Sociology 122: Race and Ethnic Relations

Second Summer Term, 2012

Classroom: Peabody 203 Class Hours: M-F 1:15-2:45 p.m.

Instructor: Jason Freeman Office Hrs: Tuesday and Thursday Office: 162 Hamilton Hall 10-11 a.m. and by appointment. Email: jafreema@unc.edu Office Phone: 919-962-7502 Website: https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/site/soci122 Cell: 252-347-1525

Course Description

This course is designed to familiarize you with historical and contemporary issues surrounding race and ethnic relations in the United States and abroad. By the end of this course you should know basic facts about race and ethnic relations (e.g. that racial groups are socially constructed); be able to define keys terms that we come across in our readings (e.g. racial group, affirmative action, white privilege, etc.); understand the major arguments that theorists and others have made regarding the relevance of race and ethnic relations both historically and within contemporary contexts; and generate questions based on things you hear in class and read in the assigned readings that lead to deeper insights about topics pertaining to race and ethnic relations. Course Objectives

1. Familiarize you with a number of key issues surrounding race and ethnic relations.

2. Improve your ability to communicate your ideas through writing.

3. Improve your ability to discuss issues surrounding race and ethnic relations in a civil way with others who differ from you in regards to their race, gender, age, political orientation, life experience, etc.

4. Improve your ability to critically evaluate information that you read and hear about issues surrounding race and ethnic relations.

Rules of the Road

1. We start and end class on time (if you arrive late, you may lose the chance to take the daily quiz). 2. Turn off cell phones, music devices, and other electronic devices that could be a distraction during class. 3. Check your email daily. 4. Check our class’s Sakai site daily; specifically the “Assignments” and the “Announcements” page. 5. We are all expected to be civil and respectful in our interactions within this class. Office Hours

For simple questions, the best way to reach is me by is email at jafreema@unc.edu. For more difficult questions, please come see me during office hours. I have office hours on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. If you can’t make these hours, please let me know and we’ll arrange another time. To make the best use of our time, you should come prepared with specific questions; for example, you might have a question about a reading you don’t understand, a concept we’ve covered in class that wasn’t clearly defined, or something you’ve seen in another source that you are curious about. Be as specific as you can about how I can help you. However, you don’t have to have a problem to come to office hours -- you may just want to chat about something, and that’s OK too.

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Discussion Board

The discussion board can be used to post questions that we don’t have time to get to during class time and to begin discussions about topics related to the course content but won’t be covered during the semester (i.e. race and the presidential election). I’ll make an effort to check the discussion board each day (and may post things from time to time) and encourage you to do the same. Honor Code

The University Honor Code will be in effect through all exams, quizzes, and written assignments. Please read carefully the provisions of the Honor Code, make certain you understand and adhere to them, and ask me to clarify any questions you have regarding the Code. The Code is a long and valuable tradition at UNC -- protect it! You will find a link to the Code on our course web page. UNC Honor Code Website: honor.unc.edu Required Texts Schaefer, Richard T. 2007. Race and Ethnicity in the United States. 6th ed. Richard T. Schaefer. Boston:

Prentice Hall. Gallagher, Charles A. 2007. Rethinking the Color Line: Readings in Race and Ethnicity. 5th ed. New York:

McGraw-Hill.

Gourevitch, Philip. 1998. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. New York: Picador

* Other required reading will be available on the “Resources” page of Sakai in the folder titled “Required Readings”. Recommended Readings

Throughout the semester I may post recommended reading to supplement the assigned readings for the class. Any recommended readings will be available on “Resources” page in the folder titled “Recommended Readings”. Course Format

This is an active learning course. Each day, you will be expected to read and discuss that day’s

assigned readings. A closed-book, open note quiz will be administered at the beginning of each class session where you will be allowed to use hand-written notes taken from each reading. The course also involves daily group discussion and group activities. Group discussion questions for each set of readings are available on the “Resources” page in the folder titled “Discussion Questions”. Group activities are listed on this syllabus in the section marked “Class Schedule” and will be announced prior to each class. Any group discussion or group activity that you miss due to an unexcused absence will count against your final grade. Attendance Policy

Achieving success in this class requires consistent daily attendance. Please don’t schedule any

appointments, trips, association meetings, or other activities that would require you to miss class. Also, an excused absence is an absence in which a student cannot attend class due to a family

emergency, an obligation to the University or some other reason that is beyond the student’s immediate control. In the case of an excused absence, please let me know as soon as possible the reason for the

absence and the anticipated length of the absence.

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Evaluation

Your course grade is based upon daily quizzes, group work, a mid-term and final exam, as well as a reflection papers.

1. Daily Quizzes: The purpose of daily quizzes is to encourage in depth reading and good note-taking. The first 10 minutes of each class is set aside to complete a 10 question closed book, open-note quiz. Quizzes are based on the readings assigned for that day. All notes must be hand-written and sharing notes or using of typed notes will result in a grade of zero for that day’s quiz. There will be no make-up quizzes. If you miss a class due to an unexcused absence or arrive late, you will not be able

to take any portion of the quiz at a later time. The lowest 4 quiz grades will be dropped at the end of the semester.

2. Group Work: The purpose of group work is to facilitate discourse about topics that pertain to race and ethnic relations that is both critical and civil. During each class you are assigned to a group and will be asked to either answer 3-5 discussion questions; complete a group activity or both. For group discussions you are expected to discuss and answer each question within your group and be prepared to discuss your group’s answers with the entire class. At the end of class each group will turn in a written copy of its answers and group members will receive an overall group grade based on the completeness for each set of answers. For group activities you will be given a set of directions and will be expected to complete the activity within the time allotted. Group activities are graded based on whether or not the group completes the assigned task in the time allotted. All missed group assignments count against each student except in the case of an excused absence.

3. Exams: The purpose of exams is to communicate your comprehension of the course materials. In this

class you will have both a mid-term and a final exam and all material on these exams are taken from the daily quizzes and discussion questions. Each exam will be composed of multiple choice, fill in the blank and essay questions.

4. Reflections Papers: Each Friday you will be assigned a 2-page reflection paper which you will have one-week to complete. Each paper will be based on a question that I will pose following the quiz on that Friday. You are expected to completely answer the question using at least three independent sources which can include the textbook, articles that we read in class and external sources. All

sources should be cited using ASA style (An ASA Style Guide is provided on the “Resources” page on Sakai). Papers are due via email or digital drop box each Friday before class.

Components of your Grade:

Daily Quizzes 15% Group Work 15% Mid-term Exam 25% Final Exam 25% Reflection Papers 20% Total 100%

Grading Scale

I do not grade on a curve. I use a scale with 10-point intervals, modified occasionally to correct for tests/assignments that are too difficult. At the end of the term, you will receive a letter grade, based on the following scale:

A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60-69 F = BELOW 60

DAILY ASSIGNMENTS

You are expected to read and take handwritten notes prior to each class session. All readings that are not found in the required texts are available through our class’s Sakai site on the “Resources” page in the folder titled “Required Readings”. Discussion questions are available in the folder titled “Discussion Questions” on the “Resources” page. I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus and the class as the class proceeds, however I promise to let you know of any changes well ahead of time. Aside from me, our

class’s Sakai site will always be the most up to date source of class information, and the syllabus on our class’s Sakai site will always be the most current. Also, because we are not following the order of topics within the books, pay special attention to the specific page numbers of the assigned readings. Thanks!

COURSE SCHEDULE

Thursday, June 21st Topic: An Introduction to Race and Ethnic Relations. Reading(s): Peart – “Why is the NYPD After Me?” Activity: In-Class Essay: “Should UNC require Sociology 122?”

Friday, June 22nd Topic: What is Race? From Popular Myths to Biological Theories.

Reading(s): Sykes - Saxons, Vikings and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland (Sakai).

Harris - “How Our Skins Got Their Color” (Sakai) Activity: “Is Skin Color the Problem?”

Monday, June 25th Topic: Is Race Biological? Readings: Olson – Mapping Human History: Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins (Sakai). Activity: “Is Racial Classification Possible?”

Tuesday, June 26th Topic: The Social Construction of Race. Readings: Chapter 1 - “Exploring Race and Ethnicity” (Schaefer, pp. 1-22)

Zinn – “Drawing the Color Line” (Gallagher; pp. 9-17) Omi and Winant – “Racial ‘Formations” (Gallagher, pp. 17-22) Activity: “What’s So Bad about Stereotypes?”

Wednesday, June 27th Topic: The Racialization of Society. Readings: Chapter 2 – “Prejudice” (Schaefer, pp. 43-64)

Bonilla-Silva – “Racialized Social System Approach to Racism” (Gallagher, pp. 32-38)

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Massey – “Residential Segregation and Neighborhood Conditions in U.S. Metropolitan Areas” (Gallagher, pp. 158-175)

Activity: “How Segregated is my Hometown?”

Thursday, June 28th Topic: More Than Just Race? Readings: Chapter 3 - “Discrimination” (Schaefer, pp. 79-101)

Wilson – “Structural and Cultural Forces That Contribute to Racial Inequality” (Sakai)

Activity: “So Who’s Right About Race? Bonilla-Silva vs. Wilson.”

Friday, June 29th Topic: What Does it Mean to Be “White”? Readings: Chapter 5 – “Ethnicity and Religion” (Schaefer, pp. 153-179) Sacks – “How Jews Became White Folk” (Sakai) Activity: “Does Race Matter in My Day-to-Day Life?”

Monday, July 2nd Topic: The Immigrant Experience in America. Reading(s): Chapter 4 – “Immigration” (Schaefer, pp. 115-151)

Kandel and Parrado – “Hispanics in the American South” (Gallagher, pp. 275-284)

Activity: Video: Nuestra Comunidad: Latinos in North Carolina

Tuesday, July 3rd Topic: Race and the Criminal Justice System Reading(s): Cole – “No Equal Justice: the Color of Punishment” (Gallagher,

pp. 211-217) Alexander – “The New Jim Crow. (Gallagher, pp. 217-225)”

Bobo and Thompson – “Racialized Mass Incarceration: Rounding up the Usual Suspects” (Gallagher, pp.225-230)

Pager – “The Mark of a Criminal Record” (Gallagher, pp. 230- 233)

Krimsky and Simoncelli – “Using DNA for Justice: Color Blind or Biased?” (Gallagher, pp. 234-239)

Activity: T.B.A

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Wednesday, July 4th Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July!!!

Thursday, July 5th Topic: Being Asian-American: Panethnicity and the Myth of the Model

Minority. Reading(s): Chapter 1 - “Exploring Race and Ethnicity” (Schaefer, pp. 22-37)

Takaki – “The Myth of the Model Minority” (Sakai) Espiritu – “Asian American Panethnicity: Contemporary National

an Transnantional Possibilities” (Gallagher, pp. 79-86) Activity: “Exploring the ‘Angry Asian Man’ Blog.”

Friday, July 6th Topic: Being Native American: Reservations and Race. Reading(s): Wilkins – “A Tour of Indian Peoples and Indian Lands” (Gallagher,

pp. 63-78)

Merskin - “Winnebegos, Cherokees, Apaches, and Dakotas: The Persistence of Stereotyping of American Indians in American Advertising and Brands” (Gallagher, pp. 304-310).

Williams – “Higher Crime, Fewer Charges on Indian Land”

(http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/us/on-indian-reservations-higher-crime-and-fewer-prosecutions.html?pagewanted=all)

Activity: Mid-Term Exam Preview.

Monday, July 9th Mid-Term Exam

Tuesday, July 10th Topic: Being Arab American: Fighting Stereotypes in a Post 9/11 World. Reading(s): Suleiman – “The Arab Immigrant Experience” (Gallagher, pp. 337-

348) Moustafa – “How Does it Feel to be a Problem? Being Young and

Arab in America” (Gallagher, 134-138) Activity: Mid-Term Exam Review.

Wednesday, July 11th Topic: Income Inequality and Race.

Reading(s): Shapiro – “Transformative Assets, The Race Wealth Gap, and the

American Dream (Gallagher, pp. 49 – 52)

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Braverman – “Kristen v. Aisha; Brad v. Rasheed: What’s in a Name and How it Affects Getting a Job” (Gallagher, p. 240) Chapters 1 & 2 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp. 1-31)

Activity: Race Monopoly.

Thursday, July 12th Topic: Race and the Environment. Readings: Bullard – “Environmental Justice in the 21st Century: Race Still

Matters” (Gallagher, 184-195) Why Are There No Supermarkets in My Neighborhood? The Long

Search for Fresh Fruit, Produce and Healthy Food” (Gallagher, 204-208)

Chapters 3 & 4 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp. 32-

62) Activity: Guest Speaker: Niobra Keah, Research/Representative from Rogers Road Community.

Friday, July 13th Topic: Interracial Marriage/Dating. Readings: Fryer Jr. – “Guess Who’s Been Coming to Dinner? Trends in

Interracial Marriage over the 20th Century” (Gallagher, pp. 361- 368) Kennedy - Captain Kirk Kisses Lieutenant Uhura: Interracial

Intimacies—The View from Hollywood” (Gallagher, pp. 368-373) Dalmage – Discovering Racial Borders (Gallagher, pp. 374-382)

Chapters 5 & 6 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp. 63-

84)

Activity: “Who’s Responding: The Role of Race on Dating Sites.”

Monday, July 16th Topic: Race and the Media. Readings: Dirks and Mueller – “Racism and Popular Culture” (Gallagher, pp. 285-294)

Littlefield – “The Media as a System of Racialization: Exploring Images of African American Women and the New Racism” (Gallagher, pp. 295-301)

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Edison and Yancey – “Black and White in Movies: Portrayals of Black-White Biracial Characters in Movies” (Gallagher, pp. 301-303) Chapters 7 & 10 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp. 85-144)

Activity: T.B.A

Tuesday, July 17th Topic: Race Disparities in Health.

Readings: Williams and Sternthal – “Understanding Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health: Sociological Contributions” (Gallagher, pp. 39-48) “Tackling Infant Mortality Among Blacks” (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/us/efforts-to-combat-high- infant-mortality-rate-among-blacks.html)

Chapters 11 & 12 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp.

147-184).

Activity: T.B.A

Wednesday, July 18th Topic: Multiracial Americans.

Readings: Lee and Bean – “Beyond Black and White Remaking Race in

America” (Gallagher, pp. 86-91) DaCosta – Redrawing the Color Line? The Problems and

Possibilities of Multiracial Families and Group Making.” (Gallagher, pp. 383-392) Chapters 13 & 14 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp.

185-226) Activity: T.B.A

Thursday, July 19th Topic: Are We Moving Toward a Color-Blind Society?

Readings: Gallagher – “Color-Blind Privilege: The Social and Political

Functions of Erasing the Color Line in Post-Race America (Gallagher, 92-100)

Guinier and Torres – “The Ideology of Color Blindness”

(Gallagher, pp. 101-105)

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Gans – “The Possibility of a New Racial Hierarchy in the Twenty-First Century United States (Gallagher, pp. 106-114) Chapters 15 & 16 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp.

227-255) Activity: T.B.A

Friday, July 20th Topic: How to Make a Difference. Readings: Chapter 2 – “Prejudice” (Schaefer, pp. 64-76)

Lui, Robles, Leondor-Wright, Brewer and Adamson – “Policy

Steps Toward Closing the Racial Gap” (Gallagher, pp. 393-400) Gallagher – “Ten Things You Can Do to Improve Race Relations

(Gallagher, pp. 400-402) Chapters 17 & 18 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp. 256-290)

Activity: T.B.A

Monday, July 23rd Topic: Hotel Rwanda Readings: Chapters 19 & 22 – We Wish to Inform You… (Gourevitch, pp.

291-353) Activity: None.

Tuesday, July 24th Topic: Hotel Rwanda Readings: None. Activity: Final Exam Preview

Friday, July 27th Final Exam: Friday July 27th at 11:30 a.m.

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Writing Rubric for Sociology 122 (The final score is the average of each individual dimension).

Dimensions Excellent (100%) Proficient (85%) Developing (75%) Beginning (<=

65%)

Mechanics The work shows a

demonstrated mastery

of spelling and

grammar.

The work has no

significant spelling or

grammar mistakes

The work has some

significant spelling or

grammar mistakes; but

overall is readable.

The work has

significant spelling

and grammar

mistakes which

makes it largely

unreadable.

Structure

The work has a clearly

defined topic sentence

and clearly defined

supporting paragraphs.

It also has a logical

structure which allows

readers to easily

follow the writer’s

lines of reasoning

throughout the work.

The work has a clearly

defined topic sentence

and clearly defined

supporting paragraphs. It

also has a logical

structure which causes

no major problems for

the reader.

The work has a topic

sentence and

supporting paragraphs

which are not clearly

defined and/or it has a

structure which makes

following its lines of

reasoning difficult.

The work has a

topic sentence and

supporting

paragraphs which

are not clearly

defined and/or it

has an inconsistent

structure which

makes following

the writer’s lines of

reasoning

extremely difficult or impossible.

Clarity of

ideas.

This work presents

ideas which are

thoroughly developed,

clearly defined and

easily understandable.

The ideas presented in

the work flow

smoothly throughout.

This work presents ideas

which have been

thoroughly developed,

clearly defined and

easily understandable by

most readers.

This work presents

ideas which are

inconsistent and not

well developed. The

ideas are not presented

in a clear fashion.

This work presents

ideas which are

inconsistent and

not well developed.

The work is

difficult or

impossible to

understand.

Relevance to

question.

The work answers the

question completely

and demonstrates a

clear understanding of

the subject matter.

Work answers the

question completely.

The work does not

completely answer

question.

The work has no

clear connection to

question.