Race, Gender, and Punishment

(Same as African American Studies M142.) Interdisciplinary examination of historical and contemporary development of modern prison industrial complex in U.S., with attention to impact of prison industrial complex on immigrants, including undocumented residents, homeless populations, women, African Americans, and transgender nonconforming and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Why does U.S. have largest prison population in world? What historical conditions and ideologies gave rise to this massive explosion in U.S. prisoner population? What policies have fueled mass imprisonment? Who is imprisoned? How have politicians used imprisonment as response to economic transformations and perceived social disorders? How is current crisis analogous to or distinct from regimes of racialized punishment in prior historical moments?

Letter grading.