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Summary of Requirements |
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| Hidden Bias Test The Bias Finders | |
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Class Information: Sociology 213
Online CRN 40790
Texts: The textbooks are required. (1) Anderson and Hill Collins Custom Reader available through PCC Sylvania Bookstore taken from 7th edition of "Race, Class, and Gender an Anthology". (2) Wolf, The Dialectic of Social Inequality - Foundations (available in html OR you may purchase through the Sylvania Bookstore). (3) Power, Privilege and Difference, Allan Johnson
Recommended resources: "A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers"
available in the library.
"The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity" 3 volume set in reference area of
the Sylvania library - Call # 519.5 63 2002.
Office: Sylvania SS 217 H82 E-mail: Use Blackboard Email for all class communication
This syllabus is an integral part of the course. There are introductory readings for each week's materials in the Schedulae are of this document.Students with Disabilities or Special Needs
I
encourage students who have disabilities to contact the Office for
Students with Disabilities for assistance in requesting accommodations.
Please contact me with any special
considerations or problems that may affect your participation or
performance in the class. There are videos used in this class, and most
are not closed captioned. You will need to place a request with OSD if
you need closed captioning - they won't accept a request from me.
Flexibility Statement
All
assignments and calendars may change in response to institutional,
instructional, or unforeseen situations. Changes in assignments may
affect the number of total points available in the course.
If you need to drop or withdraw You are responsible for dropping or withdrawing from the class. The college policy is that you may withdraw from the course until the end of the fourth week of classes. If you quit attending and do not drop the class, you will receive whatever grade you have earned in the class. The College has restricted faculty discretion is giving Incomplete's or an X grade, and they may impact your financial aid if you are receiving any. Please inform me if you are dropping the course.
Course Description:
This
course examines the topic of diversity from a sociological perspective.
We will cover conceptual areas such as prejudice and discrimination,
privilege, institutional racism/sexism, and internal colonialism. The
focus is on race and ethnicity, social class, sex, and age. The
objective of the course is to provide students with a broad foundation
in social stratification as it functions within the United States.
Course Objectives:
1. Have an enjoyable and stimulating learning experience.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the course content.
3.
Demonstrate ability to step outside personal experience to analyze the
social milieu. This involves applying course concepts within the
framework of sociological analysis.
Grading/Evaluation:
Top
Your
grade will be based on your completion of the items detailed below and
others that may be assigned. If additional assignments, or projects are
added, it will increase the total points from which grades are
calculated. Your final grade is based on percentage of total points
accumulated. A= 90-100%, B=80-89%, C=70-79%, D=60-69%, F - below 60%.
Acceptable File Formats for Assignments
Your assignments must be submitted in rtf, doc, txt, or html format. I
do not have the software to convert from wps, cps, or other formats.
All assignments are to be submitted through the
Assignment Dropbox.
1.
Participation in Online Discussions
up to 10 points per week (110 total). Discussion will focus around the
weekly topics. Your contribution should be substantive - not just "I
agree or disagree." You must first participate in the discussion by
Tuesday. Discussion closes for credit purposes at midnight on Sunday.
You are evaluated on the substance of your contributions, and on your
responsiveness to others' contributions. The goal IS discussion. The
class may be broken into smaller groups for discussion if that
facilitates interaction.
2. Papers- 50 points per paper
(150 total): Papers are due by midnight Sunday of the assigned and must
be submitted online through the assignment dropbox. Papers
must be a minimum of
two single-spaced (four double-spaced) typed pages
of discussion and critique over topics, issues, or concepts from
readings, discussions, etc. The topical selection for the papers are
from the weeks covered by the assigned paper. You may use the
questions
in the assignments or the discussions as a starting place. You may
optionally select your own topic or question, but appropriate concepts
should be demonstrated in your discussion. Papers should include an
application of the "Unified Model" as part of the discussion.
Any sources used must be cited appropriately. The purpose of the papers
is to 1) demonstrate you have an understanding of the material, and 2)
the ability to think critically about the issues and concepts covered
in the class. While I do not grade on grammar, papers should be clear
enough for me to understand them. Papers
are due by Sunday 11:55pm of the week assigned unless otherwise
indicated.
3. Other assignments 60 points total. There are two videos you should view. Read your assignment schedule carefully to allow yourself adequate time for these assignments. You will be writing a minimum one page single-spaced substantive response (not a review) for each of these videos. The response paper must be submitted through the assignment dropbox. The 2 video assignments are worth 30 points each.
4. Reading Summaries 100 points total. A minimum 1 paragraph summary of each assigned reading (which includes each chapter of texts assigned) for the week is mandatory and is worth 10 points per week (for all summaries). Summaries over multiple readings for the week should be included in a single document and submitted through the assignment dropbox. Summaries are due on Monday night OF THE WEEK ASSIGNED. In other words, the readings for week 2 are due on Monday of week 2. This is so informed discussion can happen.
5. Extra Credit.
I offer very limited extra credit opportunities. There are two extra
credit possibilities scheduled at the beginning of this course. One is
the resource assignment, and one is the Project Implicit exercise. I may offer other
opportunities if special events occur over the term. I do not offer "make up credit"
ever. If you
have missed assignments, then you should turn in those assignments for
reduced credit-
do not ask me for extra credit.
Evaluation guidelines for all papersTop
1. Demonstrates understanding of the material/ concepts discussed.
2. Citations are correctly made, and paper meets requirements outlined
for the paper.
3. Uses a sociological rather than an individual or psychological
perspective.
4. Integrates and synthesizes material/concepts.
5. Takes the "next step" beyond the material, often through number four
above.
Guidelines for Citing Work Top Electronic
source citation guideline
Exact quotes: "Globalization is a force
that will affect all workers." (Neubeck and Glasberg, 1996:215)
Paraphrase: Globalization affects workers around the world (Neubeck and Glasberg, 1996:215). OR According to Neubeck and Glasberg, (1996:215) workers will be strongly affected by the forces of globalization
Internet Sources: Currently there are approximately 40 million workers employed by multinational corporations (Smith, 1997)
Guidelines for Bibliography
Book: Neubeck, Kenneth J. And Glasberg,
Davita Silfen. 1996. Sociology:
A Critical Approach. McGraw-Hill, Inc.:New York.
Article: Jones, Amy. 1997. "Living Life on the Streets." American Journal of Sociology. 36(2):235-256.
Internet: Smith, Jason. 1997. "The Multinational Shuffle." http://www/multinational/shuffle.html.
Guidelines for Rewriting Papers
Only the first
paper may be rewritten for possible additional credit if the paper
received less than 45 points (excluding points deducted for lateness),
and the paper did not receive zero points for plagiarism.
- Rewrites must be turned in before the next paper is due.
- Original paper with comments must be turned in with the rewrite.
Course Rules and Etiquette
NETIQUETTE
(Online Etiquette)
Written
communications can enable you to get to know your instructor and
classmates on a deep, rather than just a superficial level. You will
have opportunities to express your thoughts in depth through the online
communication tools in Blackboard, but there are special rules of
personal conduct that apply to online communication in this class.
Plagiarism includes acquiring papers from other students, the internet, or other sources. I do have methods available to detect stolen or purchased papers and materials.
Most plagiarism is accidental and can be easily avoided by citing work used appropriately. Remember, that I am grading you on your understanding of the concepts and frameworks of sociology. I do not grade you on your ability to write. I grade you on your understanding of the course.
Discussion
Discussion
is an integrated aspect of this course. Given the topics that are
covered, it is likely that there will be strong responses for a variety
of reasons. I encourage the free exchange of ideas, and feel that this
is an extremely valuable part of our learning experience. Please keep
the following things in mind.
Avoid making personal attacks on others in the class. Aside from being hurtful, it also tends to discourage people from participating.
Try to be open to points being made by others. The diversity of experience and philosophy represented in the class are an important part of the learning process.
If you feel uncomfortable with a discussion, or that I have treated you or the issue unfairly, please tell me either at the time, at break, or after class.
| Submitted Assignment Synopsis Unless
noted otherwise this is the assignment due date schedule:
Reading Summaries Mondays 11:55pm, EXCEPT Week 1 which is due Friday 4/03 Writing Assignments (including video response papers, exercises, and extra credit) Sundays 11:55pm, Discussion Groups enter by Tuesday 10pm close for full credit on Sunday 11:55pm, Two page Papers are due on Sunday by 11:55pm EXCEPT for Paper 3 which is due by Weds 6/10 at 11:55pm |
|
| Week 1 | Introduce yourself in Blackboard Carefully read your syllabus. Start your reading for Week 2. The reading summaries are due on Monday 9/28, and discussion of that material will begin by Tuesday 9/28. |
| Week 2 | Submit Reading Summary assignment for Week 2 readings Monday Extra Credit Resource assignment due Sunday 10/04 midnight (Visit Wolf's Instructional Website and find three resources that you might find useful. I would recommend examining Sociology Resources as a start. For the extra credit, simply select three sources from the site that you think might be of use to you and include those with a brief statement (1-2 sentences) of why they might be of interest or usefulness. I offer this assignment because I have developed a large number of sociology specific resources which offer students a starting place for further learning and research.) Project Implicit extra credit due Sunday 10/04 (Visit the Project Implicit Site. Send me a brief summary of which three of the tests (which are pertinent to the class) you took and your response to it. 1 - 2 paragraphs) |
| Week 3 | Reading summary for Week 3 1 page single spaced Response Paper for The House You Live In |
| Week 4 | Reading Summaries for Week 4 Paper 1 over topics and concepts from weeks 1- 3 |
| Week 5 | Reading Summaries for Week 5 |
| Week 6 | Reading Summaries for Week 6 |
| Week 7 | Reading Summaries for Week 7 Paper 2 due over topics and concepts weeks 4-6 |
| Week 8 | Reading Summaries for Week 8 |
| Week 9 | Reading Summaries for Week 9 Response paper to "The Long Walk Home" |
| Week 10 | Reading Summaries for Week 10 |
| Week 11 | Reading Summaries for Week 11 |
| Week 12 | Paper 3 over topics from Weeks 7 through 11 Due Weds 12/06 |
I EXPECT THAT EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST WEEK'S
READINGS THAT ALL READINGS ARE DONE BY MONDAY
ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE ASSIGNMENT DROPBOX.
Unless noted otherwise this is the assignment
due date schedule:
Reading Summaries Mondays 11:55pm, of the current week of readings.
Writing Assignments (including video response papers, exercises, and
extra credit) Sundays 11:55pm,
Discussion Groups enter by Tuesday 10pm close for full credit on Sunday
11:55pm,
Two page Papers are due on Sunday by 11:55pm EXCEPT for Paper 3 which
is due by Weds of finals week at 11:55pm
| Week 1: Introduction to the course | Introduce yourself in Blackboard Carefully read your syllabus. Start your reading for Week 2. The reading summaries are due on Monday 9/28, and discussion of that material will begin by Tuesday 9/29. |
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| Week 2:
Privilege
and the Model The approach we are taking to diversity in this course is likely very different from the ways with which you are familiar. The dominant culture in the United States has a strong theme of framing things individually and psychologically. This culture also has a tendency to frame "diversity" as anything other than the dominant group. That means that the issues that receive the most focus are discrimination and prejudice. It is assumed that these are attitudes that solely reside within the individual. The U.S. is at a place in time when many forms of prejudice are considered by most people to be unacceptable. Most people also agree that inequality exists. When you combine these beliefs, we have a situation where most believe there is inequality in the United States, and that it is due to individual prejudice. It is further believed that "prejudice" is a reflection of ignorance or a lack of exposure. The "solution" to the problem of inequality becomes one of "teaching" people. This is not the approach that will be taken in this class. The approach used will expose you to differences, but it is not designed to be "Here are the African Americans;" "Here are the Native Americans;" "Here are the Gays;" etc. The approach I use is that social inequality is both systemic and systematic. It is systemic in that it is embedded within the cultural beliefs and norms, and it is embedded in the structuring of our society. It is systematic in that it follows rules, is consistently reinforced across all levels of social organization, and is reproduced through the very processes of society and our day-to-day interactions. One of the implications of this approach is that inequality does not happen in a vacuum. We cannot examine inequality outside the backdrop of what is considered "equal." Given the way these processes work within the context of the society, "equality" is assumed to be the experiences and opportunities of dominant group members. Within that framework, the standard of "equality" is actually a euphemism for privilege. Privilege is an unearned advantage. Since the dominant (higher status) groups have access and opportunities because of where they fall within the stratification system, and not because of their individual abilities, what we have is a socially constructed system of privilege and lack of privilege. If this seems confusing at this point, it will become clearer as you do the readings for the course over the next couple of weeks. The framework we are using looks at the systems of privilege and lack of privilege as interacting aspects of the whole. This means that if we are studying race, we are studying how the race system is structured for all races - White and those who are not White. If we are discussing sex and gender, we are not discussing women, but women and men. If we are discussing sexual orientations, we are not only discussing homosexuality. The thought patterns are so embedded in the systems of inequality that even using a word, such as "race" implies that we are going to be talking about those who are not white. The other difference that is critically important is that the "prejudice" we will be dealing with does not reside solely within individuals, but is part of the cultural belief system (also called cultural ideology). This is an important difference. The way that the society frames inequality and its causes, and the placing of the "problem" within the individual, means that it is almost impossible to talk about or confront inequality without it being perceived as a personal attack - or if admitted by an individual - a personal failing. Within the broader framework of structured inequality, we all harbor (at some level) the prejudices and predispositions of our culture. It is part of our personal and cultural socialization. What this means is that while we can work on and change our own opinions and beliefs, that does not resolve the cultural ideology (or social structuring) of systemic inequality. Sociological Concepts In order to understand how systems of social stratification work, it is important to have a basic understanding of the concepts presented in Chapter 1 of the "Dialectic" text, and to be able to see how they work together. In this section, I will not reiterate the reading, but I hope to convey how these processes are integrated into a system. The diagram below is intended for explanatory purposes.
Culture and social structure operate in a mutually reinforcing way to maintain the status hierarchy. Let's look at an example. There is a highly negative stereotype of people who are considered poor. They are in the "low status" position in the social class system. Among those negative perceptions are that the poor are immoral, lazy, and prone to crime. In other words, they are seen as a threat to "society." On the structural side we have the criminal justice system. Decision makers focus controls on poor neighborhoods through increased police presence. The criminal justice system focuses and is organized to control largely interpersonal crime, and not the kinds of crime that those with power are more likely to commit (embezzlement, tax fraud, corporate crime). If one is arrested, the resources one has access to greatly impacts one's outcomes in the system. If you have resources, then you can get a lawyer to intervene early on - perhaps diverting you out of the system altogether. Without those resources, your odds of ending up in jail increase dramatically. The outcome of these processes is that people who are poor are dramatically over-represented in the prison system. This reinforces the cultural stereotype that the poor are more "criminal" than higher status groups, which then justifies maintaining the controls and policies on the structural side. |
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| Read | Wolf Chapter 1 | |||||||||
| Do | Introduce
yourself to the class in a meaningful way on the discussion board
within Blackboard Submit your summary of the required readings through the Assignments area of Blackboard by OPTIONAL Extra Credit Assignment (10 points) |
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Week 3: Privilege and the Model We are using a conceptual tool in this class referred to in Chapter 2 of your "Dialectic" text as a "Unified Model of Social Stratification." The reasons for using such a model are many, but of primary importance is that when examining the various types of strata categories one needs a constant to work from. Otherwise, there is no possibility of analyzing how say sex-based stratification and race-based stratification are even part of the same stratification system. The model provides a consistent framework for analyzing social stratification components. We will be utilizing this model for each of the aspects of the stratification system we are examining - age, sex, social class, and race. Both individually and in groups you will be completing the templates and engaging in discussion. Basic Overview of the Unified Model The Unified model is based on the assumptions that social stratification (regardless of form) is rooted in both the culture and social structure of society. Therefore, the systems of maintaining and reproducing inequality occur both at the individual and group levels. The model utilizes the concepts of "Rewards," "Penalties" and "Costs" Rewards and penalties are conceptually based on the process of norm enforcement. In other words, at the individual level, role expectations based on status are enforced by ourselves and others around us. Likewise, our behavior outside the acceptable range of behavior are punished or "penalized" through negative sanctions. This concept of "norm enforcement" can be conceptually broadened to look at structural and group processes. For example, males as a group receive higher wages than females as a group. This is a "reward" for those who hold the status of male for their individual participation in the systems that maintain sex-based inequality. Males who "break" the rules (norms) are penalized with sanctions that serve both to inform them that they have erred, and to serve as an example for other males. For example, a male who breaks the rules of boundary maintenance may be perceived as less of a man. Therefore he might be excluded by other males, and may actually lose wage earning ability that is a "reward" for conforming. Costs, on the other hand, are the natural outcomes of the structuring and operation of the system. They happen because of the way the system works, not because of anything that an individual might do or not do. Staying with the example of sex-based stratification, a natural cost of the system is that males die earlier than females. Males die earlier (in part) because of the male role expectation to engage in high risk behavior to demonstrate masculinity, and because illness and injury are seen as a "weakness." Therefore, men are much more likely to avoid or delay necessary medical care. On the other hand, "costs" for females are those things we commonly talk about when sex-based inequality is discussed. Women (as a group) receive lower wages. Issues of discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence against women (domestic violence, rape, etc.) are "natural" costs of the way the system is structured. The Structuring of Privilege Because inequality is a structured system, what is generally put forward as the model of equality is actually the "rewards" of the higher status groups. Inequality is characterized as the experiences of lower status groups (costs for non-dominant groups). This means then that what is generally conceptualized as "equality" is really a system of privileges for higher status groups. |
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| Read | Johnson Intro
through Chapter 4 Wolf Chapter 2 |
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| Do | Participate in
online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board Submit your summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of Blackboard OPTIONAL Extra Credit Assignments (submit these through Blackboard ): (10 points) Go to Rowan Wolf's Sociology Resources and find three resources you think might be of use to you. (10 points) Visit Project Implicit and take at least 3 of the Hidden Bias Tests that are pertinent to this class. Submit a 1-2 paragraph summary through the assignment drop box. Do NOT attempt to send me the results of your tests. |
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| Week 4:
Privilege
and the Model Your readings for this assignment focus around personal experiences of you participation in systems of privilege and inequality. As you do the reading and discussion, please try to keep both the issues of privilege and the structuring of systems of power in mind. The video The House We Live In examines institutionalized racism during the housing policies after World War II. Consider how such social structural issues effect privilege and discrimination and the assumptions of equality. |
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| Read | Johnson Chapters
5 through 9 Online:(1) Missing People and Others (2) Age, Race, Class, and Sex (3) Whites Swim in Racial Preference Optional Resource - not extra credit or assigned: Streaming Video A Class Divided the Blue Eyed - Brown Eyed by Jane Elliott on prejudice (in 3 parts). |
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| Do | Submit your
summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of
Blackboard Participate in online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board Watch the video The House You Live In (streaming video roughly 55 minutes). Better video is available at this link but the film is divided into 6 parts. You will need to enter the user id wolf and password wolf as the videos are copyright protected. Write: a minimum 1 page single spaced Response Paper for The House We Live In |
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| Week 5: Age-based social stratification is perhaps the most fundamental form of social stratification. It is our first introduction into how statuses work in our day to day interactions. Like other types of stratification systems, it varies across time and society and interacts with the broader stratification system. | ||||||||||
| Read | Online: (1) Age Stratification (2) Who Is Preying on Your Grandparents? | |||||||||
| Do | Submit your
summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of
Blackboard Participate in online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board Paper 1 on privilege and stratification as a system due |
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| Week 6: Sex, Gender and
Sexual Orientation In this module we will be exploring the construction of sex, gender and sexual orientation. We will start with the sex/gender stratification system, and then move into sexual orientation. The readings are all listed in Week 4. The structuring of sex and gender in the United States is made of a composite of constructs. Critical among those constructs is sexuality and sexual orientation. The structuring of sexual orientation is at once its own system and a primary enforcer of the larger structuring of sex and gender. In going through the material, we will start with sex and gender in week 5, and carry the sexual orientation over to Week 6. You will be applying the model we have been working with to your understanding of sex-based stratification. Additional Resources: Quarter of US Women Suffer Domestic Violence: CDC , GAO Report on Rights Granted the Married (pdf) |
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| Read | Wolf
- Chapter 3 Class Reader: (1) The Invention of Heterosexuality Online: (1) A White Woman of Color, (2) Women Please be Patient by Wolf 10/06/03 |
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| Do | Participate in
online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board Submit your summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of Blackboard |
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| Week 7:
Social
Class Social Class Social class is a complex construct , as you will learn as you progress through the readings. Many in the United States believe that it is the only form of social stratification in the U.S. - or at least the only one that is important. Interestingly, most also believe that social class is totally permeable and people can be whatever class they are willing to work hard for. On the other hand, we have the pervasive belief that the "rich get richer and the poor get poorer." All of these embrace the patterns of belief and myth that serves to hide the dynamics of social class - and our contradictory perceptions of it. Social class involves more than the money you make. People who share a social class (like other aspects of social stratification) share a number of social realities and experiences with each other. These include where they live, the schools they attend, the quality of food and health care they get, whether the police are there to protect or to control. Not all classes "earn" their living. In other words, they are not dependent on wages to survive. One group "earns" its living primarily off of "passive" income. That is interest, stock, investments, and the underpaid labor of others. For example, it is not unusual for a very wealthy person to receive millions of dollars in investment earnings, with income generated by employees. To keep the numbers reasonable. let's say that you have a business owner who has 10 employees. Each of those employees gets $10 an hour. They make widgets which are sold for $100 a piece. The cost of making the widgets is $5 and the cost of operations is $5. This means that the total cost for making a widget is $20 . This means that the owner receives $80 for each widget ($100 - (10 labor + 5 materials +5 operations)) - even though he or she did not produce them. Social class is also complex in the way that it functions within the broader stratification system. On one hand it is an opportunity structure that allows for some degree of individual mobility. On the other hand, it is a reinforcement system for maintaining status boundaries - both for class itself, and for the other systems of types of status. Our understanding of social class and how it works is to some extent obscured by myth as contradiction. While we are told that "anyone can make it," that does not mean that everyone can. The system is structured to keep the overwhelming amount of the population within their status group. Yet, for those who don't make it, it is some failing on their part. We believe that the middle class rules, even while it is clear that the middle class is not making the decisions and do not hold the seats of power and influence. We point to the exceptional cases of success and the norm. The question is why we believe such contradictory things and do not realize that we do. That is the power of culture and cultural values. The complexity and conflict of our understanding of social class can tell us much about how all of the various types of stratification work. Additional Resources - No summaries required for these resources: Executive Excess: The Staggering Social Cost of U.S. Business Leadership New inflation data explain middle-class squeeze (1/16/2008), Low unemployment rate hides rise in long-term jobless (2/18/08), The Incredible Shrinking Paycheck (2/20/08), Best U.S. factory jobs in rising jeopardy (2/15/08), Endowments and the creation of a two-tier higher education system in America (2/11/08), Up to 70% interest - credit card aimed at the poor, You Asked ... Tax cuts by income group Effects of cuts Who Benefits |
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| Read | Wolf
Chapter 4 Class Reader: (1) Media Magic: Making Class Invisible, (2) Unequal Childhoods Online: Broken Levees, Unbroken Barriers, |
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| Do | Submit your
summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of
Blackboard Participate in online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board |
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| Week 8:
Race & Ethnicity In some ways the construction of race and ethnicity is similar to sex and gender. With the sex-based system of stratification, we defined sex as the biological categories and gender as the social characteristics assigned to the sexes. The assumption being that since sex is "biological" that gender is somehow "natural. A similar construction occurs with race. We define race as a "biological" category, and we frequently treat ethnicity as a "natural" expression of race. This happens on two levels. First, is that cultural assumptions about ethnic groups are integrated into stereotypes for racial groups. These stereotypes form what is viewed as a "natural expression" of race. The stereotype that "Mexicans are lazy" is based on a judgment about the cultural practice of the "siesta." Second is that people of a racial group are assumed to share a culture. Some may or may not, but culture is not tied to race. If we look at Whites for example, we see that they can come from a wide array of cultures and nations. There is no global "White" culture. However, people assume that "Blacks" in the United States are "African American" (which is a cultural, and not simply racial designation). However, people who are Black in the United States may come from a variety of different cultures (British, Cuban, Haitian, Mexican, etc.) What they do share is the status that the stratification system places them into. As you read and discuss these issues, think about how the race system is similar and different from the other two ascriptive statuses we have explore (age and sex). Additional Resources: White History 101 , The Year in Hate: Active U.S. Hate Groups Rise to 888 in 2007 (3/2008), Hate Crimes Linked to Immigration Debate (3/10/08), Why Race-Based Data Matters Lehrman, AlterNet, 10/6/03, Imperial Zealotry: Righteous Racism Running Rampant 10/07/03 Kaplan, AlterNet, Black Like I Thought I was Andersen: 43 Crimes Against Humanity |
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| Read | Wolf
Chapters 5 and 6 Class Reader: Racist Stereotyping in the English Language Online: Optional Ethnicities: For Whites Only? Watch the movie "The Long Walk Home" about the Montgomery bus boycott |
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| Do | Submit your
summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of
Blackboard Participate in online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board Paper 2 due over topics and concepts weeks 5-8 |
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| Week 9: Intersections We have looked at the major components of the U.S. stratification system. Now we want to look at how they insect and reinforce each other. Working with the models has developed comparable frameworks for seeing the mechanisms and dynamics of stratification. The task here is to see how they are similar and dissimilar from each other. The purpose for this detailed analysis and comparison is that if we want to change our and our society's structuring of inequality, we need to know whatto change. Each system has it subtle and sometimes dramatically different aspects. All inequality is not the same, and one change will not change all forms of inequality. Each of us are bound by every component of our system. Each - age, sex, class, and race - are entwined in our bodies, our lives, and our outcomes. Additional Resources: Economic Mobility of Black & White Families Pew Report 2008. |
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| Read | Class Reader: (1) The hidden cost of being African American (2) Race as Class (3) Why Segregation Matters | |||||||||
| Do | Submit your
summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of
Blackboard Do the online exercise: Can You Tell Someone's Race By Looking At Them and discuss your experience in this week's discussion. Participate in online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board Response paper to "The Long Walk Home" is due. |
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| Week 10: Intersections continued | ||||||||||
| Read | Class Reader:
Katrina, Black Women and the Deadly Discourse Online: (1) Unequal America (2) Report Says US Lenders Prey on Minorities (3) Baltimore Finds Subprime Crisis Snags Women (4) Fiery death sent a message |
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| Do | Submit your
summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of
Blackboard Participate in online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board |
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| Week 11:
Change
Is Possible - Interrupting Process of Inequality We have spent the term analyzing how the various system of structured inequality work. You should now have a good idea of how this impacts you and those around you. It is clear, that while there are societal forces beyond us that structure, maintain, enforce, and reproduce inequality, that it continues because we continue to participate. Knowingly and unknowingly we take our places as social actors doing what we are supposed to do. While one person's individual action is not going to transform these systems, each person's actions and decisions do make a difference. |
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| Read | Interrupting Cycles of Oppression | |||||||||
| Do | Submit your
summaries of the required readings through the Assignments area of
Blackboard Participate in online discussion through the Blackboard discussion board |
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| Week 12: FINALS WEEK Paper 3 over weeks 7-10 is due by Wednesday of finals week (12/06) |
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