Sociology: Racial Inequality in the US

A critical analysis of racial inequality and stratification in the United States. Prerequisite: Three hours of Sociology or Critical Race & Ethnic Studies. Cross-listed with: CRES 2881.

Pre-reqs 3 hours of Sociology; minimum Soph standing Cross-listed with: CRES 2881 A. total combined enrollment = 45 PACE students by permission and override.

The main purpose of this course is to introduce students to classic and contemporary research and theory on race and ethnic relations. We will focus most of our attention on the context of the United States, but will at times comparatively examine race relations beyond our own borders. Because of the depth and breadth of this area, this course is designed to give students an overview of issues concerning race and ethnicity. Since this is an intermediate-level race course, however, we will move beyond a descriptive analysis of race in America to take a more theoretical and critical approach. In this course we will cover a number of topics. During the first portion of the semester, we will begin with conceptual issues: What is race? Are we biologically different from each other? What does it mean to say that race is socially constructed? Second, we will focus our attention on both classic and contemporary theoretical perspectives regarding race and ethnicity. We will look at prejudice, discrimination, racism, theories of inter-ethnic/racial integration, and theories of racial and ethnic stratification and inequality. After laying the theoretical foundation for the course, we will finally turn to applying these theories to historical trends and social institutions in the United States. The basic outline of the course is as follows: I. Conceptualizing race II. Theoretical perspectives of race/ethnic relations III. Historical trends and social institutions in the United States

Exams: There will be TWO EXAMS — each is worth 20% of your final grade. Homework Assignments: You will have four assignments to be completed outside of class (30%) Reading Journals: An important part of this course is keeping up with course readings and coming prepared to discuss. Throughout the course, you will be required to keep a Reading Journal in which you will summarize and respond to assigned readings. (30%)