MTLA 601: Race, Class, and Gender in Education
Fall 2011
Mondays 5:00 – 7:45 PM
3 Credit Hours
Instructor:
Dr. Christine Finnan
Contact: Phone: 843-953-4826
Office hours:
Cell: 843-906=4708 Email: finnanc@cofc.edu
Mondays 3:00 – 4:30 PM, Thursdays 9:00 – 10:30 AM, and by appointment
Course Description:
This course examines the contemporary significance of race/ethnicity, class and gender on the educational experience of men and
women in the US. Drawing on history, literature, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and public policy, it considers the ways public
educational institutions empower individuals and at the same time reproduce social inequalities. As examples, we will examine
issues surrounding single gender education, early childhood rearing practices, culturally relevant teaching, and feminist and critical
pedagogies. This course requires candidates to critically examine their own educational experiences in relationship to privilege
associated with class, race and gender. Throughout the course we will endeavor to answer the question: What are the possibilities
and avenues for change?
Course Text/Materials:
Pollock, M. (2008). Everyday antiracism: Getting real about racism in school New York: The New Press.
Rothstein, R. (2004). Class and schools: Using social, economic, and educational reform to close the Black-White achievement gap.
New York: Teachers College Economic Policy Institute.
Lareau, A. (2003). Unequal childhoods: Class, race, and family life. Berkeley, University of California Press.
Ginsberg, A. E., Shapiro, J. P. & Brown, S. P. (2004). Gender in urban education: Strategies for student achievement.
Articles as assigned in course outline available on OAKS.
Course Objectives: Candidates will:
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Understand how race/ethnicity, class, and gender are components of an individual’s identity
Understand how class, race/ethnicity, and gender are social constructs and how they shape opportunity, privileging some
and hindering others.
Explain how teachers’ race/ethnicity, class and gender influence the decisions they make about children, instruction, and
the classroom environment.
Identify salient issues of race/ethnicity, gender, and class in the contemporary preK-12 public school and societal context.
Develop interviewing skills (question development, critical listening, data analysis)
Course Outcomes
All teacher education programs in the School of Education are guided by a commitment to Making the Teaching and Learning
Connection. Teachers who make the teaching and learning connection: 1. Understand and value the learner; 2. Know what and how
to teach and assess and how to create an environment in which learning occurs, and 3. Understand themselves as professionals.
These three elements of teacher competency are at the heart of the EHHP conceptual framework and guide what you will learn and
how your learning will be assessed. Each course in the teacher education programs provides opportunities for you to develop and
extend your knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to become an effective teacher.

ETC 1-Outcomes related to understanding and valuing the learner: Through this course you will develop a better
understanding of race/ethnicity, class, and gender as critical components of students’ identity and how students’ identity
develops through social interactions with peers and teachers within the school context.

ETC 2-Outcomes related to knowing what and how to teach and assess and how to create an environment in which
learning occurs: Through this course you will uncover how your actions (what and how you teach, how you interact with
students, behavioral expectations, etc.) are critical to reversing inequities based on race/ethnicity, class, and gender.

ETC 3-Outcomes related to understanding self as a professional: Through this course you will gain a deeper
understanding of yourself as well as how race/ethnicity, class, and gender in the broader society and how cultural, social,
economic, and historical forces impact you as a professional and expectations of what teachers can and cannot
accomplish related to overcoming inequity.
Course Requirements:
Demonstration of SOE Dispositions and how students express them in this course:
Belief that all students can learn (attitudes expressed about students and learning)
Value and respect for individual differences (participation in class discussions)
Value of positive human interactions (participation in class discussions)
Exhibition and encouragement of intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm about learning, and willingness to learn new ideas
(participation in class discussions; completion of reading assignments; quality of course projects)
Dedication to inquiry, reflection, and self-assessment (quality of course assignments; active participation in class
discussions; support and encouragement of diverse ideas)
Value of collaborative and cooperative work (participation in class activities)
1
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Sensitivity toward community and cultural contexts (insights expressed in class discussions and reflected in course
assignments)
Engagement in responsible and ethical practice (performance on course assignments and contribution to class activities)
Development of professional mastery over time (performance over time on all assignments)
Students are responsible for:
Completing all assigned readings and projects on time. Late assignments are accepted only at the instructor’s discretion.
Points will be subtracted from late assignments.
Attending to all course content (lecture, text, outside reading, handouts, research)
Retrieving all missed assignments/notes from someone in class, not the instructor
Utilizing internet, word processing, email and OAKS. Please consult with instructor to arrange tutoring if you are unfamiliar
with any of these applications.
Attending regularly and on time and actively participating in class (YOU CAN MISS NO MORE THAN TWO CLASS
SESSIONS)
The professor is responsible for:
Being prepared and actively engaged in all classes
Being accessible to students outside of class
Facilitating safe and stimulating classroom discussions
Providing timely and constructive feedback on student work
Description of Projects/Assignments:
Students are expected to complete all assignments to receiving passing grade in this course.
1.
Autobiography
You will compete a four-part autobiography as a baseline reflection on how race/ethnicity, class, and gender combine to shape
the person you are. The autobiography is roughly based on Ezekiel’s article “I Grew Up White.”
Part 1. Overview. Provide a general description of your upbringing. Where did you grow up? What values were instilled and by
whom? How would you describe your community, neighborhood, and school communities? How has your community changed
over the years? How have your overall beliefs, values, and expectations changed and what were major contributors to change
and stability in your life.
Part 2. Race/ethnicity. Describe how you would characterize yourself in terms of race/ethnicity. What were your earliest
understandings and conceptions of race/ethnicity? Did you personally experience racism or know people who did? What were
attitudes toward people of other races within your family and community? Did you go to school with people of other
races/ethnicities and to what extent did people interact across racial/ethnic lines?
Part 3. Class. Describe your social class as you were growing up. Class is usually determined by a combination of income,
educational attainment, and social standing in the community. When did you first recognize social class differences and your
family’s position along the class continuum? How were people of different classes treated in your community and school? What
attitudes did members of your family display about people of different classes? Did your social class change while you were
growing up?
Part 4. Gender. Describe how you would characterize yourself in relation to gender (this includes both gender identification and
sexual orientation). When were you first aware of your gender and did you ever wish your gender were different? Have you
experienced gender discrimination or sexual harassment at work or in school? Do you know anyone who is gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgendered and what kinds of issues have they dealt with? How have your views on gender and sexuality
changed over time?
Points: 50 points
Length: 4-6 pages
Due: September 5
Grading criteria: Autobiography
Pts. possible
Thorough presentation of information in all four sections
10
Vivid description of childhood influences
15
Thoughtful presentation of factors leading to changes
15
Quality of writing (grammar and organization)
10
Total
50
2.
Comparative educational experiences (three)
2
Pts. earned
These three papers will provide you and opportunity to compare yourself with people who differ from you in terms of
race/ethnicity, class, and gender. For each paper select someone who differs from you. Develop a set of interview questions
(we will work together on ideas for these questions), record the person’s comments, and analyze their statements and
experience in relation to your own. You should also tie in course readings in developing the interview questions and in your
discussion. We will spend time in class on interviewing protocol.
Points: Each 50 points – total 150 points
Length: each 4-5 pages
Due: #1 – October 10, #2 – November 14, #3 – December 5
Grading criteria: Comparative educational experiences
Pts. possible
Appropriateness and sensitivity of interview questions and resulting data
15
Depth and thoughtfulness of analysis of data and comparison to self
15
Thoroughness of link to readings
15
Quality of writing (organization and grammar)
5
Total
50
3.
Pts. earned
Examination of school or classroom climate and culture
An objective of this course is to understand how society in general and educators in particular perpetuate racial/ethnic, class,
and gender inequities in schools and classrooms. In most cases this is done unintentionally, but the effects are still felt by
students. This assignment provides an opportunity to examine how racial/ethnic, class, and/or gender inequities are
perpetuated or addressed in schools or classrooms. For those of you who are not currently teaching, you can do one of the
following:
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Partner with a classmate who is working in a school (you each will write separate papers)
Use the College of Charleston as a research site
Return to a school you attended
Gain permission from a friend or relative who teaches
Talk to me about other ideas
If you choose to examine your own classroom, consider the following questions along with others you develop:
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In what situations might I favor students most like myself?
How does the curriculum I use in my classroom privilege some children over others?
How do my favored instructional strategies possibly favor some students over others?
For what reasons might some parents feel unwelcome in my classroom?
Do I embrace or avoid discussions of race/ethnicity, class, and gender and how does my comfort level with these
issues affect my students?
To what extent do students interact with each other across racial/ethnic, class, and gender lines?
If you choose to examine a school, consider the following questions:
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In what situations are some students favored over others at this school?
How does the district’s curriculum privilege some children over others?
How does the school structure and organization possibly favor some students over others?
For what reasons might some parents feel unwelcome in the school?
Do members of the school community embrace or avoid discussions of race/ethnicity, class, and gender and how
does the overall comfort level with these issues affect students?
To what extent do students interact with each other across racial/ethnic, class, and gender lines?
As you observe the school or classroom, consider what you have learned in course readings and discussions and make
explicit links to readings and discussions in your write up of findings.
Points: 50 points
Length: 4-6 pages
Due: November 21
Grading criteria: School or classroom culture/climate
Pts. possible
Vivid description of how race/ethnicity, class, and gender manifest in the school or
classroom
3
15
Pts. earned
Depth of reflection on how actions of adults, including yourself, impact students
15
Evidence that observations and reflections are guided by course readings and discussions
15
Quality of writing (organization and grammar)
5
Total
50
4.
Final exam: Revision of autobiography and performance
For the final exam, you will return to the autobiography you completed at the beginning of the semester and reflect upon and
revise it based on what you have learned this semester. Be sure to be explicit about which readings, activities, and discussions
influenced your decision to change or retain parts of the autobiography.
On the day of the final exam, each person will have the opportunity to creatively present yourself to the class. I encourage you
to see this as a performance in which you demonstrate to the class your understanding of your own race/ethnicity, class, and
gender and how this affects you as a teacher and an advocate for children. Each performance will be NO MORE THAN 8
MINUTES LONG!
Points: Revised autobiography: 50 points; performance: 50 points
Length: Revised autobiography: 6 - 8 pages, performance: 8 minutes
Due: December 12
Grading criteria: Revised autobiography
Pts. Possible
Significant modification to each of the four sections or compelling explanation for retaining
sections as is
20
Clear evidence of how readings and class discussion influenced your views of yourself
20
Quality of writing (organization and grammar)
10
Total
50
Grading criteria: Presentation of self
Pts. Possible
Clear presentation of self
25
Clear tie to yourself as teacher and advocate for children
15
Creativity of presentation
10
Total
50
5.
Pts. earned
Pts. earned
Class participation
Points are not specifically allocated to class participation, but active participation is expected. This includes:
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Regular and timely attendance
Thorough preparation for each class (completing all readings and outside assignments on time)
Active participation in course discussions
Respectful and thoughtful classroom interactions (e.g., careful listening, constructive feedback on classmates’ ideas,
willingness to listen to alternative viewpoints)
I will use your classroom participation to make final grading determinations if you are not solidly within a grading band. If I find
that people are not thoroughly reading class materials, I will institute graded reading notes or quizzes.
Summary of Assignment Value and Due Date
Assignment
Due
Points
Autobiography
9/5
50
4
Comparative experience: Race/ethnicity
10/10
50
Comparative experience: Class
11/14
50
Comparative experience: Gender
12/5
50
Examination of school or classroom climate/culture
11/21
50
Final exam: Autobiography revision
12/12
50
Final exam: Performance
12/12
50
TOTAL
350
Evaluation Scale:
Grades are figured in the School of EHHP as follows:
A=100 – 93
B+ = 92 – 89
B = 88 – 85
C+ = 84 - 81
C+ = 84-81
C = 80-77
F = 76-0
Accommodations
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all qualified students enrolled in this course are entitled to “reasonable
accommodations.” Please notify the instructor during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the course.
Tentative Course Calendar:
Week
1. 8/29
2.
9/5
3.
9/12
4.
9/19
5.
9/26
6.
10/3
7.
10/10
10/17
8.
10/24
9.
10/31
10.
11/7
11.
11/14
12.
11/21
13.
11/28
14.
12/5
Focus
Introductions, syllabus review, identity
RACE/ETHNICITY
Racial categories: Same genes, different lives
Opportunities provided and denied in schools
Curriculum and race/ethnicity
Asking about and acting against racism
Educating immigrant students
CLASS
What is class?
Assignments
Read: Section A of Pollock
Read: Ezikiel (OAKS)
Autobiography due
Read: Section B of Pollock
Complete IRB training
Read: Section C of Pollock
Show: Off Track
Read: selections from Sections D-F of Pollock
Read: Monzó and Rueda (OAKS)
Read: Fine et.al. (OAKS)
Read: Wells (OAKS)
Read: articles on Class Matters website
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/class/index.html
Show: Frozen River
Comparative experience: Race/ethnicity due
Fall Break!
Class and the achievement gap
Read: Rothstein -- all
Class and childhood
Lareau: 1-104, Appendix B
Class, language and institutions
Lareau: 105 - 257
GENDER
Do gender inequities really exist?
Issues for gay, lesbian, bi, transgendered
Is single gender a solution?
SYNTHESIS & PERFORMANCES
School & classroom culture and race, class &
gender
Read: Ginsberg, Shapiro, & Brown – all
Comparative experience: Class due
Read: GLSEN (OAKS)
Examination of school or classroom culture due
Read: Lee, Marks, & Byrd (OAKS)
Read: Single Sex education (OAKS)
Comparative Experience 3: Gender due
5
15.
12/12
Performances and revised autobiographies
Revised autobiography due
Performances due
Readings on OAKS
Fine M., Jaffe-Walter, R., Pedraza, P., Futch, V., Stoudt, B. (2007). Swimming: On oxygen, resistance, and possibility for immigrant
students under siege. Anthropology and Education Quarterly 38 (1). 76-96.
GreatSchools Staff. (2011). Single-sex education: The pros and cons. Retrieved August 1, 201 from
http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/1139-single-sex-education-the-pros-and-cons.gs
Kosciw, J.G., Greytak, E. A., Diaz, E. M., & Bartkiewicz, M. J. (2010). The 2009 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation’s schools. New York: GLSEN
Lee, V., Marks, H. M. & Byrd, T. (1994). Sexism in single-sex and coeducational independent secondary classrooms. Sociology of
Education 67 (2). 92-120.
Monzó, Lilia D. and Robert Rueda (2009). Passing for English fluent: Latino immigrant children masking language proficiency.
Anthropology and Education Quarterly 40 (1): 20-40.
Wells, R. (2010). Children of immigrants and educational expectations: The role of school composition. Teachers College Record
112 (6). 1679-1704.
Supplemental Reading
General
Diamond, J. B. & Spillane, J. P. (2004). Teachers’ expectations and sense of responsibility for student learning: The importance of
race, class and organizational habitus. Anthropology and Education Quarterly 35 (1). Pp. 75-98.
Phelan, P., Davidson, A. L., Yu, H. C. (1998). Adolescents’ worlds: Negotiating family, peers, and school. New York: Teachers
College Record.
School of Education, Health, and Human Performance (2003). Educator dispositions across the professional life span. SEHHP
Conceptual Framework.
Strouse, J. (2006). Exploring socio-cultural themes in Education: Readings in social foundations. New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall
Theoharis, G. (2010) Disrupting injustice: Principals narrate the strategies they use to improve their schools and advance social
justice. Teachers College Record 112 (1): 331-373.
Williams, B. (ED.). (1996). Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition. Association for
Supervision & Curriculum Development.
Race/Ethnicity
American Anthropological Association. (2010) The Race Project bibliography (OAKS)
Dixson, A. D. (2011). Democracy now? Race, education, and Black self-determination. Teachers College Record 113 (4). Pp, 811830.
Faircloth, B & Hamm, J. (2005) Sense of belonging among high school students representing four ethnic groups. In Journal of Youth
and Adolescence, 34 (4).
Fordham, S. (2010). Passin’ for Black: Race, identity, and bone memory in postracial America. Harvard Educational Review 80 (1).
Pp. 4-29.
Glazier, J. (2003) Moving closer to speaking the unspeakable: White teachers talking about race. Teacher Education Quarterly,
Winter.
Kirk, R. C. & Lieberman, L. (2004). What should we teach about the concept of race? Anthropology and Education Quarterly 35 (1).
Pp. 137-145.
Lee, S. J. (2004). Up against whiteness: Students of color in our schools. Anthropology and Education Quarterly 35 (1). Pp. 121125.
McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack.
Sleeter, C. & Grant, C. (2006). Illusions of progress: Business as usual in Sleeter, C.& Grant, C. eds. Making Choices for
Multicultural Education: Five approaches to race, class, and gender. Pp.1-39.
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Stanton-Salazar, R. (2001). Manufacturing hope and despair: The school and kin support network of U.S.-Mexican youth. New York:
Teachers College Press.
Stearns, E. () Long-term correlates of high school racial composition: Perpetuation theory re-examined. Teachers College Record
112 (6). Pp. 1654-1678.
Tatum, B. D. (2003) Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? New York: Basic Books.
Class
Anyon, J. (1980). Social class and the hidden curriculum of work. Journal of Education, 162, 67-92.
Demerath, P., Lynch, J. Milner, H. R., Peters, A., Davidson, M. (2010). Decoding success: A middle-class logic of individual
advancement in a U.S. suburb and high school. Teachers College Record 112 (12). Pp. 2935-2987.
Howard, A. (2010). Elite visions: Privileged perceptions of self and other. Teachers College Record 112 (8). Pp. 1971-1992.
Nurenberg, D. (2011). What does injustice have to do with me? A pedagogy of the privileged. Harvard educational review 81 (1). Pp.
50-63.
Perry, L. B. & McConney, A. (2010). Does the SES of the school matter? An examination of socioeconomic status and student
achievement using PISA 2003. Teachers College Record 112 (4) . pp. 1137-1162.
Rothstein, R. (2008). Whose problem is poverty? Educational leadership 65 (7).
Spring, J. (1976) The sorting machine: National educational policy since 1945. New York: David Mckay.
Van Galen, J. A. (2010). Class, identity, and teacher education. Urban Review. 42. Pp. 253-270.
Gender
Jossey-Bass. (2002). Jossey-Bass reader on gender in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kissen, R. (1994) Preparing Teachers for Sexual Diversity. In James Sears, Bound by Diversity (pp. 135-146). Sebastian Press.
Lopez, N. (2003). Hopeful girls, troubled boys: Race and gender disparity in urban education. Routledge: NY.
Mulholland, J., Hansen, P. & Kaminski, E. (2004). Do single-gender classrooms in coeducational settings address boys’
underachievement? An Australian study. Educational Studies 30. (1). Pp. 19-32.
National Partnership for Women and Families (2004). Women at work: Looking behind the numbers. Washington, D.C. National
Partnership for Women and Families. Retrieved July 17, 2011 from
http://www.nationalpartnership.org/site/DocServer/portals_p3_library_CivilRightsAffAction_WomenAtWorkCRA40.pdf?docID=590
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