Introduction to American Politics
University of Michigan — Graduate Student Instructor
Course introducing students to the study of American politics, including fundamental concerns of collective action, the structure and function of American political institutions, patterns in political behavior, and the roles of parties, social movements, and the media in the United States’ political system.
Introduction to Political Theory
University of Michigan — Graduate Student Instructor
Moving from discussions of power, political problems, proposed solutions, and movements of resistance, this course introduces students to classic and contemporary perspectives on issues which arise in the course of governance and challenges them to think critically about resolutions.
Black Politics in the United States (Designed)
Considering race as a political reality underscores why it has been, and remains, a topic of immense interest and importance in the study of political science. In this course, we engage with academic research, as well as with the writings of black authors and scholars, from the present and the past, to gain a sense of how irrevocably intertwined blackness and politics are in the United States. That is, American politics, in many ways, has defined what it means to be black and is so too influenced by the presence of black citizens in institutions, through activism, and by threat. We cover a variety of topics, including the role of race in defining American citizenship, the formation and reinforcement of racial boundaries, the racialization of politics in the United States, and political and social heterogeneity within the black community.
Complexities of Homelessness (Designed and Taught)
University of Michigan – Osher Lifelong Learning
A service learning course designed to integrate community service, classroom discussion and meaningful reflection in order to gain a better understanding of the complexities of homelessness in the United States and around the world. In association with local non-profit Groundcover News, participants engage in weekly volunteer work serving those experiencing homelessness and housing instability in their own community. This service accentuates classroom discussions of individual-level homelessness, as well as the broader policies which inform how homelessness is approached and the inevitable challenges which arise.
Contact
Kiela Crabtree
crabtka@umich.edu
5775 Haven Hall
505 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109