im)mobility, over-policing, and underserving, and (un)fair representation in city politics and governments. We will also focus on solutions. We look at the creative, challenging, and diverse ways grassroots organizers, academics, and governments at every level can work in partnership to reshape policy and rectify injustice in a variety of urban and suburban environments in California. Each paper sh
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This course is part of an ongoing research project that examines the consequences of social, demographic, economic, and political changes in ethnic and race relations in in urban California. Students taking this course will construct will investigate a particular issue, place, policy, or event of special interest and write a 15-20-page paper. Through individualized research projects, our aim is to understand how and why policies and practices developed that isolated and marginalized communities of color leading to environmental racism, housing inequality, public health crises, socioeconomic (im)mobility, over-policing, and underserving, and (un)fair representation in city politics and governments. We will also focus on solutions. We look at the creative, challenging, and diverse ways grassroots organizers, academics, and governments at every level can work in partnership to reshape policy and rectify injustice in a variety of urban and suburban environments in California. Each paper should conclude with ideas about how to make constructive change. This course has been designated as a Cardinal Course by the Haas Center for Public Service. Cardinal Courses apply classroom knowledge to pressing social and environmental problems through reciprocal community partnerships. The units received through this course can be used towards the 12-unit requirement for the Cardinal Service transcript notation.
Last offered: Winter 2022
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
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