Undergraduate Courses
POL 163: Group Politics
In many ways, American politics is a competition between groups—between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, People of Color (PoC) and Whites, native-born and foreign-born, and the religious and the secular, just to name a few. But why do we choose to belong to some political groups rather than others? And why do we dislike some political groups so much, and others not at all? Finally, why are some group conflicts in American politics short-lived, while others are so enduring? These are some of the core questions addressed by this course. To that end, we will examine the psychological sources of group conflict and cooperation in U.S. politics. Students will learn how political groups are co-determined by individual choices as well as institutional practices.
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POL 166: Women in Politics
This course presents an overview of what it means to be a woman in American politics. The first half of the course focuses on how discrimination, lived experienced, and varying social identities shape the political tendencies of women. The second half of the course explores the experience of being a woman in politics. To this end, we will examine the factors that influence’s women’s decision to run for office, how voters evaluate women of varying backgrounds, as well as the decision-making processes of women political activists.
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POL 167: Intersectional Politics
This course examines how the interaction of multiple types of marginalization (e.g., racial discrimination and gender discrimination) affect the political tendencies of individuals. What are the political tendencies of those who experience more than one type of marginalization, like women of color? Do these political tendencies differ from those displayed by their singly marginalized counterparts (e.g., men of color)? When do we expect to see differences? And how do we explain these differences? How do voters evaluate candidates with different types of minoritized identities? We will answer these questions by examining research on public opinion, political behavior, and political psychology. Some specific topics we will examine are the political participation of women of color as well as the psychology behind inter- and intra-group politics.
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POL 196A: Seminar in American Politics
Class description: This is an advanced undergraduate course on the field of U.S. racial and ethnic politics. We examine topics such as the role of group identity and emotions on political attitudes and behaviors. To this end, we will read selected chapters from academic books published in the field of racial/ethnic politics.
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Graduate Courses
POL 209A: Research in American Politics
Course Description: Course Description: This course examines the psychological sources of group conflict and cooperation in U.S. politics. We will address questions such as: What is a social identity? Why do people identify with some social groups and not others? When and how do social identities become politicized? What effects social identities have on politics? What factors influence political conflict or political cooperation between and within different social groups in the U.S.?
Bianca V. Vicuña, Ph.D. 