Race, Ethnicity & Gender
Sociology 650 Syllabus
Fall 2015
Contact Information
Instructor
Dr. Mary E. Virnoche
Professor
Department of Sociology
Office, Phone & Email
Office Hours: M 11-1 & T 9-10
Other meetings by appointment
BSS 520C
Phone Number 826-4569
Email Mary.Virnoche@humboldt.edu
Course Description
In this class we will focus on contemporary social theory that frames the production and maintenance of a
racialized and gendered stratified social order. This body of work theorizes race and gender as both
social structures at the macrosociological scale, as well as micro phenomena providing windows into
individual and collective agency of past and current struggles for social justice. While at times we will
bracket our exploration of race and gender so that we can focus our attention on some of the details of
that particular social order and its history, we will strive to move our thinking toward a theoretical lens that
makes visible the interconnections of these systems as they ‘cooperate’ with other organizing systems of
global capitalism in the production of our social world. In this process, we will be well served by regularly
reflecting on our own social locations in relation to the ideas of our authors and explore mechanisms
through which we each may participate in social change.
Official Catalog Description: Causes, processes, theoretical explanation for racism, sexism,
discrimination. Possible solutions. Intergroup relations from a global perspective.
.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, you should be able to demonstrate the following course learning outcomes,
as well as progress toward final department and university-related learning outcomes:
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Discuss the origins of modern systems of gender and racial inequality and their connections to
the rise of industrial and post-industrial global economies.
2. Map gender/race as a form of social order linking their manifestations in social institutions.
3. Articulate gender/race as a social production and identify their intersections in the production of
your own identity.
4. Draw on knowledge of current and past struggles for change and theories of racial and gender
inequality to identify mechanisms to disrupt the racial & gendered social order in the name of
social justice.
5. Develop a foundation for intersectional* discovery (method) and analysis of the social world.
Choo & Ferree(2010) discuss intersectional analysis and use this lens to evaluate four recent
highly regarded qualitative works. Their analysis challenges all of us to push the extent to which
we theorize race, gender and class as intertwined in their production, as opposed to treating each
as separate and additive in our own work. They also note origins of other concepts that address
this simultaneous enactment of these systems of inequalities: “matrix of domination” (Collins
1990), “intersectional” (Crenshaw 1991), “integrative” (Glenn 1999), “complex inequality” (McCall
2001), or the “race-class-gender” lens (Pascale 2007).
1
Department Learning Outcomes
1. A solid foundation in sociological theory
University Learning Outcomes
While this course in many ways contributes to all the university learning outcomes, it most centrally
contributes to your ability to demonstrate:
1. Effective communication through written and oral modes.
2. Critical and creative thinking skills in acquiring a broad base of knowledge and applying it to
complex issues.
3. Competence in a major area of study.
4. Appreciation for and understanding of an expanded world perspective by engaging respectfully
with a diverse range of individuals, communities, and viewpoints.
5. Succeed in (your) chosen careers.
6. Take responsibility for identifying personal goals and practicing lifelong learning.
7. Pursue social justice, promote environmental responsibility, and improve economic conditions in
their workplaces and communities.
Course Readings and Resources
Required Books and Readings
Collins, Patricia Hill. 1990/2009. Black Feminst Thought: Knowledge, Consciousnes, and the Politics of
Empowerment. New York: Routledge.
Incite! 2006. Color of Violence: The INCITE! Anthology. Cambridge, Massachusetts: South End Press.
Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. 2003. Feminism with Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity.
Durham: Duke University Press.
O’Brien, Eileen. 2001. Whites Confront Racism: Antiracists and Their Paths to Action. Boulder, CO:
Rowman and Littllefield Publishers, Inc.
Omi, Michael and Winant, Howard. Racial Formation in the United States. New York: Routlege.
Rahman, Momin and Jackson, Stevi. 2010. Gender and Sexuality: Sociological Approaches. Malden,
Masschusetts: Polity Press.
Smith, Andrea. 2005. Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: South End Press.
Other readings will be linked to our Moodle site.
Web Resources and Supplemental Readings
ASA Style Guide
http://www.asanet.org/documents/teaching/pdfs/Quick_Tips_for_ASA_Style.pdf
Choo, Hae Yeon and Myra Marx Ferree. 2010. “Practicing Intersectionality in Sociological Research: A
Critical Analysis of Inclusions, Interactions and Institutions in the Study of Inequalities.” Sociological
Theory 28(2): 129-149. (Retrieved from HSU Library Database, August 6, 2010.)
Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools http://www.criticalthinking.org/files/Concepts_Tools.pdf
2
Grade Considerations
Components and Weight

Participation (30%)
Your attendance and participation are critical to the success of this course. Our meeting times serve
as a forum for all of us to discuss the readings and their application to our own lives and social justice
goals. As a member of this class, you have a responsibility to yourself and other members of the
class to come prepared, participate, listen, ask questions, challenge omissions and offer alternative
frameworks. I will offer guidance for your process of discovery.
 Attending all classes: C
 Attending all classes and making thoughtful contributions pretty regularly: B
 Attending all classes and making thoughtful contributions consistently: A

Class Planning & Facilitation (30%)
You will team with a classmate and take responsibility to plan and facilitate two class sessions around
provided readings. For your third class session you will work with 2-3 peers to select 2-3 readings and
plan 11/2 hours of class time around those readings. Please integrate into your planning an active
learning element. This might include screening part of a popular film or documentary (ideally no more
than 30-45 minutes on nights with provided readings; shorter media segments for your 1 1/2 hour
session), taking the class out on a campus-based field trip to make observations, or planning other
types of active learning techniques that will help us engage and apply the reading material for that
day. When you facilitate, you should not turn in a response essay. I suspect that you will have
already accomplished substantial engagement with the material as you prepared to facilitate the
class. (Additional information on Moodle).

Research Paper (20%) –
Option 1 – Empirical Research Paper: Apply a theoretical framework explored in this class to an
existing source of data on an empirical phenomenon: current event, popular culture artifact or forum
of public discourse. While your theory should draw heavily from class readings, you should
incorporate some outside authors as well. Please consider submitting an extended abstract by
October 30, 2015 to the Pacific Sociological Association “Call for Papers.” Travel Funding requests
are due on September 18, 2015.
Option 2 – Literature Review: Some of you may benefit from instead focusing your research paper on
an extended literature review that begins with authors we read for class and extends substantially to
include other authors contributing to the development of this framework. You may choose this option
if 1) critical race, multicultural feminist theory or gender theory is integral to the theoretical framework
of your thesis; AND 2) you have not yet developed the literature review for your thesis/project.
Literature reviews are generally NOT appropriate for graduate students to present at professional
meetings. Still, if you will have at least a preliminary analysis of your empirical thesis/project data
ready by March, you too should consider submitting an extended abstract to the PSA call for papers.
Option 3 – Social Action Project:
Apply a theoretical framework explored in this class to a social action/social change project. As in
option 1, write a paper that primarily draws on our readings and synthesizes the framework, while
also drawing on outside authors. Second, translate that theoretical piece into crossover language for
teaching/action. Develop a detailed outline for a social action project. Implement the project and
include in your final project both a process and outcome evaluation of your work. Consider venues
for action work that include PSA workshops, HSU Dialogue on Race Workshops (November) other
conference/series venues on campus.
Technical Details: 7-10 double-spaced pages, 11-12 point font, approaching journal quality writing.
ASA style (see above section “Readings and Resources”). At least one or two strong writers should
have “actively edited” your paper. Editing work moves beyond copyediting, usually limited to
3
grammatical commentary, though that too is important. Your editors should extensively comment on
the “ideas” of your paper. They should push you on depth of theorizing, strength of
theoretical/empirical linkages, consistency and/or contradictions of reasoning and overall organization
of your paper. This probably means that you need to team with someone from this class or a peer or
friend with similar background in these theoretical areas.

Response Essays (4) (20%)
You will complete four (4) 3-page response essays by the end of the term. No assignments will be
accepted late.
Lay out the overarching theoretical framework. Synthesize key ideas from the readings that resonate
with you. When possible, link those ideas to other similar or contrasting or ideas from this class or
other classes. Respond to the ideas. Reflect on your own responses. What informs your
perspective/analysis? Extend the framework to other empirical observations you have made (recent
news events, film etc.). The strongest papers will illustrate higher level critical thinking/writing skills,
along with the base skills of illustrating knowledge comprehension. You may find helpful as a “guide”
the “Critical Thinking Thoughts and Tools” linked above.
Writing Suggestion on Voice: As a general rule, when synthesizing reading ideas, the author or idea
is the sentence subject. When responding and reflecting, you are the sentence subject. Example:
“Gender is a system of social relations or social order. Connell (2005) theorizes our physical bodies
not as an origin, nor rationale for that order, but rather products and actors in that order.
Furthermore, Connell insists we make connections between gender systems of power like race and
social class. … more.. more. In my experience as a working class white woman, I .…”
As these are short papers, your writing should be well crafted, as well as organizationally and
grammatically strong. All essays should be in 11-12 point font, well organized and free from
grammatical and spelling errors. When appropriate, use ASA style to cite references. Include
bibliography if you reference work outside of class readings.
Grading Scale
A = 93-100 %
A- = 90-92
B+ = 87-89
B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79
C= 73-76
C- = 70-72
D+ = 67-69
D = 63-66
D- 60-62
F = 0-59
Minimum Grade
Sociology graduate students must earn a grade of B or above to meet degree requirements. The grade
of “B-“ is a failing grade for graduate students and triggers academic probation or possibly suspension.
Estimated Outside Class Time
Students hoping to earn an “A” in this class can anticipate spending an average of 12-15 hours each
week on outside class activities: reading, writing and editing, further researching and thinking about
material in preparation for our 3 ½ -hour class meetings. I encourage you to schedule and use this
preparation time starting in the first week so that you can make the most of this seminar.
Late Work and Extra Credit
As a general rule, late work will not be accepted and I do not assign extra credit assignments. However, it
is always best to communicate with me about a life crisis or medical issues.
4
Students with Disabilities
This syllabus was designed using recommended practices for creating accessible word documents. If
you have suggestions regarding improving the accessibility of this document or other content for this
class, please contact me. Persons who wish to request disability-related accommodations should contact
the Student Disability Resource Center in House 71, 826-4678 (voice) or 826-5392 (TDD). Some
accommodations may take up to several weeks to arrange. http://www.humboldt.edu/disability/
Add Drop Policy
Students are responsible for knowing the University policy, procedures, and schedule for dropping or
adding classes. http://www.humboldt.edu/~reg/regulations/schedadjust.html
Emergency Evacuation
Please review the evacuation plan for the classroom posted on the orange signs and review
http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/emergencyops/campus_emergency_preparedness.php for information
on campus Emergency Procedures. During an emergency, information can be found campus conditions
at: 826-INFO or www.humboldt.edu/emergency
Academic Honesty
Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding academic honesty:
http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/judicial/academic_honesty.php
Attendance and Classroom Behavior
Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding attendance and disruptive behavior:
http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/judicial/attendance_behavior.php
5
Race, Ethnicity and Gender -- Course Schedule
Many of the readings in this syllabus appear because of the hard work and generosity of my colleagues
who shared with me their resources and syllabi for similar classes. Therefore, it is imperative that I
acknowledge and thank Professors Renee Byrd, Jennifer Eichsedt and Ron Mize for their scholarship
of teaching woven into this schedule. What happens in the classroom as we engage these ideas is my
responsibility. I trust that you each will contribute significantly to that endeavor and the success of our
work together this term.
Week
Date
Readings to be Discussed
1
August 26
Thesis Directions?
Assignments Due
Racial Identity Theory and the Social
Psychological and Emotion Work
of this Class; Expectations
2
September 2
Rahman & Jackson, Gender & Sexuality
Pp 1-99 (Chapters 1-5)
Collins, Black Feminist Thought
Pp v-121 (Chapters 1-5)
3
September 9
Rahman & Jackson, Gender & Sexuality
Pp 101-210 (Chapters 6-12)
Response Essay or Facilitate
Collins, Black Feminist Thought
Pp 122-290 (Chapters 6-12)
4
September
16
Mohanty Feminism w/o Borders
Pp v-13; 221-251; 17-136
Response Essay or Facilitate
Okazawa-Rey, Margo and Gwen Kirk.
“Neoliberalism, Militarism and Armed
Conflict.”
5
September
23
Mohanty Feminism w/o Borders
Pp 139-217
Response Essay or Facilitate
Espiritu, Yen Le Ideological Racism
Moraga, Cherrie La Guera
Lila Abu-Lughod. “Do Muslim Women Really
Need Saving?”
6
6
September
30
Omi & Winant Racial Formation
Pp v-158 (Chapters 1-5)
Response Essay or Facilitate
Roberts, Dorothy. Fatal Invention: How
Science, Politics and Big Business Re-Create
Race in the Twenty-First Century. Pages 154.
7
October 7
Somerville, Siobhan. “Scientific Racism and
the Invention of the Homosexual Body” In
Queering the Color Line: Race and the
Invention of Homosexuality in American
Culture. Duke University Press, 2000.
Response Essay or Facilitate
Johnson, E. Patrick. “ ‘Quare’ studies, or
(Almost) Everything I Know about Queer
Studies I Learned from my Grandmother.” In
Black Queer Studies: A Critical Anthology.
Bassichis, Morgan and Dean Spade. “Queer
Politics and Anti-Blackness.” In Queer
Necropolitics, Haritaworn, Kuntsman and
Posocco (Eds.)
Cohen, Cathy. “Punks, Welfare Queens and
Bulldaggers…”
8
October 14
9
October 21
Omi & Winant Racial Formation
Pp 159-269 (Chapters 6-8)
Response Essay or Facilitate
Group 1 Selections (2-3 articles or chapters)
Group 2 Selections (2-3 articles or chapters)
10
October 28
Smith “Conquest”
11
November 4
Readings by Bonilla Silva TBA
Response Essay
6 p.m. KBR – Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
Racism w/o Racists & the Colorblind
Institution of Higher
12
November 11
VETERAN’S DAY HOLIDAY
13
November 18
O’Brien “Whites Confront Racism”
-Response Essay
Group 3 Selections (2-3 articles or chapters
Ideally around action/change/alliance)
7
14
November 25
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
--
15
December 2
INCITE! Color of Violence
Response Essay or Facilitate
16
December 9
INCITE! Color of Violence
Response Essay or Facilitate
Final
Exam
Time
Wednesday
December 16
3 – 6 p.m.
Project Presentations
Research Paper Due
(We need to confirm that our room is open).
8