Sociology
205
Contemporary Race & Ethnic Relations
Professor
Amory Starr
Spring 2003
Introduction
Goal: To develop a multi-level relationship to issues of race in our society. In order to develop scholarly, personal, and civic relationships to issues of race we will approach the topic from popular as well as academic perspectives.
Regarding race: Several premises underlie this course: {1} Race is an issue that affects all Americans. {2} We are going to assume that everyone here is interested in the U.S. being a non-racist multi-cultural society. This course is focused on figuring out how that might be achieved. {3} Race is very complex and we need to explore that complexity in order to begin to develop appropriate personal and political responses to this challenge. That complexity includes examination of the meanings of whiteness and the possible roles of white people in dealing with race. {4} This will not be easy. In the process of trying to learn, we will be talking about issues that will make us all uncomfortable. The discomfort is not wrong; it is important because it means that we are moving into new awarenesses and moving to deal with this vital and difficult issue. Please phone or come talk with us at any time about your concerns regarding the course, the format, or the discussions.
Seventy-five million Africans died during the centuries-long transatlantic slave trade. The logics of empire are still with us, bound to the cultural fabric of our daily being-in-the-world; woven into our posture toward others; connected to the lenses of our eyes; folded into the sinewy depths of our musculature; dipped in the chemical reactions that excite and calm us; structured into the language of our perceptions. We cannot will our racist logics away. We need to work hard to eradicate them. We need to struggle with a formidable resolve in order to overcome that which we are afraid to confirm exists, let alone confront, in the battleground of our souls….[McLaren 1997: 21]
Given the constant suffusion of race throughout society, in the daily dance of life we constantly make racially meaningful decisions. [López 1996: 193]
Regarding sociology: Sociology is a liberal field, which means that since its founding it has attempted to "improve" society. This has meant different things to different people, but all see that it is important to analyze how we are living, using data and theory in order to come up with suggestions for change.
Regarding teaching: Recently it has become widely accepted in sociology that "objectivity" is not a possible position, that all researchers and teachers have a position, whether they hide behind objectivity or not. I see teaching you sociology within the Socratic tradition in which I am a person with a set of understandings that I have arrived at through study. I have gathered up a set of readings which are richly descriptively and analytically powerful. We will discuss critically their analyses, mine, and yours.
"But you must not expect me to provide A Balanced View. I am not a sociological book-keeper. Moreover, "balanced views" are now usually surface views which rest upon the homogenous absence of imagination and the passive avoidance of reflection. A balanced view is usually, in the phrase of Royden Harrison, merely a vague point of equilibrium between platitudes.…Yet perhaps…I can remind you of the kinds of problems you might want to confront." [C. W. Mills, "Culture and Politics" 1959: 243]
Obviously, I do not expect you to be objective either. I also don’t expect you to agree with me or to like the readings. Whatever your point of view, you can learn from analyzing new materials and debating with me and with your peers. Therefore, I expect everyone to engage critically with new data, articulate your views, and dialogue respectfully with your fellow students. These are basic citizenship skills. I know that many of you are shy about speaking in front of other people. This is a very important skill and I am concerned that women in particular are not able to give voice in public. It is very important that all of you find your voices.
Please also be clear that there are some times when I will have to correct students or tell you that an explanation of a text is inadequate. While I respect your personal opinions (about which there is no correct answer), it is important for me to clarify and correct our readings of academic work and research reports.
Regarding this class: I have changed the material and pedagogy of this class every semester in response to issues raised by students. I’ll tell you a little bit about why it’s taught the way it is.
Students feel that race is something very personal and important and they tend to want to have a lot of time to discuss it themselves rather than hearing from me. I tried teaching the class with no lecture at all, but students complained so now I give 1/3 of the class time (one day a week) to lecture and two days a week to letting you discuss the materials among yourselves. Students also insist that they learn better from high-tech materials, so sometimes we will watch movies in class.
In recognition of students’ belief that there are not a lot of right and wrong answers on this issue, I’ve made most of your grades based on work that can’t be graded right and wrong. Debate participation, activity reports, and individual papers are accomplished by demonstrating you did the reading and saying something (anything) thoughtful about it. Again, you do not need to agree with the reading or with the other students or with the professor. Whether you agree or not, you must demonstrate that you understand the arguments made in the readings and you must do a good job of articulating your own arguments.
Regarding Service-Learning: Service-learning is a pedagogy (method of teaching) which responds to one of the most important findings of educational research, which is that students learn more by doing things than by reading, taking tests, or listening to lectures. In fact, you retain something like 80% of the knowledge covered when you do something, and only like 10% of lecture and 20% of what you read. Service-learning is optional in this course. If you elect not to do service-learning, you will take a final exam. Service-learning means that you spend some of your time on this course out in the world actually trying to deal with some of the problems we are studying. This semester there is only one service-learning option, the Global Justice Group.
Regarding Democracy: I attempt to build a democratic environment in the classroom. Of course this is not entirely possible when you and are both accountable in different ways to a non-democratic institution. Therefore, we have democratic aspects of the class. First, I give my students collective bargaining rights. This means that there is a discussion forum through webct for students only, which will enable you all to discuss your grievances and elect representatives who can come bargain with me for changes in the course. Second, some of our time in the classroom will be run democratically. It is up to all of us to maintain the quality of that space by gently suggesting that folks who talk too much make space for others and by encouraging quieter voices to share their thoughts. This is your education - your time and space. I am here to help and guide you, but you must assert yourself in order to ensure that you get what you want out of this course and out of our time together. This also means that it's very important to tell your fellow students and me when you don't understand something so that we can make sure to cover that issue more fully.
Administrative Information
Reading: Is required. There are five topics for the course; one to two book per topic. During each topic, you read the book at your own pace. You come to class with notes and thoughts on the readings, ready to share your responses with your classmates.
Class structure
Monday: discussion day. will be spent debating the readings. do as much reading as you can in preparation for monday's class. take notes on aspects of the reading you want to discuss. bring the book with you!
Wednesday: lecture
Friday: some of you will have service-learning meetings instead on this day. (more about that later) most of you will do a variety of activites, from debates to small groups to movies.
NOTE: Due to unavoidable schedule complications, there will be several weeks during which the above schedule is adjusted.
In this course you will be expected to be serious about reading, thinking, writing, and speaking. All of these are difficult tasks. We are happy to help you develop the skills you need to do them well, please come talk to us about it.
If you have any kind of crisis which prevents you from turning your work in on time and/or prevents you from attending class, you must inform us (in person, by phone, or by email) within one week. We will not be sympathetic to explanations of personal crisis which are not brought to our attention immediately.
Your grade:
Is based on points you earn from a menu of choices. If
we find problems with this scheme during the semester, we’ll make adjustments.
Please bring grading issues to our attention during office hours or over e-mail.
|
activity |
points |
occasions |
total possible |
stipulations/conditions |
|
attending lecture |
1 |
15 Wednesdays |
15 |
To earn a point, you cannot be more than 5 minutes late and you cannot leave early. However even if you will be late, it’s best to come because the exam will include issues covered in lectures.
|
|
participating in discussion day |
1-3 |
15 Mondays |
45 |
You can earn up to 3 points for your participation in each discussion day. Top quality participation achieves both of the following goals: demonstrates you have done the readings and provides an insight or new idea. You are welcome to share your own personal experiences with the class, however you must make explicit connections between your personal sharing and the readings in order to receive discussion points. |
|
service learning/ small groups day |
1-3 |
15 Fridays
|
45 |
Some students will spend Fridays doing service learning projects. Most students will spend Fridays in small groups in guided discussions from which each group hands in a report. These reports will be graded 1-3 on the basis of the thoroughness of the discussion. Occasionally there will be a film or another activity. On these days, all students in attendance will earn 3 points. To earn these points, students cannot be more than 5 minutes late and cannot leave early. |
|
papers |
1-5 |
5 |
25 |
In order to pass, papers must address the assigned questions. Papers should integrate analysis of the reading, the lectures, the discussions, and outside activities and movies that were relevant to the topic. Papers that deal only with lecture materials and discussion will not pass. Papers may use the books AND/OR the online readings. Papers are due as stated on the syllabus on the last Friday of each topic. They will be marked down 1 point for each day they are late. |
|
activity reports |
1-3 |
lots |
max20 |
You can earn these points for attending any of the course films or any activity announced on the course calendar and typing up a paragraph that both summarizes the activity and reflects on it. Activity Reports must be handed in no later than the first class period following the event. Students may suggest events to be listed on the course calendar. These suggestions must happen by email, including the date, time, location, description, and cost (if any) of the event and must be sent at least 24 hours in advance of the event. If an event requires pre-registration, it will only count if students inform us well in advance of the registration deadlines so that all students may have the opportunity to register. Students are also welcome to remind fellow students of upcoming events during the announcement part of the course. |
|
final exam |
20 |
1 |
20 |
Multiple-choice exam covering books (not online readings), lectures, and films. Final Exam is Thursday, May 15 9:10-11:10 in the regular classroom, Shep 118. |
|
total possible points: |
170 |
|
Papers
You may write up to five of these, each focused on one of the course topics. You may use books AND/OR online readings as the basis of your papers. You turn them in the last Friday of each topic. Late papers will be downgraded one point for each day they are late. These papers are one page, single spaced, with no cover sheets, and they address the questions below. Here is a sample brief intended to show you formatting style. Please be sure to type each question and then answer it.
People not doing service-learning answer these questions:
1. What are some of the main points from this week’s material? (Just state each point in one sentence and do not get into discussion yet — you’ll have a chance to put more of your opinions in the rest of the paper. You do not have to agree with the points to write them down.)
2. Choose one issue of debate in this topic's materials. Clearly state both sides of this debate.
3. What have you learned from service learning since your last paper?
4. What do you think/feel about what you wrote about in the questions above?
5. Reflecting on what you have just written, pause now and develop some NEW ideas about solving the kinds of problems you are working on in service learning.