4 Reasons Students Should Take Up Ethnic Studies At University
Ethnic Studies refers to the study of themes on social responsibility, social justice, and social change. The course of study spans through history to the present and deals with various issues such as social reform, politics, controversial news, and culture shock. By studying the significance of all ethnicities, races, gender, classes, and sexual orientations, people can better understand what is happening in society and why it is happening. It refers to the study of our history and the obstacles that the nation has had to face to get to this point. The addition of ethnic studies classes in one’s academic course has been known to impact students positively. By reading about it in books and discussing their findings in class, scholars can get hands-on experience on diverse perspectives. Here are some of the top reasons why students should take up ethnic studies at university.
It teaches students about cultural diversity and promotes equal rights
It may seem strange for a lot of people why one should learn more about different cultures and ethnicities given the fact that we’ve been raised in a multicultural society. However, there are a lot of issues that still exist and we should be taught about how to behave properly and avoid hurting representatives of different cultures. This is where a school, college or university, comes to play in teaching the students about the vast concept of ethnicity.
Events in the US have shown that a lot of tension between different cultures and ethnic groups is hidden inside families and societies. If you take a look at reflections of students from around the world at https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/black-lives-matter/ about Black Lives Matter movement, you’ll notice that many of them express quite opposite thoughts on the reasons and premises of the whole situation. Taking up Ethnic Studies helps set boundaries and learn how to behave oneself in society. This course can be a foundation for building tolerance and understanding of diverse people.
It helps students perform better academically
Studies conducted by several researchers show that enrolling in ethnic studies lessons has a significant impact on the students. The traditional curriculum that is widely used in the nation today fails to include the history of minority groups such as African Americans and colored people. A school in Tucson, Arizona, made a pivotal decision to include ethnic courses in the academic lessons. The study’s findings showed that scholars who were given access to such lessons had better test scores, better graduation rates, and significantly higher career success than those who didn’t. The findings also showed that scholars who belong to minority groups did much better after enrolling in the classes.
It helps teach social constructs to scholars
Social constructs refer to ethnicity, race, gender, class, and sexual orientation and play a significant role in human society. There are new categories of difference added each day as a disciplinary trend in ethnic studies, such as disability. Since we live in a reasonably globalized world, it is unsurprising that we are subject to meet many more people from diverse backgrounds whose thought processes can differ from ours. The study of these differences helps provide analytical tools that can transfer through regions, cultures, and human experiences. Such courses help scholars empathize better with all people from all walks of life and broaden their minds to newer perspectives and opinions.
It helps build good citizens
A nation is only as good as its citizens, and the scholars currently in school or college will be the pillars of the nation tomorrow. By instilling good ethical values in the students, the academic institutions help make informed citizens who are tolerant of all religious and ethnic groups. It also helps build a competitive workforce that can handle the changing workforce environment, which is more diverse than ever in the present. They can become good team players who empathize well with their peers and can understand where their counterparts are coming from.
While the world has changed significantly in the last fifty years, there are still several issues that need change, and the only way to bring about change is by teaching young people about the most critical social movements. By learning and committing to a life of justice, these young people can become the voice that everyone needs to hear to bring about change.
