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UE52 - History of racism and antisemitism in the Western societies and their colonies
Lieu et planning
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Bâtiment EHESS-Condorcet
EHESS, 2 cours des humanités 93300 Aubervilliers
Salle A402
2nd semestre / hebdomadaire, lundi 10:30-12:30
du 22 février 2027 au 14 juin 2027
Nombre de séances : 12
Description
Dernière modification : 28 avr. 2026 09:55:35
- Type d'UE
- Enseignements fondamentaux de master
- Disciplines
- Anthropologie historique, Histoire
- Page web
- -
- Langues
- anglais
- L’enseignement est uniquement dispensé dans cette langue.
- Mots-clés
- Anthropologie politique Biologie et société Biopolitique Classes sociales Coloniales (études) Corps Diaspora Discrimination Empire Esclavage Ethnicité Histoire Histoire économique et sociale Histoire intellectuelle Minorités Nazisme Post-coloniales (études) Racismes et races Théâtre
- Aires culturelles
- Afrique Amériques Atlantiques (mondes) Britanniques (études) France Ibérique (monde) Méditerranéens (mondes) Transméditerranée
Intervenant·e·s
- Jean-Frédéric Schaub [référent·e] directeur d'études, EHESS / Mondes américains (MONDA)
Researchers in the humanities and social sciences share a constructivist approach to race. They view it as a field of political action and as a means of designating certain types of relations of domination. The idea of race as a genetic and social reality on which a description of societal diversity can be based should not be given any validity. The category of race operates in the same way that the category of gender has functioned. Therefore, the widespread use of the term 'race' does not result from semantic loosening, nor does it substantiate the existence of races. Although racial categories are instruments of political struggle and therefore a social reality, this does not preclude race being regarded as a fiction.
Taking a historical approach to the question of race, we might consider the following remark made by the anthropologist Nancy Farriss in her work on societies in the Yucatán: “Physical anthropologists tell us that scientifically speaking there is not such a thing as race. But for most of recorded history, we must deal with people unaware of this recent finding and for whom race was a palpable reality.” This observation highlights the shortcomings of researchers who impose their constructivist point of view on their research subjects, be they societies, communities or individuals. Farriss addresses the tendency of historians to constantly look out for anachronisms. However, historians disagree on the most appropriate moment to exemplify and describe the cleavages that fragment and hierarchize societies as racial. Many reject the idea that the category of race was a political resource prior to the dissemination of natural history during the Enlightenment or the emergence of 'social Darwinism'.
This seminar will adopt a long-term perspective. Five main themes will be examined: noble (or divine) lineage as race; anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism; segregation in colonial contexts; the dehumanization of Black people within the transatlantic slave trade; and modern changes to racism within the sociogenesis of political nations. The seminar will adopt a cross-referencing approach, drawing on social history from archives, the history of doctrines (theology, law and natural sciences) and literature.
For Master’s students who wish to validate this course, they will be asked to give a presentation of about ten minutes on a topic of their choice from the session schedule and the readings provided on Moodle.
Schedule
1. Doctrines and norms: theology, law, medicine.
2. Selecting the best ones: genealogy, pedigree, nobility.
3. The awkward relationship between Christianity and Judaism.
4. The emergence of laws regarding racial purity.
5. Colonial contexts: in Europe, in the Americas.
6. What is a mixed-race society?
7. Drama and race: the lessons of William Shakespeare.
8. The Atlantic slave trade and the processes of dehumanization of Africans.
9. The curse of Ham considered in the long term.
10. Passing: social practices and literature.
11. Contemporary antisemitism and racism.
12. Postcolonial / decolonial: current debates.
Master
-
Séminaires d'initiation/introduction
– Études politiques - Études interdisciplinaires du politique
– M1/S2-M2/S4
Suivi et validation – semestriel hebdomadaire = 6 ECTS
MCC – exposé oral -
Séminaires d'initiation/introduction
– Histoire - Histoire du monde/histoire des mondes
– M1/S2-M2/S4
Suivi et validation – semestriel hebdomadaire = 6 ECTS
MCC – exposé oral -
Séminaires d'initiation/introduction
– Histoire - Histoire et sciences sociales
– M1/S2-M2/S4
Suivi et validation – semestriel hebdomadaire = 6 ECTS
MCC – exposé oral -
Séminaires d'initiation/introduction
– Migrations
– M1/S2-M2/S4
Suivi et validation – semestriel quotidienne = 6 ECTS
MCC – exposé oral
Renseignements
- Contacts additionnels
- -
- Informations pratiques
For Master’s students who wish to validate this course, they will be asked to give a presentation of about ten minutes on a topic of their choice from the session schedule and the readings provided on Moodle.
- Direction de travaux des étudiants
schaub@ehess.fr
- Réception des candidats
schaub@ehess.fr
- Pré-requis
- -
Dernière modification : 28 avr. 2026 09:55:35
- Type d'UE
- Enseignements fondamentaux de master
- Disciplines
- Anthropologie historique, Histoire
- Page web
- -
- Langues
- anglais
- L’enseignement est uniquement dispensé dans cette langue.
- Mots-clés
- Anthropologie politique Biologie et société Biopolitique Classes sociales Coloniales (études) Corps Diaspora Discrimination Empire Esclavage Ethnicité Histoire Histoire économique et sociale Histoire intellectuelle Minorités Nazisme Post-coloniales (études) Racismes et races Théâtre
- Aires culturelles
- Afrique Amériques Atlantiques (mondes) Britanniques (études) France Ibérique (monde) Méditerranéens (mondes) Transméditerranée
Intervenant·e·s
- Jean-Frédéric Schaub [référent·e] directeur d'études, EHESS / Mondes américains (MONDA)
Researchers in the humanities and social sciences share a constructivist approach to race. They view it as a field of political action and as a means of designating certain types of relations of domination. The idea of race as a genetic and social reality on which a description of societal diversity can be based should not be given any validity. The category of race operates in the same way that the category of gender has functioned. Therefore, the widespread use of the term 'race' does not result from semantic loosening, nor does it substantiate the existence of races. Although racial categories are instruments of political struggle and therefore a social reality, this does not preclude race being regarded as a fiction.
Taking a historical approach to the question of race, we might consider the following remark made by the anthropologist Nancy Farriss in her work on societies in the Yucatán: “Physical anthropologists tell us that scientifically speaking there is not such a thing as race. But for most of recorded history, we must deal with people unaware of this recent finding and for whom race was a palpable reality.” This observation highlights the shortcomings of researchers who impose their constructivist point of view on their research subjects, be they societies, communities or individuals. Farriss addresses the tendency of historians to constantly look out for anachronisms. However, historians disagree on the most appropriate moment to exemplify and describe the cleavages that fragment and hierarchize societies as racial. Many reject the idea that the category of race was a political resource prior to the dissemination of natural history during the Enlightenment or the emergence of 'social Darwinism'.
This seminar will adopt a long-term perspective. Five main themes will be examined: noble (or divine) lineage as race; anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism; segregation in colonial contexts; the dehumanization of Black people within the transatlantic slave trade; and modern changes to racism within the sociogenesis of political nations. The seminar will adopt a cross-referencing approach, drawing on social history from archives, the history of doctrines (theology, law and natural sciences) and literature.
For Master’s students who wish to validate this course, they will be asked to give a presentation of about ten minutes on a topic of their choice from the session schedule and the readings provided on Moodle.
Schedule
1. Doctrines and norms: theology, law, medicine.
2. Selecting the best ones: genealogy, pedigree, nobility.
3. The awkward relationship between Christianity and Judaism.
4. The emergence of laws regarding racial purity.
5. Colonial contexts: in Europe, in the Americas.
6. What is a mixed-race society?
7. Drama and race: the lessons of William Shakespeare.
8. The Atlantic slave trade and the processes of dehumanization of Africans.
9. The curse of Ham considered in the long term.
10. Passing: social practices and literature.
11. Contemporary antisemitism and racism.
12. Postcolonial / decolonial: current debates.
-
Séminaires d'initiation/introduction
– Études politiques - Études interdisciplinaires du politique
– M1/S2-M2/S4
Suivi et validation – semestriel hebdomadaire = 6 ECTS
MCC – exposé oral -
Séminaires d'initiation/introduction
– Histoire - Histoire du monde/histoire des mondes
– M1/S2-M2/S4
Suivi et validation – semestriel hebdomadaire = 6 ECTS
MCC – exposé oral -
Séminaires d'initiation/introduction
– Histoire - Histoire et sciences sociales
– M1/S2-M2/S4
Suivi et validation – semestriel hebdomadaire = 6 ECTS
MCC – exposé oral -
Séminaires d'initiation/introduction
– Migrations
– M1/S2-M2/S4
Suivi et validation – semestriel quotidienne = 6 ECTS
MCC – exposé oral
- Contacts additionnels
- -
- Informations pratiques
For Master’s students who wish to validate this course, they will be asked to give a presentation of about ten minutes on a topic of their choice from the session schedule and the readings provided on Moodle.
- Direction de travaux des étudiants
schaub@ehess.fr
- Réception des candidats
schaub@ehess.fr
- Pré-requis
- -
-
Bâtiment EHESS-Condorcet
EHESS, 2 cours des humanités 93300 Aubervilliers
Salle A402
2nd semestre / hebdomadaire, lundi 10:30-12:30
du 22 février 2027 au 14 juin 2027
Nombre de séances : 12