Race & Ethnic Relations in the United States
Sociology 215-003 Spring 2002
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 12:00 until 12:50am in Parkinson 202
Instructor: Robert Jenkot
Office: Faner 4340 (use entrance 6 or 7, take the elevator to the 4th floor, turn right, go to #4340)
Office Phone: 453-3892 Sociology Main Office Phone: 453-2494 Email: rjenk47@siu.edu
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm & By Appointment
I. Textbooks:
Healey, Joseph F. 1998. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Rothenberg, Paula S. 2001. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States (5th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.
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, class discussions, required readings, videos, and guest presentations.
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 Unites 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/Ground Rules for this course:
1) Acknowledge that racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia exist.
2) Acknowledge that one of the meanings of racism/sexism is that we have been systematically taught misinformation about our own group and especially members of other groups.
3) We cannot be blamed for the misinformation we have learned, but we will be held responsible for repeating misinformation after we have learned otherwise.
4) Victims are not to be blamed for their oppression.
5) We will assume that people are always doing the best they can.
6) We will actively pursue information about our own groups and those of others.
7) We will share information about our own groups with other members of the class and we will NEVER demean, devalue, or in any way "put down" people for their experiences.
8) We each have an obligation to actively combat the myths and stereotypes about our own groups and other groups so that we can break down the walls which prohibit group cooperation and group gain.
9) We want to create a safe atmosphere for open discussion. Thus, at times, members of the class may wish to make a comment that they do not want repeated outside of the classroom. If so, the student will preface her or his remarks with a request and the class will agree not to repeat the remarks.
(** Ground Rules 1-9 by Lynn Weber, Center for Research on Women, University of Memphis, TN 38152)
Plagiarism: Do not copy from anyone else's work. You must provide a citation both in the text and in the bibliography in any work turned in if you quote someone else's work. Ask me if you are not sure. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade.
Cheating/Copying: Do not cheat or copy from another student. Cheating and/or copying will result in a failing grade.
Citations/Bibliographies: I am not concerned with "how" you reference the works you use (ASA, APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), but you must do it. In text citations should be as follows: (Jenkot 2001:23-24).
Quizzes: There will be ten (10) of these throughout the semester, each worth 10 points. These will cover readings, lectures, videos, and guest presentations. Quizzes can not be made up, I will hand them back during the following class.
Writing Assignments: These will range between three (3) and six (6) page projects, I will make the assignments clear when I assign them. These assignments must be typed, using 12 point font, double spaced, and with one inch margins. Failure to comply with these parameters will result in lost points.
Late Assignments: I will only accept a late assignment in EXTREME cases. In such extreme cases I will allow for an additional week with a corresponding 10 point deduction, except in special circumstances. The idea is to turn your work in on time. I will accept no late work after May 1, 2002.
Missed Exams: These will be handled on a case by case basis. No exam will be returned until all exams have been turned in and graded.
Extra Credit: I like to make extra credit available to the entire class. From time to time I will announce an event (certain movies, university functions, speakers, displays, etc.). Taking part in the event (viewing the movie, listening to the speaker, etc.) and providing me with a one (1) page (minimum) report on the event will qualify to earn the extra points. The report must include a) what the event was/was about, b) personal reaction to the event, and c) relation to class materials. The number of points available for these will range from 1-5 points each. If I do not announce an event that you believe merits extra credit, ask me about it.
IV. Grading & Evaluation: The is no imposed "curve" in this class. I will use the standard 90%, 80%, 70%, 60% scale.
Mid-Term Exam 100 pts.
Final Exam 100 pts.
Quizzes (10 ea. @ 10pts. ea.) 100 pts.
Assignment Number 1 30 pts.
Assignment Number 2 60 pts.
Video Reviews (2*40 pts. ea.) 80 pts.
Participation 30 pts.
Total Points 500
+Extra Credit ???? pts.
V. Tentative Course Schedule: Please complete all readings by the week assigned.
Week 1: January 14, 16, & 18
Readings: Healey Chapter 1 "Diversity in the U.S."
Assignment Number 1: Complete the worksheet attached to the syllabus (last page) due 1/25
Handout: Yamato "Racism" Read by Friday 1/18
Week 2: January 23 & 25, NO CLASS JANUARY 21 for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Readings: Healey Chapter 2 "Assimilation & Pluralism"
Rothenberg: Wright "The Ethics of Jim Crow" I,2
Hubbard " The Social Construction of Heterosexuality" I,8
Frye "Oppression" II,6
Quiz 1 on Friday
Week 3: January 28, 30, and February 1
Readings: Rothenberg: McIntosh "White Privilege" II,9
Chafe "Sex and Race" VII, 5
Quiz 2 on Friday
Week 4: February 4, 6, & 8
Readings: Healey Chapter 3 "Prejudice"
Rothenberg: Terkel "C.P. Ellis" VIII,10
Snyder "Self-Fulfilling Stereotypes" VII,1
Video: The Secret History of the KKK
Quiz 3 on Friday
Assignments: Video Review 1, due February 20
Week 5: February 11, 13, & 15
Readings: Healey Chapter 4 "Prejudice in the 1990's"
Rothenberg: Nat'l. Committee on Pay Equity "The Wage Gap" IV,7
Mantsios "Class in America" II,10
Quiz 4 on Friday
Handout: Wages, Class, and Disparity
Week 6: February 18, 20, & 22
Readings: Healey Chapter 5 "Minority Groups in Preindustrial America"
Rothenberg: Dred Scott v.Sanford, 1857 VI,8
U.S. Constitution VI,10
Elk v. Wilkins, November 3, 1884 VI,15
Quiz 5 on Friday
Week 7: February 25, 27, & March 1
Readings: Healey Chapter 6 "Industrialization and Dominant-Minority Relations"
Rothenberg: Sklar "Imagine a Country" IV,1
Omi & Winant "Racial Formations" I,1
Quiz 6 on Friday
Mid-Term Exam Distributed, covers material through March 1, due March 8 by the end of class
Week 8: March 4, 6, & 8
Guest Speaker or Video: TBA
Mid-Term Exam Due Friday, March 8.
Week 9: SPRING VACATION!!! NO CLASS!!!
Week 10: March 18, 20, & 22
Readings: Healey Chapter 7 "African Americans"
Healey Inside front & back covers: Timeline of race relations in the U.S.
*Refer to this time-line for each group we discuss*
Rothenberg: Katz "The Invention of Heterosexuality" I,9
Miller "Domination and Subordination" I,11
Bowers v. Hardwick, 1986 VI,22
Sabo "Pigskin, Patriarchy, and Pain" V,10
Quiz 7 on Friday
Week 11: March 25, 27, and 29
Video: Africans in America
Readings: Rothenberg: DuBois "The Black Codes" VI,11
Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 VI,16
Carter "Tracking" VII,8
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954 VI,19
Quiz 8 on Friday
Handout: Reservations, several news articles for next class
Assignments: Video Review 2, due April 3.
Week 12: April 1, 3 (April 5, no class)
Readings: Healey Chapter 8 "Native Americans"
Rothenberg: U.S. Commission on Human Rights "Indian Tribes" VI,1
Silko "The Border Patrol State" III,8
Quiz 9 on Friday
Assignments: Application Assignment assigned, due April 17 by the end of class.
Week 13: April 8, 10, & 12
Readings: Healey Chapter 9 "Hispanic Americans"
Rothenberg: Cofer "The Myth of the Latin American Woman" V,6
Quiz 10 on Friday
Handout: Latino/a Time-line
Week 14: April 15, 17, & 19
Video or Guest Presentation: TBA
Week 15: April 22, 24, & 26
Readings: Healey Chapter 10 "Asian Americans"
Rothenberg: Sethi "Smells Like Racism" II,2
Kochiyama "Then Came the War" V,3
Korematsu v. United States, 1944 VI,18
Handout: Kaufman "How Workplaces May Look without Affirmative Action" for next week
Week 16: April 29, May 1, & 3
Readings: Healey Chapter 11 "European Americans"
Rothenberg: Brodkin "How Jews Became White" I,3
Assignments: In class course evaluations
Week 17: May 6-10 FINALS WEEK- Date & Time to be announced
SOC 215-001 Race & Ethnic Relations in the U.S.
Assignment #1: Due January 25, 2001 in class
Define the following terms:
1) Prejudice 6) Minority Group 11) Opportunity
2) Power 7) Race 12) Civil Rights
3) Stratification 8) Ethnicity 13) Lynching
4) Discrimination 9) Class 14) Equality
5) Social Mobility 10) Enclave 15) Gender v. Sex
Place the following events into the correct time ordered sequence:
Brown v. Topeka Board of Education Massacre at Wounded Knee
Plessey v. Ferguson Castro takes over Cuba
Chinese Exclusion Act Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Murdered
End of the enslavement of African Americans Zoot Suit Riots
Dawes Act First Africans in America (recorded)
Bracero Program Passage of the Civil Rights Act
Operation Wetback Second wave of European Immigrants
Briefly, who was:
1) Wovoka 6) Crazy Horse
2) Malcolm X 7) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
3) Caesar Chavez 8) Sam Bowers
4) Lyndon B. Johnson 9) George A. Custer
5) Dred Scott 10) Andrew Jackson
In your opinion, how has the civil rights movement(s) affected your life?
In your opinion, does equality exist for all Americans today? How so?
In your opinion, how has the concept of class affected your life?
In your opinion, how has the concept of gender affected your life?