SOC 445 /ANTH 445 Inequality and Diversity
Fall Quarter, 2013
1:00 pm – 2:20pm MWF in Badgley Hall 110
Professor Rosemary Powers
116 Ackerman Hall
Phone: 962-3819, e-mail at rpowers@eou.edu
Web page at
Office Hours:
Mondays 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. in ACK 116
Wednesdays 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. in the Learning Center—Loso Hall room 234
and by appointment.
Catalog Description:
An exploration of how categories of difference such as race, social class, gender, sexuality, and ability are
constructed within U.S. society and are reinforced as systems of inequality. Investigation of the ways
structures of power maintain status hierarchies and discriminatory practices. Application of social theory
and empirical research to illuminate experiences of privilege, discrimination, and marginalization.
Prerequisite: SOC 204, ANTH 101 or consent of instructor. Student must have at least junior standing to
register for this course.
Required Materials:
Schwalbe, Michael. (2008). Rigging the game: How inequality is reproduced in everyday life. New York:
Oxford University Press.
Alexander, Michelle. (2010). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness.
Revised Edition. New York: The New Press.
Internet resources to be assigned and discovered throughout the term.
Course Objectives:
SOC 445/ANTH 445 will provide opportunities for students to:
•
•
•
•
Engage in the intellectual examination of the structures, systems and ideologies that create
and sustain discrimination and the unequal distribution of power and resources in society;
Review the effects of unequal distribution of power and discrimination by exploring the
work of social theorists, researchers and other writers regarding issues of inequality and
diversity;
Examine the contributions of underrepresented groups as presented in primary works of
social research and analysis, poetry, memoir, and documents produced for social
movement activism.
Develop their analytical and research skills through successfully completing appropriate
observational, written, oral, and or visual assignments and projects.
Difference, Power and Discrimination Requirement:
SOC/ANTH 445 meets EOU’S Difference Power, and Discrimination (DPD) requirement approved in
Spring of 2010. The first three objectives listed in bold above relate explicitly to this requirement.
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Expected Outcomes:
By successful participation in the course, students will demonstrate their ability to:
1. describe how systems of power and privilege intersect to produce particular patterns of
discrimination and inequality and assess the consequences of these patterns;
2. identify a variety of writings by persons from marginalized groups and be able to summarize their
perspectives on inequality and diversity.
3. present a coherent and intellectually sophisticated argument for their own perspective on specific
issues of difference, power and discrimination;
4. engage in civil discourse regarding controversial topics related to inequality and diversity with
respect for others viewpoints;
5. increase their cultural competency for interacting with people of diverse backgrounds and
experiences;
6. practice their communication skills, and their ability to analyze issues of difference, power, and
discrimination by organizing public awareness projects—either as public events or through
creating on-line resources.
7. conduct independent and collaborative research projects;
8. produce high-quality written/oral/visual/digital work representing a strong understanding of
sociological and anthropological concepts and methods of analysis.
General Rules, Guidelines, and Special Needs:
* Course Calendar: We will be determining some elements of the calendar together, and may need to
adjust some things as we investigate the course topics. In no case will you be expected to complete
assignments or readings earlier than scheduled.
* Keep copies of all work until you receive official notice of your course grade.
* According to the EOU Catalog, "Minimum elements of appropriate classroom decorum include:
punctuality, courtesy, civility, purposefulness, and integrity." If you must arrive late or leave early, try to
be as quiet as possible. Regarding courtesy and civility, while I encourage strong expressions of
disagreement, I expect your conversations with me and with one another to be respectful at all times.
* Written assignments must be double-spaced and submitted in a word-processed format using a 12-point
font and 1" margins. Any work produced for online publication should follow accepted conventions for
such sites, with careful attention to netiquette and copyright issues. Because errors in formal writing
influence readers’ opinions of you as a writer, make sure to check grammar and spelling before
submitting a final copy for evaluation or publishing your work online.
* Regarding academic misconduct: Eastern Oregon University places a high value upon the integrity of
its student scholars. Any student found guilty of an act of academic misconduct (including but not
limited to cheating, plagiarism, or theft of an examination or supplies), may be subject to having his or
her grade reduced in the course in question, being placed on probation, or suspended from the university,
or being expelled from the university--or a combination of these (Please see the on-line Student
Handbook at http://www.eou.edu/saffairs/handbook/index.htmland check under campus citizenship--both
academic and behavior.
* Plagiarism, representing someone else's ideas or words as your own, is a serious academic offense. Use
APA citation format to cite all ideas or words belonging to others that you include in your own writing.
Your own work should significantly exceed the quantity of citations and build new ideas upon them. As a
general rule, provide quotation marks (and appropriate citation) when you use more than three
consecutive words from someone else’s work. A good source for APA citation is
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/apastyle.pdf . Read this information over carefully and
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bookmark it for future use. For other plagiarism resources, see the plagiarism section of the Pierce
Library page at EOU. Using Google and the key words “ EOU Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism Course Resource. You will find a variety of links among the resources presented there.
* No work from another course may be used for credit in this course without prior permission from the
instructor.
* If you have a documented disability or think that you may have a learning problem and need
accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Program in Loso Hall 234. Telephone: 962-3081.
*If you are a parent with minor children, please know that your children are welcome in my class if you
have an emergency situation, and I am willing to work with you on alternative assignments if you must
miss class because of a sick child or family emergency.
* EOU has committed itself to providing a safe campus for all students. However, we know that students
have experienced sexual harassment and sexual assault, and may not know how to find support in dealing
with these issues. I want you to know that I am willing to be an ally and an advocate for you or someone
you know.
* Please take advantage of my posted office hours or make an appointment to speak with me about your
work. I want you to succeed in this course, and have set aside those times especially to assist you.
In keeping with the Carnegie rule for academic expectations, students should devote a minimum of three
hours per course credit per week. You should plan for a minimum of 15 hours per week for this course
(including class time).
Requirements and Means of Assessment
A.
B.
C.
D.
Seminar Participation:
Provocations Journal:
Individual Investigations
Group Project
25% (Outcomes 1,2,3,4)
25% (Outcomes 1,2,3,8)
30% (Outcomes 1,3,4,5,6,7,8)
20% (Outcomes 1,3,4,5,6,7,8)
Assessment Detail:
A. Seminar Participation: 25% of course grade
This course is designed as a discussion seminar and will only be successful if you read the assigned texts
carefully and explore ideas beyond these texts as well. You should come to class prepared to explore the
authors' arguments and your reaction to their perspectives. You will be expected to give brief summaries
of articles and respond to specific questions on a daily basis and to help facilitate class discussions. You
are expected to attend every class meeting, as your participation grade will be based significantly on class
attendance. We meet only 3 days a week for this 5 credit course, for a total of 28 class periods. (Each
class session represents almost 1% of your grade for the term).
Note about the readings: A standard expectation for a week’s reading in upper-division ANTH/SOC
courses is 100-150 pages. You should expect readings within that range. Using our course texts, other
books, articles, and online resources, you should plan to read thoughtfully and to stretch yourselves
intellectually. The more you read, the more you will be rewarded by this interaction with interesting and
provocative authors. Also, the more you read, the more data you will have to produce quality discussion
and analysis yourself. Your task is not to impress your professor or peers with how much you have read.
Rather, your job is to carefully consider the arguments being put forward by these authors, and to develop
or revise your own ideas on the course topics.
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B. Provocations Journal: 25% of course grade
This course requires regular writing, much of it informal. The course challenges you to “be provoked” by
examining arguments and confronting evidence for persistent patterns of advantage and disadvantage
within society. Keeping a journal that records your reactions, questions, and provocations for class will
help you focus your learning. To provide evidence of this reflective analysis, you will submit the journal
five (5) times during the quarter (5% maximum awarded for each set of journal entries). These may be
handwritten or typed, but if I cannot easily read your writing, I will ask you to type them. Each day as you
prepare for class, you should take notes on what you are reading, mark excerpts that make you think, and
raise questions for class discussion.
Journals should be submitted every other week on Fridays, beginning on October 11, and you
should write in your journal in preparation for each day we have class. You may write in the
journals during class as well, knowing that you will be submitting what you write for my review. You
may submit handwritten notes in a bound journal, and in this case you may wish to have two separate
journals so you will be able to write in one when I am reviewing the other.
When reading assigned course materials and other sources you read in preparation for class discussion, be
sure to look for the authors’ arguments and the evidence they use, and then apply the concepts you have
learned in sociology courses (this one especially) when responding to what you read. Since these journals
will be the basis of what you bring to class, try to “provoke us” in the most positive sense of that verb—
help us to see how the readings/blogs/videos you explore relate to our topic for the day; draw our
attention to ideas that stand out—as important, difficult, confusing, or unconvincing; challenge others’
ideas (with evidence!). In addition to their other uses, journals can also help you identify areas for
individual investigations and suggestions for our class project.
Bring your journal to every class period, and be sure that each entry contains the following:
1) the date for which the material was assigned or the topic was scheduled for discussion
2) the title(s) author(s), and page numbers (or web addresses) of the materials to which you are
responding.
3) A very brief summary of the content/argument presented
4) a thoughtful response to specific content/arguments
5) a question about the reading(s)—either to probe the issue further, challenge yourself and all of
us to consider important (and possibly uncomfortable) questions, take issue with an author’s
argument, or compare/contrast the ideas to other writings—in or outside the course.
C. Individual investigation: 30% of course grade
The second week of the term, we will consider a number of short research investigations related to the
topics we will cover over the course of our time together. You should expect to conduct three individual
investigations during the term each counting for 10% of your grade, and will present your results orally to
the class and in a short written reflection during the time we are covering that topic. This is not designed
as a writing intensive course so I welcome a variety of presentation formats, and creativity is encouraged.
Each presentation should demonstrate significant effort, and will involve submitting a time log as well as
a short reflection (1-2 page). We will develop a calendar and the evaluation criteria together early in the
course.
D. Group Action Project: 20% of course grade
As we explore “big questions” about persistent inequalities and investigate past and current efforts to
address these, we will also design and implement a class response– a joint project, production, event,
publication—that will promote dialogue and possible action beyond our small learning community. We
will determine the criteria for evaluation together once we settle on the project.
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CALENDAR
W eek One: Septem ber 30 – October 4
Identifying “big questions” about inequality
Monday, Sept. 30:
Introduction, discussing plans for the course
Identifying online resources and options
A strong provocation: screening White like me by Tim Wise
Wed, Oct. 2:
Read:
Thinking sociologically about inequality and examining its roots
Michael Schwalbe, Rigging the Game, Introduction and Chapter 1, pp. 1-51.
Browse:
Friday, Oct. 4:
Read:
Recommend:
Pick a few of the resources on the Paradox of Society website at
http://rpowerseou.wordpress.com and explore what other scholars who write
about inequality have to say (see links to “Sociology on the Web” and
“Resources”)
The reproduction of inequality: “Rigging the game”
Schwalbe, Chapters 2 and 3, pp. 52-98. Consider the questions on pp. 97-98.
Investigate the concept of “racial formation” (see Wikipedia) and consider
reading the classic introduction to this idea by Michael Omi and Howard Winant
(use the search term “racial formation” and add a “pdf” to the search to find a
copy of this reading online.
W eek Two: October 7 – October 11
How the gam e gets “rigged” . . . and im agining new rules
Monday, Oct.7:
The power of Ideology—especially TINA (“There Is No Alternative”)
Read:
Schwalbe, Ch. 4 Arresting the Imagination, and Ch. 5 Smoke Screens
Consider questions at end of Ch. 5.
Watch:
Allan Johnson’s 20-min video clip People, systems, and the game of Monopoly
(a metaphor for the “rules of the game” we must play (unless we don’t)
http://www.agjohnson.us/audiovideo/monopoly/.
Consider following Allan Johnson’s new blog at http://agjohnson.wordpress.com
Another video
option:
Traces of the Trade—the story of members of a white east-coast U.S. family
whose ancestors participated in the slave trade—and as beneficiaries of the
money earned this way they take on a journey to follow and examine that history.
Real illustration of the “Smoke Screens” story (I have a copy of this video).
Wednesday, Oct. 9:
Read:
How are people compelled to play a rigged game? And what if they don’t?
Schwalbe, Ch. 6, Regulating the Action and Ch. 7, Interview with Rania O
Consider questions at end of Ch. 7.
Investigate:
Using the concept of “rigged game” explore current events online that
demonstrate this concept in action (or challenge it).
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Friday, Oct. 11:
Read:
New Rules for the Game?
Schwalbe, Chapter 8, Escaping the inequality trap, pp. 238 -275
Recommend: Patricia Hill Collins article titled “Toward a New Vision”
http://www.memphis.edu/crow/pdfs/Toward_a_New_Vision_-_Race__Class_and_Gender_._._..pdf
For a useful challenge to the ideology of “TINA”, explore the work of economist
Richard Wolff on the crisis of capitalism and the alternatives to consider
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qwOvEUbMBo). Moyers interviews Wolff
in Feb, 2013 and again in March. Explore Bill Moyers’ online site in general for
critique of current inequalities and ideas for change.
Submit:
Provocations Journal (1) due
W eek T hree : October 14 - 18
A case study of inequality : The New Jim Crow :
Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Monday, Oct. 14:
Read:
Watch:
Introducing The New Jim Crow (TNJC)
Alexander, (TNJC) preface and introduction
Short interview with Michelle Alexander with Steven Colbert at
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/413973/may-082012/michelle-alexander
In-depth interviews with Michelle Alexander by Democracy Now at
http://www.democracynow.org/appearances/michelle_alexander ( with a 2-part
interview in 2010, additional interviews in 2012 and most recently a response to
the killing of Trayvon Martin). Watch at least the first of 2010 2-part interview.
Wednesday, Oct. 16:
Read:
The rebirth of caste
Alexander, (TNJC), chapter 1
Investigate:
Pick something from the chapter that you didn’t know before and find more
information online about it, or connect the reading to contemporary events
Watch:
explore other segments of Democracy Now interviews with Alexander
Friday, Oct. 18:
Read:
The lockdown
Alexander, (TNJC), Chapter 2
Investigate:
As before, pick something from the chapter, especially a court case referenced in
the text, and investigate this further online. If possible, connect this to current
events or past course reading.
View:
A parody that asks us to think seriously: http://www.upworthy.com/dear-whitepeople-could-you-please-do-something-about-your-scarier-white-people-2
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W eek Four: October 1 – October 21
The color of justice and the m yth of color -blindness
Monday, Oct. 21:
Read:
Investigate:
The color of justice—closer examination of history and court decisions
Alexander, NJC, Chapter 3
Pick one of the court cases and investigate further. Look for contemporary
applications of these court decisions to contemporary cases where possible.
Recommended: A 58-minute You-Tube lecture by Tim Wise analyzing white
privilege with examples from his own life and with a strong structural analysis.
A useful piece to watch for understanding the role of social structure in
maintaining privilege. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UJlNRODZHA
Other video
options
Mirrors of privilege: making whiteness visible (available in youtube segments)
True colors (a 17-minute 1992 ABC Primetime program in two YouTube
segments Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyL5EcAwB9c
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOS3BBmUxvs
If the link doesn’t work easily, try using the title “True Colors - Racial
Discrimination in Everyday Life Youtube”)
Race: The Power of an Illusion . Part II: The Story We Tell – If not now, we
may watch this later in the term. Strong historical description/analysis.
Wednesday, Oct. 23:
Read:
The cruel hand and the new Jim Crow
Alexander, (TNJC), Chapters 4 and 5
Investigate:
Explore something from these chapters in more depth and relate to the
overall argument of the book. Has Alexander convinced you that today’s
disproportionate mass incarceration of African Americans/Hispanic Americans
(plus the many post-prison restrictions) represents a “new Jim Crow”?
Watch:
Four-minute interview with sociologist Devah Pager about her field experiment
on racism and the stigma of a criminal record
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKU2ijDv1HQ
Friday, Oct. 25:
Read:
The fire this time. What must be done?
Alexander, (TNJC), Chapter 6
Investigate:
The title of this chapter “plays with” the title of James Baldwin’s important book
The Fire Next Time, and Alexander ends her book with a quotation from
Baldwin. Explore Baldwin’s legacy and the meaning of “the fire next time” (you
can find some material by/about Baldwin by checking youtube with his name).
Imagine:
Having read and discussed The New Jim Crow, what do you believe we should
do with this new awareness? Bring ideas for possible group actions/projects to
class.
Submit:
Provocations Journal (2)
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W eek Five: October 28 – Novem ber 1
Sem inar and planning: W hat should we do?
Monday, Oct. 28:
Week of planning, sharing resources, considering new digital skills
We’ll fill in the calendar as we go, so bring yours with you to class. I’ll suggest
supplemental readings and resources as you find a focus for the class project.
Read:
Classic 1981 speech on coalition politics by social justice activist and musician
Bernice Johnson Reagon of Sweet Honey and the Rock, available at
http://shewhostumbles.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/bernice-johnson-reagon-coalition-politics-turning-thecentury/#comment-4922 I’ll bring some music to class.
Investigate:
Pursue the ideas that most interested you from our Friday discussion, and
explore some free digital tools you haven’t used before that might be of use to us.
Wednesday, Oct. 30:
Bring resources, draft ideas, examples for group discussion/decision
Friday, Nov. 1:
Decide on project, plan activities and assign responsibilities.
Discuss criteria for evaluation, and confirm on Monday, Nov. 4.
W eek Six: Novem ber 4 - Novem ber 8
Sem inar and group project activities
Monday, Nov. 4:________________________________________________________________
Wednesday, Nov. 6:_____________________________________________________________
Friday , Nov. 8:_________________________________________________________________
Submit: Provocations journal (3)
W eek Seven: Novem ber 11 – Novem ber 15
Sem inar and project problem -solving
Monday, Nov. 11: _____________________________________________________________________
Wednesday, Nov. 13: __________________________________________________________________
Friday, Nov. 15:_______________________________________________________________________
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W eek E ight: Novem ber 18 – Novem ber 22
Sem inar, individual and group work
Monday, Nov. 18: _____________________________________________________________________
Wednesday, Nov. 20: __________________________________________________________________
Friday, Nov. 22:_______________________________________________________________________
Submit:
Provocations Journal (4)
W eek Nine:
Novem ber 25 – Novem ber 29
Sem inar, Project Activity
Monday, Nov. 25: Check in on progress and accountability for upcoming project deadlines
Wednesday –Friday, Nov. 27-29 – Thanksgiving Vacation
W eek Ten: Decem ber 2 – Decem ber 6
Sem inar, Assessm ent, and Next Steps
Monday, Dec. 2: _____________________________________________________________________
Wednesday, Dec. 4: __________________________________________________________________
Friday, Dec 6:_______________________________________________________________________
Submit: Provocations Journal (5)
Final Exam Period: W ednesday, Dec. 11 , 10:00 a.m .-12 noon
We’ll relax and watch The People Speak—listening to the voices of everyday Americans who changed
the course of history through their words and actions. A multi-media event inspired by the activist work
of the late Howard Zinn.