Confections and Ethnicities 3401-3R21SWE

Religion is a powerful force in today’s word as well as it was in the past. Inextricably linked with nationalism, popular culture, social norms and the lives of individuals, it touches almost every area of public and private life. This course will be of interest to those who are curious about the role of religion today and who wonder whether secularization means the eventual death of religious practices and institutions. It studies examples of religious ideas, practices and teachings from around the world, and sets religion in the wider context of the societies in which it is embedded. Students understand the similarities and differences between the world religions. Ethnicity is an increasingly important means by which states and scientists can identify people, and through which people can identify themselves. Members of a minority group share a sense of solidarity and a desire to preserve their culture, traditions, religion, or language. A minority group can sometimes be a numerical majority in a minority group position. Minority group status is not a matter of numbers; it is determined by the presence of distinguishing features such as discrimination.