Race is often thought of as a biological characteristic of individuals. Yet research consistently demonstrates that race, rather than a biological reality, is a social reality. In other words, race is socially constructed. This course will introduce you to how to think sociologically about race and ethnicity. We will explore the origins of the idea of race and the theoretical and empirical analysis of race, ethnicity, and immigration. We will also examine patterns and mechanisms of racial/ethnic inequalities in a variety of social domains including education, income, wealth, and health. Throughout the course we will view race through an intersectional lens, emphasizing the interplay between social categories such as race, ethnicity, gender, and social class. We will also discuss immigration patterns and how they affect racial and ethnic relations. While we will talk about historical and global processes and patterns, most of the class will focus on racial and ethnic stratification in contemporary U.S. society (post-1960s).
By the end of the semester, you will:
- Have a better research-based understanding of how race and ethnicity influence both our personal lives and the broader society
- Understand the diverse ways in which social scientists study race and ethnicity
- Identify the strengths and limitations of social scientific theories and research on race and ethnicity
- Develop your ability to connect social theories to contemporary real-world issues in race, ethnicity, and immigration
- Be able to compare and contrast institutional, organizational, structural, and systemic theories of race
- Be able to describe the salience of race and ethnicity across a variety of social institutions
- Further develop your ability to critically analyze, produce, and present academic writing
Golash-Boza, Tanya. 2022. Race and Racisms: A Critical Approach. Brief 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press.
You can purchase the book from the Georgia Tech bookstore here.
Below is how your final grade will be computed.
- Attendance and Participation 20%
- Synthesis Papers 20%
- Research Proposal 15%
- Research Paper Presentation 15%
- Research Paper 30%
90% and above = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
Less than 60% = F
Late assignments: The policy for late assignments is that you will need a documented health, funeral, or university sponsored excuse for turning in late assignments at full credit. Assignments turned in after their due dates without an excuse will receive a drop in letter grade every two days beyond their due date.
Note that attendance and participation are a substantial part of your grade. Attendance is required and will be recorded each class period. I will allow one unexcused absence. All other absences must be formally excused by Georgia Tech and documented. After that, each absence will be reflected in your final attendance and participation grade. You are responsible for any content that you miss.
You are also expected to participate in daily class discussions and small-group activities. Please note that this class is based on a discussion-style rather than solely a lecture-style. The course will have a mix of lecture, small group discussions, entire group discussions, in-class activities, and brief individual writing assignments where you will be expected to respond to a question. This will, potentially, allow me to randomly call on all students for discussion of course materials and ideas.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course directs students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I understand human experiences and connections?
Completion of this course enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:
- Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social, or geographic relationships develop, persist, or change.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course will help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Intercultural Competence
Perspective-Taking
Persuasion