Race and Ethnic Relations in
the U.S.
Sociology 215, Section 2
Spring Semester 1999
Time: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10:00 - 10:50
a.m.
Room: Faner Hall 1005
Instructor: Kurt Monroe
Office: Faner 4340, Phone # 453-3892, e-mail:
kmonroe1@siu.edu
Office
hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
or by
appointment
I. Textbooks:
Joseph
F. Healey. 1998. Race, Ethnicity,
Gender, and Class. (2nd
ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Paula
S. Rothenberg (ed.). 1998. Race, Class, and Gender in the United
States. (4th ed.).
New York: St. Martin’s Press.
II.
Student Learning Objectives:
This
course examines the status of racial, ethnic, and cultural minority groups from
historical, economic, and political perspectives. It is designed to expand knowledge of theory, research, and
current events in regards to the relations of race, ethnicity, gender, and
class in the United States. It is the
intent of this course to introduce key topics, stimulate individual thought and
enhance the understanding of group interactions in American society. This process will involve class lectures and
discussions, required readings, videos, participation in a group presentation,
and – time permitting – students will participate in an in-class
simulation/game.
Students
in this course will be able to:
1)
Demonstrate
an understanding of such sociological concepts as assimilation, pluralism,
ascribed and achieved status, prejudice and discrimination;
2)
Display
basic knowledge of historical, socioeconomic, and political demographics of
various racial/ethnic groups in the United States;
3)
Demonstrate
critical thinking and understanding about different theories and perspectives
pertaining to race, class, gender, and sexuality; and
4)
Apply
sociological concepts for the analysis of race and ethnicity to personal and/or
familial experience.
III.
Guidelines:
1)
Students
are expected to participate ‘respectfully’ in discussions. When one student is expressing a view or
asking a question, other students will show respect and remain quiet until s/he
is finished. Also, students must raise
their hands prior to expressing opinions and/or sharing experiences.
2)
Offensive
language, name calling or abuse targeting another member of the class is
unacceptable.
3)
Any
deadlines regarding written work or student meetings will be announced well in
advance of due dates. Make-up exams are
not automatic. Exams missed because of
serious personal illness, death in the family, or other serious emergencies
(automobile breakdowns do not qualify) require informing the instructor within 24
hours of the class meeting you miss.
At that time, appropriate measures will be discussed to complete
requirements.
4)
Any
assigned work to be turned in will be typed or word-processed; handwritten
material will not be accepted in this class.
IV.
Evaluation:
Term Exam 100 pts. 25%
Term Exam 100 pts. 25%
Group Presentation 100
pts. 25%
Final Exam 100
pts. (comprehensive) 25%
Total 400
pts. 100%
Grading scale: A
= 400 - 360 points
B
= 359 - 320 points
C
= 319 - 280 points
D
= 279 - 240 points
F
= 239 or below
Students’ grades will be determined by the following
elements:
1) Exams:
There
will be two(2) term exams and one(1) final exam. Exams will consist of a combination of 50 multiple choice,
true/false, fill in the blank, and/or matching questions. The exams will cover chapters from the
textbook, lectures, and any other class materials assigned and/or
presented. As indicated above, each
exam is worth 100 points, and the final exam will be comprehensive, covering
all course material. Further details
about the final exam will be given during the semester.
2) Group Presentation:
The
purpose of this group project is for your team to focus on a race/ethnic,
gender, or social class problem/issue, analyze it, and apply appropriate course
concepts and material. The product of
your group analysis will be presented in the last two weeks of the term. Your analysis may be illustrated using any
medium you wish: a simulation of intergroup relations, video, group
presentation, etc. Creativity is
encouraged. This project will be
discussed further in class.
The following guidelines should
be used in doing this project:
1)
Your
group’s analysis of an intergroup relations problem/topic should in some way be
generated out of course material and may have relevance to your current/past
experiences.
2)
Your
group will have 15 minutes to present your analysis to the class.
3)
Criteria
for evaluating your presentation shall be the following: The extent to which your
presentation/analysis demonstrates:
a)
application
of course material
b)
preparation
- a thorough and critical understanding of the intergroup relations problem/topic
c)
organization
- clarity and a logical development of ideas
d)
creativity
- an imaginative and innovative form of presentation
Presentations
will be graded in the following way:
Instructor’s grade will account for 50%; class grade will account for
25%; and within group assessment of each member’s performance/contribution will
account for 25% of each student’s grade (100%). This will be discussed further during class.
3)
Bonus points:
There
will be two(2) elements that will be counted as extra credit: class attendance and
participation in cultural activities outside of the classroom. 1)
Attendance will be taken randomly throughout the semester. Each attendance recorded is worth 1
point. Your attendance, opinions, and
involvement in class and group discussions will be a valuable component to the
class. I understand that everyone has
different levels of comfort in voicing their opinions; some students are more
comfortable than others in group settings.
And considering the sensitivity of some of the topics that will be
covered in this course, people may feel even less comfortable expressing their
views and experiences than they ordinarily would. However, I will do my best to make everyone feel as comfortable
as possible. Learning should take place
in a relaxed environment; it is my goal to produce an environment that you will
feel comfortable to express your views and experiences. 2) Throughout the semester, SIU-C and the
Carbondale community provide opportunities for us to learn about different
social groups and/or cultures. Students
who attend any such activity may turn in a brief one page summary of the
experience as it relates to concepts, theories, and/or information learned in
the course. This summary must be turned
in during the class period immediately following the activity. Each summary is worth up to 2 points. No more than 10 points can be earned from
writing summaries.
V. Reading Assignments and
Lecture Schedule (tentative):
Chapters in Rothenberg are indicated by (R).
Week 1 January 20, 22: Introduction to the course and an
overview of racism and discrimination
Readings: Healey, Ch. 1, Diversity in the U.S.
Miller, “Domination and
Subordination” (R) p. 73 – 79
Omi and Winant, “Racial
Formations” (R) p. 13 – 19
Readings: Healey, Ch. 1 and Ch. 2, Assimilation and
Pluralism
Moore, “Racism in the
English Language” (R) p. 465 – 475
Week
3 February 1, 3, 5: Prejudice and discrimination
Readings: Ch. 3, Prejudice
Snyder,
“Self-Fulfilling Stereotypes” (R) p.
452 – 458
Mohr, “Anti-Gay
Stereotypes” (R) p. 458 – 465
Week
4 February 8, 10, 12: Prejudice in the 1990s
Readings:
Healey, Ch. 4, Prejudice in the 1990s
Kaufman,
“Affirmative Action” (R) p. 238 - 241
·
Video,
“Consumer Racism” and discussion
Week
5 February 15, 17, 19: Continuation of previous
week discussion
Review for exam
1
·
EXAM 1: February 19 (Healey Chapters 1 – 4 and readings)
Week
6 February 22, 24, 26: Various early minority
group experiences
Readings:
Healey, Ch. 5, Minority Groups in Preindustrial America
·
Group
presentation meetings
Week
7 March 1, 3, 5: Industrial age minority group
relations
Readings: Healey, Ch. 6, Industrialization and
Dominant-Minority Relations
Week
8 March 8, 10, 12: Minority group social experiences
Readings:
Healey, Ch. 7, African Americans
Dubois, “The
Black Codes” (R) p. 408 – 415
Week
9 March 15, 17, 19: No class (Spring Vacation)
Week
10 March 22, 24, 26: Continuation of
minority experiences
Readings:
Healey, Ch. 8, Native Americans
Comm. On Human
Rights, “Indian Tribes” (R) p. 378 – 382
Week
11 March 29, 31 and April 2:
Continuation of minority experiences
Readings:
Healey, Ch. 9, Hispanic Americans
Cole, “Five
Myths About Immigration” (R) p. 125 – 128
·
Review
for exam 2
Week
12 April 5, 7 9: Continuation of
minority experiences
Readings:
Healey, Ch. 10, Asian Americans
Sethi, “Smells
Like Racism” (R) p. 154 – 165
·
EXAM 2: April 5 (Healey Chapters 5 – 9 and readings)
Week 13 April 12, 14, 16: Continuation of Asian American
experiences and A look to the future
Readings: Healey,
Ch. 13, Minority Groups and U.S. Society
·
Prepare
for group presentations, presentation
outline due
Week 14 April 19, 21, 23: Continuation of ‘A look to the
future’ and begin group presentations
Week 15 April 26, 28, 30: Group presentations
Week 16 May 3, 5, 7: Finish group
presentations and review for final exam
Week 17 *
Comprehensive Final Exam: May 10, Monday, 12:50 – 2:50 p.m.