BA in Ethnic, Gender and Labor Studies (Tacoma Campus) in Tacoma United States | University of Washington

The Ethnic, Gender, and Labor Studies program investigates how communities develop and evolve, emphasizing the interplay between social class, race, ethnicity, and gender. This interdisciplinary major particularly highlights African-American, Latino/a, Native American, Asian American, multiracial working-class communities, and Women's and Gender Studies. Students engage with diverse courses across the social sciences and humanities to study the historical foundations of different communities and evaluate efforts to promote labor organizing, community activism, coalition formation, conflict mediation, collective empowerment, and social justice movements.

The labor studies concentration provides coursework on work and workers' experiences in contemporary economies. Classes examine political, economic, and social factors influencing labor conditions, as well as workers' societal influence. Subjects covered include labor unions and movements, class disparities, evolving work structures, global political economy, and workplace dynamics. This track employs an interdisciplinary framework to analyze these themes, highlighting the intersections of race, class, and gender within economic systems.

The gender studies specialization offers courses analyzing gender roles and identities through multiple theoretical perspectives. These classes explore not only gender and sexuality concepts but also their connections with broader societal elements like politics, literature, globalization, arts, economics, media, communication, racial dynamics, and cultural expressions. This area encompasses Women's Studies, Men's Studies, and LGBTQ+ Studies, promoting cross-disciplinary academic inquiry.

The ethnic studies concentration enables students to examine race and ethnicity through an interdisciplinary approach. Participants can focus on specific ethnic groups (such as African American, Chicano/Latino, Asian American, or Native American studies) while also taking comparative courses that analyze diverse racial and ethnic contributions to fields like economics, gender studies, historical literature, political science, and sociology within both global and local frameworks.