Christian Hosam
Assistant Professor of Political Science
My research agenda is largely split between work related to racial and ethnic politics and the American Political Economy and the intersections between those two topics. I am currently working on my first book, which explores the relationship between the increasing centrality of Black Members of Congress to governing that institution with the racialized constraints that they face as legislators of color. At Wellesley, I teach courses that speak to the component parts of these interests, including Intro to American Politics, American Political Economy, Black Politics, and A Seat at the Table? Race and Representation in American Political Institutions.
Education
- B.A., Wesleyan University
- M.A., University of California-Berkeley
- Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley
Current and upcoming courses
A Seat at the Table? Race and Representation in American Institutional Life
POL1397
The fight for inclusion into American society and culture created new opportunities and dynamics for American politics but how might we understand if and how these political battles translated into material gains for marginalized groups? This course will look at the ways in which representation became a political demand in ways both tied and untied from other goals like anti-poverty and human rights, the economic and judicial processes that shaped the demand for political representation, the ways that representational politics plays out specifically in the realm of Black politics, and the dialectical relationship between politics and popular culture in the 21st Century. Can representation save us? Should it?
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American Politics
POL1200
The institutions, processes, and values that shape American politics. The origins and evolution of the U.S. Constitution and the institutions it created: Congress, the executive branch, the presidency, the federal court system, and federalism. Analysis of "intermediary" institutions including political parties, interest groups, elections, and the media. Study of enduring debates over values in American politics, with particular attention to conflicts over civil rights and civil liberties.