Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
Spring 2016
Class Location: Online
Instructor: Roslyn Schoen, PhD
Office: FH 217H
Office Hours: Wednesdays 1-4 PM, Thursdays 11 AM – 2 PM, and by appointment
Contact me: roslyn.schoen@tamuct.edu
Catalog Course Description:
This course includes an analysis of relations between dominant groups and minority groups
that make up American society. Theories of race relations and prejudice, the meaning of racial
differences, group conflict, and modes of accommodation are emphasized.
Course Objectives:




Understand why we attach meaning to race and ethnicity, including the sociohistoric
constructions of race and ethnicity and contemporary socioeconomic trends.
Understand how the idea of race changes over time and place.
Understand the history and development of race relations in America.
Understand the sociological concepts and theories of race and ethnic relations.
Accessing Blackboard:
This course is 100% online course and uses TAMUCT Blackboard learn system
(https://tamuct.blackboard.com). Blackboard is where you will find 100% of the information
related to this course, including discussions, quizzes and exams. Monitor BB for
announcements every day, not just on the days things are due/assigned, since due dates
occasionally may change due to unforeseen circumstances (ex: network outage).
Contacting Your Instructor:
The best way to contact me is through email (roslyn.schoen@tamuct.edu). I check email every
day during the week and often on the weekends as well. I am also on campus during my office
hours should you need to talk to me in person.
Required Reading Materials:

Gallagher, C. 2012. Rethinking the Color Line: Readings in Race and Ethnicity, Fifth Edition
McGraw-Hill Higher Education. ISBN-13: 978-0078026638 ISBN-10: 0078026636

Coates, T.

Other materials listed on the syllabus will be available on Blackboard.
2015. Between the World and Me. Spiegel & Grau.
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Spring 2016
Course requirements:
Below is a description of the six main activities for this online course. They include (1) reading
assignments, (2) composing reading reflections, (3) participation on the course discussion
board, (4) taking online quizzes, (5) one final paper, and (6) one final exam. You will notice that
65% of your grade is based on weekly work, which means it is imperative that you keep up with
readings and weekly assignments. Students who ignore the weekly assignments and attempt
to “catch up” later in the semester have a very difficult time passing the course.
1. Reading assignments and other materials: Readings from the textbook are listed in the
course schedule below. Students should complete the weekly readings before
attempting to take a quiz or replying to a discussion board thread. Additional readings
will be available online in the course eReserves folder or in the weekly course folders.
These are listed in the course schedule as “Online” readings and are just as important as
the readings from your book. Please see the note on Blackboard under “Syllabus and
Course Requirements” for instructions on how to access our course eReserves page.
**Our eRes password is: ethnicity
I may also provide you with links to news articles or video clips in the weekly folders.
Quizzes and your final exam may include questions on any of the readings,
supplemental videos, and news articles.
2. Reading reflections: In order to reflect on course materials in a space that is separate
from peer discussions, students will occasionally write 1-page reading reflections. These
reflections will be private (i.e. can only be viewed by the student and instructor) and are
your chance to analyze and reflect on the readings for the week. Students will complete
3 reading reflections, each worth 30 points, for a total of 90 points, or approximately
13% of your grade for the course.
3. Discussion Boards: Students will participate on our course discussion board for 7 of the
16 weeks this semester. Participation on discussion boards is imperative and will
constitute 30% of your grade. Your primary/initial postings will address my weekly
discussion question(s) and should be made by midnight (11:59 PM CST) each
Wednesday. Once all initial posts have been made, you will move on by reading and
responding to at least two of your peers’ primary posts. Response posts commenting
and reflecting upon the comments of your peers should be made by midnight (11:59 PM
CST) each Sunday. Late posts will not receive credit.
A. Initial, Primary Response (18 pts)—due Wednesday at midnight
Students are expected to read the assigned materials prior to responding to
discussion threads. The student should devote the first part of the week to
reading and understanding the assigned reading. Note taking and outlining is
recommended. You should be ready toward the middle of the week
(Wednesday) to post your primary response.
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Early in the week (usually on Tuesday), the discussion question(s) will be made
available. The student will respond to my question(s) by posting his/her
response. This initial, primary response should reflect familiarity with the
readings, and should answer the question as completely and thoughtfully as
possible. This response should be at least a half page in length (or
approximately 250 words). A response that is not at least a half page/250 words
in length cannot receive full credit. Responses must demonstrate substance
beyond the student’s agreement with a statement or the mere expression of
opinions. The student should support his/her responses in some way with
references to the assigned readings or data from another reputable source.
**A note on quotations: Discussion posts should be in your own words. You can
assume everyone has done the readings, so there is no need to re-state large
portions of the reading material in your posts. Please use quotations sparingly,
i.e., only to orient one another to specific, brief passages in the readings (with
page numbers cited in parentheses). Note that quotations do not count toward
your 250 word minimum; only your own words count. Posts that include mostly
quotations or lengthy quotations will not receive any credit. This ill-advised
practice merely adds clutter to the discussion process and is inappropriate for
our purposes.
B. Additional Secondary Response (12 pts)—due Sundays at midnight
After another student has made his/her own initial response, the student must
make a secondary response to what another student wrote. Do not be eager to
post your secondary response. Wait to respond to a post that appears
inadequate in some way. This secondary response need not be a half page in
length, but it should entail at least a couple of sentences or more. This secondary
response should be substantive, and you should attempt to support your
response in some way from the readings. Your response is primarily concerned
with whether the student responded adequately to my original post. Simply
stating that you agree with someone is unacceptable: you must provide some
reasons for this agreement. Remember that your primary task is not to agree or
disagree, but to analyze another’s post in a thoughtful, critical (and respectful)
way.
 After making three discussion posts for the week, you have complied
with the requirements of the course. However, some topics are
personally very interesting and so you may elect to continue posting
responses to other students and keep discussions alive.
 There are no makeups for discussions, because we have moved on after
the deadlines. We have a new topic to discuss, and there is no one left to
read your posts and discuss anything with you from the previous week.
 Discussion board interactions should foster a critical evaluation and
understanding of concepts. In the absence of classroom discussion, this
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Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
Spring 2016
type of activity will provide a forum for the expression of ideas among a
group of students.
Grading Criteria for Discussion Boards: The following rubric outlines how discussion boards will
be graded. Note that assessments will focus on the quality of your discussion posts and not the
quantity (i.e. I am not looking for "good idea" or “Yeah, I agree.”). Quality participation
pertains to a student’s responding in relevant, meaningful ways, based upon the assigned
readings for that week.
Grading Criteria for Discussion Posts
Point Value (30)
Meaningful and New Ideas: Primary post examines topic from new perspective that
contributes to group understanding of topic. Demonstrates that you have read by
engaging with the assigned materials for the week.
10
Message Coherence: Posts explain issues, provide new perspectives, effectively
question, or meaningfully elaborate on topic. In order to accomplish this, posts
MUST be written in clear, grammatically-correct, and properly-spelled English.
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Response Posts (2): Responses elaborate, contradict, modify, or explain the original
message and stay on topic, drawing on the readings where appropriate.
(Note: Response posts are worth 6 points each. If you only write a primary post, and
no responses, the maximum points you can earn for the discussion is 18.)
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C. My Responses: Dr. Schoen will frequently respond to selected posts and
threads. It is the student’s responsibility to read her responses to these posts.
Sometimes inaccurate information is presented by students that should be
corrected, and the purpose of instructor replies is to alert the class to such
information. I will occasionally post a summary document to help clarify tricky
content. These summaries will be essential for when you study for the final
exam. You may ask relevant questions regarding my responses within the
discussion to clarify information; however, my intent is to make sure the
concept has been covered adequately, not to engage in a debate on the topic.
D. Netiquette: All students are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in
all messages and threaded discussions. Students may refer to the Student
Handbook (located under Student Affairs/Student Conduct on the Texas A&M
University-Central Texas website) for further information along these lines.
Please also see the note on appropriate communication located in the “Syllabus
& Course Requirements” folder on Blackboard. Inappropriate or offensive
messages or remarks may result in expulsion from the course.
4. Online Quizzes: Students will take 5 quizzes at regular intervals throughout the course.
Quizzes are worth 30 points and will cover the readings and other material assigned for
the same week. On weeks when you have a quiz, you should first complete the
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Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
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readings and take notes. There will be no discussion board or reflection essay during
the weeks you take a quiz so that you can focus on and prepare for the quiz. Prepare
and manage your time wisely; you will not be able to re-take a quiz, nor can you re-open
a quiz once you have started it. Quizzes will be available from Wednesday afternoon
until Sunday at midnight. There are no makeup quizzes. The Sunday night deadline is
final.
Note: Questions from the quizzes will help you prepare for the final exam because
certain questions will reappear on the final.
5. Final Paper: Your final/only paper is due Tuesday, April 26th at NOON CST via upload to
‘turnitin’ on Blackboard. The paper will be a reflexive essay (4-6 pages in length) that
asks you to make connections between your personal identity/experiences and the
structures/themes/concepts presented in the course. More detailed instructions will be
posted to Blackboard. Please mark your calendar now so that you will not be surprised
by this important assignment deadline.
6. Final Exam: There will be one final exam that covers readings, discussion boards, and
any other supplemental material we engaged with during the semester. You can expect
the format to be a combination of multiple choice, matching, and short essay questions.
This exam will be available for three full days: May 10th, 11th, and 12th. You will only be
able to open and take the final exam one time. If you have technical problems during
an exam please email me immediately so I can try to resolve the problem.
Coursework
Points
210
Points
Percent
Grade
630 - 700
90 – 100%
A
560 - 629
80 – 89%
B
Discussion board participation
(7 @ 30 points)
Reading reflections
(3 @ 30 points)
Quizzes
(5 @ 30 pts)
Paper
490 - 559
70 – 79%
C
150
420 - 489
60 – 69%
D
100
0 – 419
0 – 59%
F
Final exam
150
Total:
700
90
Technology Requirements
This course will use the TAMUCT Blackboard Learn learning management system for class
communications, content distribution, and assessments.


Logon to https://tamuct.blackboard.com to access the course.
Username: Your MyCT username (xx123 or everything before the "@" in your MyCT email address)
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Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
Spring 2016

Initial password: Your MyCT password
For this course, you will need reliable and frequent access to a computer and to the Internet.
You will also need a headset with a microphone or speakers and a microphone to be able to
listen to online resources and conduct other activities in the course. If you do not have
frequent and reliable access to a computer with Internet connection, please consider dropping
this course or contact me (roslyn.schoen@tamuct.edu) to discuss your situation.
Blackboard supports the most common operating systems:
PC: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista
Mac: Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), 10.8 (Mountain Lion), and 10.7 (Lion)
NOTE: Computers using Windows XP, Windows 8 RT and OS X 10.6 or lower are NO
longer supported
Check browser and computer compatibility by following the “Browser Check” link on the
TAMUCT Blackboard logon page. (https://tamuct.blackboard.com) This is a CRITICAL step as
these settings are important for when you take an exam or submit an assignment.
Upon logging on to Blackboard Learn, you will see a link to Blackboard Student Orientation
under My Courses tab. Click on that link and study the materials in this orientation course. The
new Blackboard is a brand-new interface and you will have to come up to speed with it really
quickly. This orientation course will help you get there. There is also a link to Blackboard Help
from inside the course on the left-hand menu bar. The first week of the course includes
activities and assignments that will help you get up to speed with navigation, sending and
receiving messages and discussion posts, and submitting an assignment. Your ability to
function within the Blackboard system will facilitate your success in this course.
Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement – make sure your
computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines.
Technology Support
For technology issues, students should contact Help Desk Central. 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week: Email: helpdesk@tamu.edu, Phone: (254) 519-5466, Web Chat: http://hdc.tamu.edu
When calling for support please let your support technician know you are a TAMUCT student.
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Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
Spring 2016
COURSE SCHEDULE
Numbered chapters are from your course reader, Rethinking the Color Line. Readings not in
your book are in purple. These reading assignments are available on the course eReserves
(eRes) page or on our Blackboard site. (eRes password: ethnicity)
Week 1.
Jan 19 - 24
Topics
Read
1. Course
Syllabus
orientation
2. Intro to Race &
1. How Our Skins Got Their Color, Marvin Harris
Ethnicity
2. Drawing the Color Line, Howard Zinn
3. Racial Formations, Michael Omi and Howard Winant
4. Defining Race and Ethnicity, C. Matthew Snipp
Week 2.
Jan 25 - 31
Topics
Read
1. Intro to Race &
5. Racialized Social System Approach to Racism,
Ethnicity continued Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
eRes: Race, Racialization, and Latino Populations in
the United States, Tomas Almaguer (p.143-161 in Racial
Formation in the 21st Century, 2012)
2. Socioeconomic
6. Understanding Racial-Ethnic Disparities in Health:
trends
Sociological Contributions, David R. Williams and
Michelle Sternthal
7. Transformative Assets, the Racial Wealth Gap, and
the American Dream. Thomas M. Shapiro
Week 3.
Feb 1 - 7
Topics
Read
Race as chameleon 8. Defining Race: Comparative Perspectives, F. James
Davis
9. A Tour of Indian Peoples and Indian Lands, David E.
Wilkins
10. Asian American Panethnicity: Contemporary
National and Transnational Possibilities, Yen Le Espiritu
11. Beyond Black and White: Remaking Race in
America, Jennifer Lee and Frank D. Bean
Week 4.
Feb 8 - 14
Topics
Read
Post-racial America? 12. Color-Blind Privilege: The Social and Political
Functions of Erasing the Color Line in Post-Race
America, Charles A. Gallagher
13. The Ideology of Color Blindness, Lani Guinier and
Gerald Torres
14. The Possibility of a New Racial Hierarchy in the
Twenty-First-Century United States, Herbert J. Gans
Complete
 Quiz 1 …yes,
the syllabus
will be
included on
this quiz.
Complete
 Discussion
board posts
Complete
 Discussion
board posts
Complete
 Quiz 2
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Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
Spring 2016
Week 5.
Feb 15 - 21
Topics
Read
Prejudice and
15. Race Prejudice as a Sense of Group Position,
discrimination
Herbert Blumer
17. Discrimination and the American Creed, Robert K.
Merton
31. Kristen v. Aisha; Brad v. Rasheed: What’s in a Name
and How It Affects Getting a Job, Amy Braverman
eRes: Climate of Fear, Southern Poverty Law Center
Week 6.
Feb 22 - 28
Topics
Read
Race, gender, and
16. Race and Gender Discrimination: Contemporary
intersectionality
Trends, James Sterba
Online 1: Why won’t African Americans Get (and Stay)
Married? Why Should They? Shirley Hill
Online 2: Race, Class, and Gender as Categories of
Analysis and Connection, Pat Hill Collins
Week 7.
Feb 29 – Mar 6
Topics
Read
Race and economic 19. The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: Racialized
institutions
Social Democracy, George Lipsitz
20. Laissez-Faire Racism, Racial Inequality, and the Role
of the Social Sciences, Lawrence D. Bobo
Online: Welfare Reform, Family Hardship, and Women
of Color, Laura Burnham
Week 8.
Mar 7 - 12
Topics
Read
Race, space, and
21. Residential Segregation and Neighborhood
segregation
Conditions in U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Doug Massey
22. The Code of the Streets, Elijah Anderson
23. Environmental Justice in the 21st Century: Race Still
Matters, Robert D. Bullard
24. Race, Religion, and the Color Line (Or Is That the
Color Wall?), Michael O. Emerson
Complete
 Reading
reflection #1
Complete
 Discussion
board posts
Complete
 Quiz 3
Complete
 Discussion
board posts
**Spring Break = March 13-20**
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Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
Spring 2016
Week 9.
Mar 21 - 27
Topics
Read
Complete
Criminal justice & 26. No Equal Justice: The Color of Punishment, David Cole  Reading
race
27. The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander
reflection #2
28. Racialized Mass Incarceration: Rounding Up the
Usual Suspects, Lawrence D. Bobo & Victor Thompson
29. The Mark of a Criminal Record, Devah Pager
Week 10.
Topics
Coates book
Mar 28 – Apr 3
Read
Book: Between the World and Me (pages 1-152)
Week 11.
Topics
Race & the
workplace
Apr 4 - 10
Read
32. When the Melting Pot Boils Over: The Irish, Jews,
Blacks, and Koreans of New York, Roger Waldinger
33. “There’s No Shame in My Game”: Status and
Stigma among Harlem’s Working Poor, Katherine S.
Newman and Catherine Ellis
34. Sweatshops in Sunset Park: A Variation of the LateTwentieth-Century Chinese Garment Shops in New
York City, Xiaolan Bao
35. Hispanics in the American South and the
Transformation of the Poultry Industry, William Kandel
and Emilio A. Parrado
Week 12.
Apr 11 - 17
Topics
Read
Arab identity and
18. How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young
Islam in the U.S.
and Arab in America, Moustafa Bayoumi
43. The Arab Immigrant Experience, Michael W.
Suleiman
eRes: “But Muslims Aren’t Like Us!” Jen’nan G. Read
(p.101-109 in Getting Real About Race, 2015)
Week 13.
Apr 18 - 24
Topics
Read
Race and mass
36. Racism and Popular Culture, Danielle Dirks and
media
Jennifer Mueller
37. The Media as a System of Racialization: Exploring
Images of African American Women and the New
Racism, Marci Bounds Littlefield
38. Black and White in Movies: Portrayals of BlackWhite Biracial Characters in Movies, Alicia Edison and
George Yancey
Complete
 Discussion
board posts
Complete
 Quiz 4
Complete
 Reading
reflection #3
Complete
 Discussion
board posts
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Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
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Week 14.
Apr 25 – May 1
Topics
Read
Sports, symbols,
39. Winnebagos, Cherokees, Apaches, and Dakotas:
and stereotypes
The Persistence of Stereotyping of American Indians in
American Advertising and Brands, Debra Merskin
40. Sport in America: The New Racial Stereotypes,
Richard E. Lapchick
Online: Names, Logos, Mascots, and Flags: The
Contradictory Uses of Sports Symbols, Stanley Eitzen
Week 15.
May 2 – May 8
Topics
Read
Changing racial and 41. The Melting Pot and the Color Line, Stephen
ethnic dynamics
Steinberg
44. Ethnic and Racial Identities of Second-Generation
Black Immigrants in New York City, Mary C. Waters
48. Redrawing the Color Line? The Problems and
Possibilities of Multiracial Families and Group Making,
Kimberly McClain DaCosta
50. Ten Things You Can Do to Improve Race Relations,
Charles A. Gallagher
Week 16.
Topics
Review/final
May 9 - 13
Read
No new readings.
Final exam will open at 8 AM on May 10.
You must complete the exam once you open it. You
cannot re-take the exam after you submit it.
Complete
 Quiz 5
 Paper due at
noon on Tues,
4/26.
Complete
 Discussion
board posts
Complete
 FINAL EXAM
CLOSES @
11:59 PM on
May 12.
Makeup policy
This is a 100% online course. You are responsible for managing your time to make sure you complete all
assignments on time. **There are no make-ups for discussion posts or quizzes.** A student may only make up an
exam if there is illness, injury, or another documented excuse. If a student misses an exam due to illness, injury,
something out of their control they must 1. Provide documentation (doctor’s note, police report, etc), 2. Must
notify me as soon as possible of intent to take a make-up exam, and 3. Prepare to take the make-up exam within 1
week of the excused absence, if possible. Students who miss an exam with no excused absence will receive a zero
on the exam. If the student foresees that s/he will be unable to complete the course, then s/he should drop the
course or accept the posted grade.
Drop Policy
If the student wishes to drop this class, s/he must go to the Records Office and ask for the necessary paperwork.
Professors cannot drop a student from a class roll; this is always the responsibility of the student. The Records
Office will provide a deadline date for which the form must be returned, completely signed by the student. Once
the student has returned the signed form to the Records Office, she must wait 24 hours and then enter Duck Trax
to confirm that she is no longer enrolled in the class. If the student is still enrolled, she must contact the Records
Office immediately. The student should attend class until the procedure is completed, in order to avoid penalty for
absences. Should the student miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, she will receive a grade of F for the
course.
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Sock 303: Race and Ethnic Relations
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Academic Honesty
Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly
conduct. Students guilty of academic dishonestly are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes,
but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of
resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of academic dishonestly.
More information can be found at www.ct.tamus.edu/StudentConduct.
Disability Support
Texas A&M University – Central Texas complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. TAMUCT promotes the use of the Principles of Universal Design to ensure
that course design and activities are accessible to the greatest extent possible. Students who require reasonable
accommodations based on the impact of a disability should contact Gail Johnson, Disability Support Coordinator
at (254) 501-5831 in Student Affairs, Office 114E. The Disability Support Coordinator is responsible for reviewing
documentation provided by students requesting accommodations, determining eligibility for accommodations,
helping students request and use accommodations, and coordinating accommodations.
Tutoring
TAMUCT offers its students tutoring, both on-campus and online. Subjects tutored include Accounting, Finance,
Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing (MLA and APA). For hours, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor, contact
Academic Support Programs at 254-519-5496 or by emailing gnichols@ct.tamus.edu. Tutor.com is an online
tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support.
This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, Career Writing, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Spanish, Calculus,
and Statistics. Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for any subject on your computer To access Tutor.com, click on
www.tutor.com/tamuct.
The University Writing Center
The University Writing Center (UWC) at Texas A&M University-Central Texas is a free workspace open to all
TAMUCT students. The UWC is located in 416 Warrior Hall. The Center is open 11am-6pm Monday-Thursday during
the spring semester. Students may work independently in the UWC by checking out a laptop that runs Microsoft
Office suite and connects to WIFI, or by consulting our resources on writing, including all of the relevant style
guides. Students may also arrange a one-on-one session with a trained and experienced writing tutor. Tutorials
can be arranged by visiting the UWC. Tutors are prepared to help writers of all levels and abilities at any stage of
the writing process. Sessions typically last between 20-30 minutes. While tutors will not write, edit, or grade
papers, they will help students develop more effective invention and revision strategies.
UNILERT
Emergency Warning System for Texas A&M University – Central Texas
UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-Central Texas the ability to
communicate health and safety emergency information quickly via email, text message, and social media. All
students are automatically enrolled in UNILERT through their myCT email account. Connect at
www.TAMUCT.edu/UNILERT to change where you receive your alerts or to opt out. By staying enrolled in
UNILERT, university officials can quickly pass on safety-related information, regardless of your location.
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