Minor in Critical Pacific Islands & Oceania Studies
Dr. Leora Kava
Dr. Ponipate Rokolekutu
The Critical Pacific Islands & Oceania Studies (CPIOS) minor program guides students through an interdisciplinary approach to Pacific Islander knowledge systems, narratives, histories, migrations, and social movements from within the region of Oceania and beyond. Students take classes from a range of courses that develop critical thinking skills through examination and understanding of Pacific Islander histories, cultural expressions, sciences, and storytelling.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate the methods of inquiry and analysis used by the social and behavioral sciences in the study of racial, ethnic, and cultural formation.
- Apply indigenous epistemologies to understand the contemporary and historical narratives of Pacific Islander communities.
- Develop strategies to improve health, wellness, and life-long learning specific to Pacific Islander communities.
- Create networks and partnerships that apply theories of social change, history, and contemporary practices to grassroots social justice work in Pacific Islander communities.
- Build media content literacy that expands knowledge of ethnographic representations of Pacific Islanders.
Critical Pacific Islands & Oceania Studies, Minor – 15 units
Ethnic Studies Foundation (3 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| RRS 100 | Introduction to Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| RRS 110 | Critical Thinking and the Ethnic Studies Experience | 3 |
Pacific Studies Foundation (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| RRS/AIS 103 | Introduction to Pacific Islander Studies | 3 |
Electives (9 units)
Select one lower-division and one upper-division elective. The remaining 3 units may come from either level.
Lower-Division
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| RRS 270 | Oceania Creative Arts in Practice | 3 |
| RRS 275 | Introduction to Pacific Islander Literature: How To Read An Ocean | 3 |
| RRS 282 | Art and Cultural Practices of Oceania | 3 |
Upper-Division
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ETHS 685 | Projects in the Teaching of Ethnic Studies | 1-4 |
| ETHS 697 | Field Research or Internship in Ethnic Studies | 1-3 |
| ETHS 699 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| RRS 303 | Health and Wellness among Pacific Islanders | 3 |
| RRS 405 | Pacific Islander Community Organizing in the Bay Area | 3 |
| RRS/SOC 410 | Grassroots Organizing for Change in Communities of Color | 3 |
| RRS/AIS 433 | Pacific Islanders in Film: Re-Presenting Oceania Through an Indigenous Lens | 3 |