KIIS SUMMER ABROAD IN PARIS
Dr. M. Brown
Office Hours: By Appointment
Phone: (502) 802-7282 (Cell)
Email:drmfb@1400willow.com
SOC 305-70 Social Issues:
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:
The Social Issues: Sociology of Race and Ethnicity course provides an
introduction to the cultural and historical diversity of the American experience within an
international context. It will examine the conceptual and methodological frameworks for
exploring issues of race, class, and gender diversity in both the United States and France,
particularly Paris, and will provide a format for the development of more informed
perspectives on multiculturalism and social justice. The course will consider the
substantial impact that difference has had, and continues to have, on each of us as
individual participants in the American and French experience and on all of us as
members of the collective global “family”.
The course is also designed in collaboration with the Introduction to Sociology
course, which will be taught during the Study Abroad in Paris, to help you think, feel, and
act differently than you did before engaging this substantially different experience. You
will experience sociology through class teaching/learning excursions in culturally
different geographical areas, such as Algerian, Jewish, Black, and artist/museum Paris.
You will have an interdisciplinary experience through discussions of philosophy in
Parisian cafés, French history presentations by guest lecturers at historical sites in Paris,
and a comparative discussion of U.S. American and Parisian/French cultures. You will be
challenged to create a new “lens” by which you view the world and through which you
may develop different, and perhaps more effective, strategies for engaging the world
around you.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
A. To introduce American and global sociological concepts and theories on race,
class, and gender including other classifications such as age, sexual orientation,
and ability difference.
B. To provide a socio-historical framework for understanding current issues of
Difference, multiculturalism, and social justice.
C. To examine the role of American and global cultures in shaping individual and
collective experiences as members of racial, class, and gender groups.
D. To analyze and discuss current issues of race, class, and gender that are having
substantial impact on American and global societies.
E. To facilitate ways in which we as individuals and as members of identifiable
difference groups can think, speak, and act more proactively through research,
analysis, and writing about issues of cultural and national difference.
F. To examine the respective roles of culture, cultural worldview, ideologies of
difference, and social structure in the establishment of American society and the
orchestration of American social interactions nationally and globally.
Course Goals
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Students should be able to demonstrate a philosophical foundation by
understanding the nature of philosophy as fundamental to all learning and by
applying philosophical reflection to issues that affect their lives and the lives of
others.
Students should be able to demonstrate historical and social consciousness by
appreciating cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious diversity, and by drawing upon
the social sciences as a framework for understanding individual and group
behavior.
Students should be able to demonstrate artistic and literary comprehension by
participating in creative experiences; by developing and articulating responses to
aesthetic experiences; and by appreciating the value of the creative imagination
and their own creative powers.
Students should be able to demonstrate thinking skills by using inductive and
deductive modes of reasoning; by employing analytic, logical, evaluative, and
integrative thinking in processing information and drawing conclusions; by
generating new images, concepts and possibilities, and interpretations and
connecting apparently disparate ideas; and by analyzing their thinking processes,
including how their experiences, ideas, and intuition affect thinking.
Students should be able to demonstrate communication skills by writing and
speaking with clarity, grace, and thoughtfulness; by reading and listening with
understanding and insight; and by understanding that their perception of reality is
shaped by communication.
Students should be able to demonstrate a commitment to the pursuit of virtue by
assuming personal, civic, and social responsibility; working for peace and justice;
by confronting bigotry, intolerance, bias, and prejudice; and by being involved
critically and compassionately as leaders in society; and by respecting the
fundamental dignity of the human person
Students should be able to demonstrate comprehensive integration by discovering
the connections among disciplines and by developing a habit of mind that unites
perspectives.
COURSE ORGANIZATION:
Approximately 70% of the class will be devoted to the intellectual exploration of
sociological, psychological, historical and cultural concepts and theories about difference.
An additional 30% of class sessions will be devoted to individual and group experiential
learning activities emanating from previous reading and discussions.
COURSE PHILOSOPHY:
This is an upper division level course with the following assumptions:
A. Each student brings to the classroom a wealth of experience and knowledge that
should be, and can be, tapped in classroom discussions and activities.
B. Adults learn best through actively participating in their own education.
C. People best clarify their ideas and understanding of concepts and issues through
critical thinking discussions and analytical writing.
D. The course serves a culturally expansive population and, as such, it is inevitable that
there will be a diversity of life experiences and personal opinions in the class. To the
extent possible within these constraints, the course design attempts to take into
consideration the differences in learning styles and interests of students to ensure the
best learning experience for everyone.
E. Learning, even about such highly charged and volatile subjects as race, class,
gender and sexual orientation can be personally empowering, intellectually
rewarding, and fun.
F. Learning is developmental and, therefore, requires the instructor to be sensitive,
patient, demanding and fair. These are all subjective terms; as such, every effort will
be made to ensure their highest ethical application.
G. Students should be in the center of the teaching/learning experience. Classroom
experiences will be designed to ensure every opportunity for students to explore, and
to express, their personal consciousness as it relates to course concepts and
constructs. All learning is ultimately about you, the student.
EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:
A. This course requires the participation of each and every student to be successful. Each
student brings to the course a wealth of expertise and knowledge that will
significantly enrich the classroom experience. In addition to the necessity of the
presence of each student in every class, it is important that all students come
prepared, having read all of the assignments. Finally, it is important that all students
fully participate in each class session by providing information, probing for details,
making connections among materials, and linking critical ideas to general theory.
Participation means quality of involvement, not merely quantity; the ability of one’s
contribution to advance the general discussion, to connect concepts, and to foster
general understanding and learning. While participation is generally considered to be
the minimum performance level for an upper division course, it is essential to the
unique design of this course.
B. Ideally, students should attend all classes. We reserve the right to reduce-your grade,
should we consider your absences to negatively affect other students or your own
opportunity to be exposed to a requisite breadth and comprehensiveness of course
material. As such, our acceptable limit for absences is one. Consequently, we suggest
that you empower yourself by using your judgment wisely. Once you violate our
class policy on absences, you will have effectively given up your power to us as
official representatives of the KIIS Study Abroad program. Why you would willingly
and knowingly give your power to us is a question worth your most serious
consideration.
C. If you miss a class, you are responsible for obtaining all notes and handouts. To that
end, it is wise to make a friend in class, an ally if you will, upon whom you may call
for assistance.
D. Students who are late more than 15 minutes, on three (3) different occasions, will be
subject to academic reassessment. Each subsequent set of lateness will result in
additional reassessment. It is your responsibility to be in class for the full time
allotted as determined in the catalog or schedule of classes. We do not accept any
responsibility to remind you of this policy or to inform you about your lateness. It is
our responsibility to hold you accountable.
E. Students should turn in all assignments on time. We have chosen due dates to ensure
the best windows of opportunity in our schedule to return papers and other written
assignments to you promptly. If you do not turn in your assignments on time,
we cannot promise or assure you that we will have time to grade them at all. we hope
that this will encourage you to turn in your assignments on the due date(s). All late
submissions accepted for review may be subject to a reduction in grade.
F. We expect that you will use the highest personal and professional standards of ethics
in this course. These expectations include the application of academic integrity and
honesty in your class participation and written work. It also includes the expectation
that you will endeavor to listen without active bias toward the ideas of your
classmates, while giving them, hopefully as they give you, the benefit of opportunity
to test out ideas and opinions in an educational environment of trust and openness.
G. If you have any questions/comments/concerns about readings, about anything said in
class (particularly by the instructors/TA), or about the tone or content of class
discussions, about your papers and their grades, or, in short, about anything having to
do with this course, please speak with your instructors first. Together, we can make
sense of the situation and find a mutually satisfactory solution. In the event that we
cannot reach a satisfactory solution, of course, you may follow the prescribed KIIS
procedures for student grievances. If you decide to file a grievance, you can count on
our assistance and ethical participation throughout the process.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Privilege, Power, and Difference, by Alan Johnson, the Mayfield Publishing
Company, 2005.
SUPPLEMENTAL COURSE REFERENCES:
Racism Without Racists, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
2003.
Structured Inequality in the United States, by Adalberto Aguirre, Jr. and David V.
Baker, Prentice Hall, 2000.
Yurugu, by Marimba Ani, Africa World Press, 1994.
Racial Formation in the United States, Second Edition, Michael Omi & Howard Winant,
Routledge, 1994.
Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, Second Edition, by bell hooks, South End
Press Classics, 2000.
American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass, by Douglas S.
Prejudice and Racism, Second Edition, by James Jones, 1997
The Gender Knot, by Alan Johnson, Temple University Press, 1997.
Feminism Unmodified, by Katherine McKinnon,
Whiteness of a Different Color, Matthew Frye Jacobson, Harvard University Press, 1999.
Black on White, by David Roediger, Random House, 1998.
Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman, 1995.
SUPPORTING READINGS AND VIEWINGS:
In addition to assigned readings, each student should make an effort to read local and/or
national newspapers, news magazines, and racial/ethnic publications to remain current on
the issues discussed in class and to facilitate informed discussions on these issues. Class
discussion will be constructed to include current events as a means of comparison and
personal identification with historical and contemporary issues of race, class, and gender.
STUDY GROUPS:
This course covers a great deal of information in a relatively short period of time. Much
of the content is thought-provoking and challenging to established beliefs. Research on
learning indicates that students can better “make the material their own” through
extensive discussion. Unfortunately, our short weekly meeting time does not provide
sufficient time for such in-depth discussion. Therefore, we urge you to organize into
study groups to review readings and to prepare for class. This syllabus includes study
questions for each class that would be useful for study group discussion. If students
express interest in participating in study groups, we will be happy to facilitate formation
of such groups. we strongly urge each student to participate in a study group to
significantly enhance your learning.
Instructional Modification/Syllabus Modification
Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or
auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the KIIS Study Abroad director,
Dr. Mary Jo Netherton. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the director and the
instructor during the first week of class if s/he knows they will need specific
modifications or adjustments to allow adequate time for preparation.
Grading:
Your final grade will be a compilation of numerous factors, including written and all
other assignments, small group and class participation, attendance, and our assessment of
your effort, commitment to learning, and progress from the first day to the last. As such,
our grading schema incorporates both objective (i.e., quantitative) and subjective (i.e.,
qualitative) measures of your performance. Every moment of every experience we have
together is a measurable moment of your contribution to your own learning and that of
your fellow students. So, spend your time productively and wisely. You are solely
responsible at all times for ensuring that you have a comprehensive and clear
understanding of your grade/performance assessment location in the class. That is, you
must take the initiative to inquire about our assessment of you and to offer your
agreement or disagreement. We will assume that you are either clear about your grading
location in the class.
Term Paper: (TBA) (Due June 20)
Scoring Guide
5 – Formatting considerations
15 – Clarity and precision of writing
10 – Introductory reflection
15 – Synthesis and summarization of research
25 – Strength of argument formulated
25 – Final (critical) reflection Conclusion)
5 – - Works Cited
Participation:
Effective teaching/learning is a dynamic classroom experience that requires the active
and responsible contributions of all involved. Students learn from each other as well as
from the instructor. The design of this course places substantial emphasis and importance
on student participation in all aspects of the teaching/learning dialectic (e.g., class
discussions, group work, artifacts presentations, and final exam experience).
Assessment of student participation is invariably subjective, relying heavily upon the
instructor’s judgment and expertise born of experience over many years of teaching. As
such, assessments of student participation may be an area of student/instructor
contention. Inevitably, the final decision rests with the instructor.
To avoid possible conflict, each student is strongly advised to be as involved in the classto-class experience as they can. This is especially important since participation is worth
300 points, or 60%, of your grade. In order to achieve an “A” in participation, students,
at a minimum, must demonstrate critical engagement with the material and their
colleagues in all four areas. It will be up to the student to be visible and vocal in their
participation. Students should be prepared to argue for their participation grade using the
items above as evidence. Students may also consult with the professors at any time
during the course regarding their progress in participation. This is encouraged.
Therefore, it is strongly suggested that each student take it upon her/himself to check-in
with the instructor throughout the course to determine the instructor’s perception of the
student’s level and quality of participation. Honest and direct feedback, with suggestions
for improvement where needed, will be given. Do not wait until the last week to become
concerned with the value of your participation; your interest will ring hollow and will
be ineffective in influencing the perception of the instructor.
Class Discussion:
Each student is expected to contribute to the teaching/learning experience through active
daily participation in class discussions. As such, students are expected to have read the
assigned materials, to have critical thoughts about the readings, and to enhance the class
discussion through their contributions. Lack of student understanding of any or all of the
assigned readings should be indicated by clearly enunciated questions which will also
contribute greatly to other’s understanding. Quantity and quality of student contributions
to class discussions will be aggregated in the assessment of student participation.
Evaluation of student participation is a collaborative process between each student and
the teacher. As such, each student should take it upon him/herself to check-in with me/us
during the semester to determine whether or not we are in agreement.
Artifacts Presentations:
Two opportunities will be provided for students to utilize their creative genius to interpret
their experience with the course materials and class discussions. Using emotion,
imagination, and creativity alongside rationalization, logic, and reason—students will
attempt to make sense of their unique experience through music, poetry, art, and/or
stories. Original creations and expressions are preferred.
This is a serious exercise as demonstrated by the total grade points assigned. It can be a
powerful learning and community-building tool. Each of us is endowed with multiple
intelligences and, as such, is challenged to demonstrate our ability to coalesce these ways
of knowing and doing into critical articulations of reflective meaning.
Group Work:
Each student is expected to participate fully in the development, maintenance and
assessment of their various group experiences. Teacher observation, group member
assessments and quality of group performance will determine final group work
assessment. Group work is a collaborative experience and, as such, each student will have
responsibility for ensuring that each group, in which they are a participating member,
performs at the highest level. Each individual will be able to negotiate her/his final group
work assessment with me at a scheduled participation conference prior to the end of the
semester. Instructor feedback to each student will be available during the semester upon
request.
Final Experience Artifact Presentation:
The Final Experience Artifact Presentation is described in the Course Schedule under the
final day of class. An annotated outline will be required for this presentation. Any student
may seek clarification of what is expected of her/him at any time during the semester.
Attendance:
Being in class is essential to effective participation in all categories. One cannot
contribute to their own or others’ learning without being present to engage in discussion,
inquiry, and discovery. As stated earlier, our preference for absences is zero and, as such,
we expect all students to attend all classes prepared to critically engage the material and
the experience. (See Section B, Expectations of Students)
You are expected to be a thoughtful, active, and informed member of class discussions,
lectures, individual presentations, and group activities. You are also expected to arrive
punctually, and be prepared by having read the required assignments. Of course,
circumstances beyond our control will arise during the summer session and cause an
absence. Our attendance policy is as follows: One absence for any reason is totally
forgiven. Any absences(s) beyond the first will result in a plus/minus reduction in your
grade (e.g., a B+ will become a B or a B- will become a C+). A third absence will result
in a whole grade reduction and/or a failing grade depending upon the student’s overall
performance in the course. Any absences beyond three will absolutely justify a failing
grade irrespective of all other assessments. It is your responsibility to notify the TA or
instructor(s) of any catastrophic occurrences during the summer session that may have
caused you to exceed one absence. Exemptions to this policy will be at the discretion of
the instructors and the teaching assistant.
Participation Categories and Scoring Guide:
50
50
200
300
Artifacts Presentations
Final Exam Experience
Class Discussion / Group work / Attendance
Total Participation Points
Journals:
Each student is expected to journal their experiences for the entire semester. There should
be at least one journal entry for each class/week. However, since this course challenges
students to utilize their experiences outside of class to reinforce that which is presented in
class and through readings, it is suggested that journals should include entries reflecting
out of class experiences as well. Along with each student’s personal reflections, journal
entries should wrestle with critical explorations of the relationships between their
experience and readings, class discussions, video presentations and research reviewed
and analyzed for their Why Paper construction. Journals are worth 50 points and 10% of
your final grade.
Academic Honesty
KIIS students are expected to demonstrate a high standard of academic honesty in all
aspects of their work and life. Policies for acts of academic dishonesty are as follows:
 All cases of detected academic dishonesty will be reported to the Director.
 Plagiarism or cheating on any academic work will result in a recorded grade of F
for that work. For further information regarding plagiarism, please see attached
document (Honor Code)
 A second offense during the course will result in an F for the course.
 A third case of dishonesty is grounds for immediate academic dismissal from the
KIIS program.
Guidelines On Submission of “I” Gades:
An Incomplete (I) grade may be recorded by an instructor if there is verification of
illness, death in the family, or some other extenuating circumstance that has prohibited
the student from completing the course work and/or taking a final exam.
GRADING:
Category
Journals
Paper
Participation
Points
100
100
300
500
Percentage
20%
20%
60%
100%
Percent Range
90%+
80%-89%
70%-79%
60%-69%
Below 60%
Point Range
450 --- 500
400 --- 449
350 --- 399
300 --- 349
Below -300
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
COURSE SCHEDULE:
Day One / May 27:
*
Introduction of the course
*
Police Riot Exercise: Perception
Thoughts
Attitudes
Behavior
influenced by:
Beliefs
Knowledge
myths
Experience
Bring whole self to class / “Wherever you go you take yourself along”
*
Teaching/Learning about multiculturalism as social justice:
– Critical Pedagogy and Service Learning
– Social Construction of Difference and Critical Consciousness
*
Le Mun Wah exercise
*
Process of Letting Go
*
View and discuss Elephant & Giraffe video (?)
*
Syllabus Overview
*
Term Paper assignment (Due 6/19)
*
Assign Journals (due 6/21)
Homework:
(1) Read: “The Nacirema”
(2) Read: “Privilege, Power, and Difference:” Introduction; Chapters 1 & 2
Day Two / May 28:
1)
Discuss: “The Nacirema”:
2)
Discuss: “Privilege, Power, and Difference:” Introduction; Chapters 1 & 2
3)
Scenarios Exercise
Homework:
1) Read: “Old Poison in New Bottles” (Feagin) (handout)
Day Three / May 29:
1)
Discuss “Old Poison in New Bottles”
2)
Nativism lecture:
3)
Video: Eye of the Storm
Homework:
1) Assign an article below to a group;
- each group prepare an oral presentation based on the questions given to them
and ones they develop from their reading; connect to previous discussions.
- each group prepare a powerpoint handout for all students
- 5-7 minute presentation
Read handouts:
Takaki article “A Different Mirror”:
- What does Takaki mean by “A Different Mirror”?
- According to Takaki, what is the dominant view of America’s racial history?
- How does Takaki’s statement “...The people in our study have been actors in
history, not merely victims of discrimination and exploitation. They are entitled
to be viewed as subjects--as men and women with minds, wills, and voices”
who help to define the term “multicultural society?”
June Jordan’s article “”Report from the Bahamas:
- How does Jordan’s thinking reflect a multiracial consciousness as she writes
about “Olive” and the The Bread Givers?
- What relationship between race and social class issues does Jordan draw?
- What, according to Jordan, determines the ultimate connection between people?
- How do race, class, and gender intersect?
Wolf’s “The Beauty Myth”
- What is beauty pornography?
- Find examples of beauty pornography and beauty sadomasochism in newsstand
magazines?
- How does sexual imagery undermine women?
- How does the flood of sexual images of women relate to the women’s
movement?
- How might “real” heterosexual love and respect lead to political change?
Steinem’s “If Men Could Menstruate”
- What is Steinem’s argument?
- How does Steinem use humor to support/make her argument?
- Is her use of humor effective?
Water’s “Optional Ethnicities”
- What does Water’s mean by “optional ethnicities?”
- How are “others” impacted by not having “optional ethnicities?”
- Why are Whites the only racial/ethnic group that has “optional ethnicities?”
Cho’s “Korean Americans vs. African Americans: Conflict and Construction”
- What are the limits of viewing US race relations in terms of a Black/White
opposition?
- How did the image of Korean Americans as a “model minority” contribute to
their scapegoating following the King verdict?
- What is involved in developing an understanding of inter-ethnic conflict
between subordinated groups?
- What role has stereotyping played in Korean-American and African American
relationships? How does this create a response to the rioting setup a conflict
between minority groups?
- What are the destructive consequences of the “model minority” myth?
- What were media images of Korean Americans during the Los Angeles rioting?
_______ “The Berdache”
- How would you describe the Indigenous people’s social construction of
sexuality?
- What are the major cultural differences between the Indigenous and U.S.
American ways of perceiving and experiencing sexual orientation?
- What are the social implications of the Berdache tradition for U.S. American
and Indigenous relationships, especially early in our joint histories?
- Why did the Indigenous people’s elevate the Berdache to a high spiritual
status?
Day Four / May 30:
1)
Powerpoint presentations of article analysis: (Wolf, Takaki, Steinem, Jordan,
Waters, and Cho)
2) Scenarios Exercise
Homework:
1) Read: Privilege, Power, and Difference (Cpts. 3-7) (Due June 5)
- What is the role of capitalism in constructing and maintaining the “Other”?
- What role do you play in perpetuating notions of difference as negative?
- What is your assessment of Johnson’s book? Be honest!
2) Read: Framework Essay I: Constructing Categories of Difference (Due June 5)
- How does this article help you to understand that cultural/social difference
is not “natural”, but constructed?
- What is the social/political relationship that exists between categories of
difference?
- Why is cultural/social difference so important to the American way of life?
- Knowing what you know now about how difference has sociological
but not biological meaning, what do you think you can do to diminish its
negative social/political effects?
3) Combine answers to the questions for the assigned readings in writing. You can
write in paragraph form or answer each question in numerical order.
Day Five / May 31 (Excursion TBA):
Day Six / June 5:
1)
Overview of Privilege, Power, and Difference (Cpts. 3-7)
2)
Relate Nativism to Inequality to Ideologies to Difference
- nativism is to inequality as ideology is to difference
- privilege is to power as difference is to social structure
3)
View and discuss video “Killing Us Softly” using Framework Essay I and
Privilege, Power, and Difference (Cpts. 3-7):
- How does the framework essay help you to understand the structural
reality of sexism in advertising?
- What role does sexist advertising play in conditioning men and womyn to
think, feel, and act as if denigration of womyn is normal and acceptable,
if not fun?
- What social encouragement do womyn receive to become models and to
view modeling as positive?
- What role does capitalism play in making sexism through advertising
acceptable and valued?
Homework:
1) Read: “Homophobia as a Weapon of Sexism” (Suzanne Phar)
Day Seven / June 6:
1)
Discuss “Homophobia as a Weapon of Sexism” (Suzanne Phar)
3) Relate Framework Essay I, Privilege, Power, and Difference, and “Killing Us
Softly” video to “Homophobia as a Weapon of Sexism”
Homework:
1) Cave Analogy (handout)
2) Cultural World View Model (handout)
Christianity and Ideology (handout)
Indigenous Peoples and European (Western) Ideology (handout)
3) Break into groups:
- assign CWV model and the Cave Analogy to all
- divide into two groups and assign the other two models respectively
- each group must compare and contrast their assigned model to the CWV
model
- be prepared to discuss the significance of Plato’s “cave analogy” to the
development of Western thought, cultural formation, and social structure
Day Eight / June 7 ( Excursion TBA):
Day Nine / June 12:
1)
Discuss Plato’s Cave Analogy and its relevance to Nativism, Social
Difference, and Social Structure
2)
Discuss Cultural Worldview/Cultural Values Orientation/American Cultural
Patterns (handouts)
A.
Culture and Social Structure (Culture and Cultural Change)
Understanding the ways in which culture influences and determines the
guidelines for people’s interpretations of situations they encounter and the
actions they take.
Study Questions:
1) What is the relationship between culture, reality, and intergroup
relations?
2) What are subcultures? What forms do they take?
3) What social significance do subcultures have for intergroup relations?
B.
Culture and Social Structure (Cultural World View)
Exploration and discussion of a theoretical model of the European/American
Cultural World View.
Study Questions:
1) What is a cultural worldview?
2) What role does a cultural world view play in the development and
maintenance of a social system?
3) What are the socio-historical implications of the European/American
cultural worldview on racial/ethnic experience in the US?
C.
Culture and Social Structure (Cultural Values Orientations)
Explore the ways in which culture is shaped and influenced by group
perspectives on the order of nature (Cosmology).
Study Questions:
1) What are cultural value orientations?
2) How do cultural value orientations influence group thought and
behavior?
3) What meaning do they have for our everyday lives?
D.
Culture and Social Structure (American Cultural Patterns)
Identify the ways in which European/American cultural values orientations
have influenced and shaped American patterns of social organization and
social interaction.
Study Questions:
1) What are some American cultural patterns?
2) How do these cultural patterns distinguish Americans from others?
3) What significance do these cultural patterns have with regard to
racial/ethnic differences in the US?
Homework:
(1) Read Framework Essay II: Experiencing Difference
a) What do the authors mean by “experiencing difference?”
b) How is “experiencing difference” distinguished from “constructing
difference”?
c) What are “master statuses?”
d) Define “privilege” and its relationship to “master statuses”
e) How do the authors suggest “reality” is created through “experiencing
difference”?
2) Read: “White Privilege, Male Privilege” (Peggy McIntosh)
Day Ten / June 13:
1)
Continue lecture/discussion on CWV model
2)
Discuss Framework Essay II and “White Privilege, Male Privilege”:
Homework:
1) Finalize Artifact Presentations (Due 6/14)
2) Read: The Missing Link (Massey & Denton—American Apartheid) (Due 6/19)
Preface and Introduction (Thomas A. Shapiro—The Hidden Costs of
Being African American)
Day Eleven / June 14 (Excursion TBA):
1)
Artifact Presentations (continued)
2)
Privilege Exercise
Day Twelve / June 19:
1)
The Missing Link (Massey & Denton—American apartheid)
2)
Preface and Introduction (Thomas A. Shapiro—The Hidden Costs of Being
African American)
3)
Prison Industrial Complex exercise
Homework:
1) Read Introduction: The Fabrication of Race (Matthew Frye Jacobson—
Whiteness of a Different Color, pg. 1-12.
2) View video Race: The Power of An Illusion (Part II)
- identify the way race, as a social construct, encompasses other forms of
cultural difference;
- apply the CWV model to your analyses of “racial experience”;
- distinguish between interpersonal and structural inequality;
- are these examples of historical White “affirmative action”? how do they
inform your views on “affirmative action” for peoples of color/ women?;
- from this video and our discussions in class, how might you revise, re-think,
or affirm your personal definition of progress?
3) Prepare an annotated outline of your answers to the above questions.
Day Thirteen / June 20:
1)
Discuss “Introduction: The Fabrication of Race” (Matthew Frye Jacobsen)
2)
Discuss Race: The Power of An Illusion video
3)
Term Paper due
Homework:
1) Read: “Sundown Suburbs” (Jerry Loewen—Sundown Towns) (Due 619)
2) To prepare for the final exam experience, do the following:
- Apply the theoretical premise for each article assigned during the course
- Incorporate your personal experience with the material, class discussions,
excursions, videos, journaling, etc.
- Prepare an annotated outline of a 5-7 minute presentation
Day Fourteen / June 21 (Excursion TBA):
Day Fifteen / June 23 (Final Exam Experience)
Each student will be required to present to the class a creative reflection of the
most meaningful insights they have gained from the material presented during the
semester. It is assumed that every student has learned something during the
previous five (5) weeks of exploration, discussion, and analysis. It is hoped that
whatever has been learned is of significance and meaning to the respective
student. Consequently, any or all student(s) may choose to represent that
significance and meaning through some creative expression which engages their
intellectual and emotional selves. Students may present their reflections as
individuals, in pairs, or in various configurations of groupings.
This is a serious educational exercise and will be evaluated accordingly and
incorporated as part of your final grade. All students, whether presenting their
reflections individually, or in groups, must be prepared to discuss, explain, and/or
analyze the meaning and significance of their respective reflection.
Additionally, each student must submit an annotated outline of their presentation.
That is, the main points in the outline must be explained in meaningful detail. The
outline should provide the reader with sufficient information to understand what
will be presented, how it will be presented and what the presentation is intended
to communicate. Standard outline format is required.