SOCI/WS 129 Race, Class, and Gender

Summer 2005; MTWThF 9:45-11:15; Murphey 220

Instructor: Jen Ashlock Office Hours: Tues. & Thurs. from 11:15-11:45

Email: ashlock@unc.edu Office: 205 Hamilton, 962-1007 to leave a msg

Course webpage: http://www.unc.edu/courses/2005ss2/soci/129/001

(Blackboard will be used for grades only)

Course Description

In this course we will explore intersecting systems of oppression, particularly systems of race, class and gender in the contemporary US. We will begin with a brief overview of contemporary systems of stratification, and then we will ask…

(1) How are identity categories constructed, reproduced, and reshaped? How do these processes contribute to (or help to disrupt?) systems of inequality?

(2) To what extent does our use of identity categories mask important differences? And, to the extent that it does, what implications does this hold for stratification scholarship and social justice movements?

(3) Given both the extent and importance of differences among groups, are non-oppressive social movements and social research possible? If so, what will/do these look like?

It is expected that everyone has taken at least one course on race, class, gender, and/or sexuality. If you have not, please see me before June 27th so that we may determine the appropriateness of this course for you. This course is not meant to provide you an introduction to race, class, and gender issues. Rather, it is meant to explore the theoretical questions involving the relationship among these systems of inequality.

Rules

1. Let’s start on time so that we can end on time. Four reasons to be on time:

a. Please be on time because otherwise it is disruptive to others and myself.

b. Sometimes I give pop quizzes at the beginning of class.

c. At the beginning of each class I will provide a framework for understanding the topics of the day.

d. Often there are important announcements at the beginning of class.

2. Check your e-mail every day. This is important because this will be our main way of staying in touch outside of class.

3. I do not anticipate late papers. By late, I mean anything turned in after the time at which I ask for it. I do not consider excuses appropriate except in circumstances which I consider to be very extreme.

4. All members of this class are co-educators who are required to consider themselves and each other as valid sources of knowledge. The goal of class discussions is to encourage an exchange of ideas in an attempt to further our understanding of the issues, concepts and questions relating to social stratification. You are welcome to critique course materials and disagree with other members of the class, so long as it is done so both CONSTRUCTIVELY and RESPECTFULLY.

While in this class, students should abide by the following guidelines for class participation:

a. Please refrain from using derogatory, sexist, racist, heterosexist and/or classist language. It’s certainly okay to ask what this means.

b. Challenge others. It is fine to debate or argue about issues or topics, but if you’re going to do this, be serious about it. Rather than making off the cuff remarks, really think about what you’re saying, why you’re saying it, and why you think others should agree with you. Just make sure you do this respectfully.

c. Clarify your own ideas. It's important to express what you believe as well as why you believe it. Use course material to develop your arguments. You may agree or disagree with what you have read but you should be able to frame your opinion in the context of course material.

d. Listen to others. Only one person should speak at a time – be attentive to whomever is speaking.

e. Encourage others to express their ideas. Don't be judgmental of others' comments. Stating unpopular opinions requires taking risks and can lead to valuable insights. Class discussions will be more interesting and more educational if everyone has a chance to participate.

f. Question your assumptions. Education can and should lead to the evaluation of taken-for-granted assumptions. Ask yourself why you hold the beliefs you do. Why might you be more resistant to having certain beliefs challenged?

Keeping in Touch with Me

My office hours are Tues. & Thurs. from 11:15-11:45 and by appointment in 205 Hamilton Hall. If this time slot is inconvenient, I am very happy to make an appointment with you (see below).

I encourage you to visit me at my office hours if you have any questions or problems with the readings or other assignments, or if you’d just like to stop in and visit. You can leave messages for me at the Sociology Department office (Hamilton Hall 155, 962-1007), or at my e-mail address listed above. I check my e-mail about 5 times a day, Monday through Friday. On the weekends, I check it once or twice. Please do not call me at home; use email, the Sociology department, and/or my office hours to keep in touch.

Please stay in touch with me and let me know if something is going on. You do not have to go into detail but please do let me know when you will be missing class. We have only 22 days of class.

Attendance & Participation

Although you will not be graded on attendance and participation, all members of this class are expected to come to class sessions fully prepared to engage actively and respectfully in class discussions. This means that you should both read and think about assigned materials prior to class.

Students with Disabilities

Please notify me on the first day of class of any special needs or documented disabilities that require modified instructional procedures.

Honor Code

Participation in this course is governed by full observation of the University Honor Code for all exams, quizzes, and assignments, which prohibits the giving or receiving of unauthorized aid in all academic processes. Additionally, it is your responsibility to do the following:

· Consult with faculty and other sources to clarify the meaning of plagiarism; to learn the recognized techniques of proper attribution of sources used in the preparation of written work; and to identify allowable resource materials or aids to be used during examination or in completion of any graded work.

· Sign a pledge on all graded academic work certifying that no unauthorized assistance has been received or given in the completion of the work.

· Comply with faculty regulations designed to reduce the possibility of cheating - such as removing unauthorized materials or aids from the room and protecting one's own examination paper from the view of others.

· Maintain the confidentiality of examinations by divulging no information concerning an examination, directly or indirectly, to another student yet to write that same examination.

· Report any instance in which reasonable grounds exist to believe that a student has given unauthorized aid in graded work. Such report should be made to the Office of the Student Attorney General or the Office of the Dean of Students.

If these guidelines are unclear, you should consult the University Honor Code Website http://www.unc.edu/depts/honor/studinfo.html. If after consulting this resource you remain unsure about what constitutes an honor code violation, you should notify me as soon as possible.

Required Texts

(1) & <- this symbol denotes a reading in The Meaning of Difference: American Constructions of Race, Sex and Gender, Social Class and Sexual Orientation. (2003). Edited by Karen Rosenblum and Toni-Michelle C. Travis. New York: McGraw-Hill. (also abbreviated in syllabus as RT)

(2) : <- this symbol denotes an “Internet Reading” posted on the class webpage (not Blackboard – see URL above). The vast majority of the internet readings are PDF files and you must have Adobe Acrobat on your computer for them to be viewed. Please print out all of the readings at the beginning of the semester and keep them in a binder. Often the internet gets clogged, we can’t get a good connection, or we just forget (hey, I find myself in this situation quite often). Spending a couple of hours printing them all out now will save you a lot of time traveling to and fro, thinking about it, etc. etc.

Important Dates – please write these down

______ (fill in) Your co-facilitation day (you’ll find this out on June 28th)

Tu June 28 Co-facilitation project assigned and groups meet for the first time

M July 4 No class

M July 18 Midterm due but no class held

Th July 28 8 a.m. Final exam (cumulative)

Grading Scale

A	93-100	B+	87-89	C+	77-79	D+	67-69
A-	90-92	B	83-86	C	73-76	D	63-66
		B-	80-82	C-	70-72	D-	60-62	F	Below 60

I do not grade on a curve. I use the 10 point intervals. At the end of the semester you will receive a letter grade based on this scale.

Grading
Freewrites (6 taken, one dropped)	15
In class work	8
Reflection pieces (4)	12
Co-facilitation	20
Midterm exam (take home)	20
Final exam (in class essays, cumulative)	25
Total	100

Preparing for Class

Analytic reflection papers

To establish and maintain a good dialogue in class, all of us have to come prepared, and you have an incentive to do so.

Every week a short “reflection piece” paper is due on the readings for the day. These days are marked with a ! in the syllabus. Reflection pieces consist of two parts:

(1) A paragraph long summary, in your own words, of the main points for the reading (3-4 sentences). Write the summary as if you are telling someone on the bus what you just read. Your piece should show that you understood the main points of the readings, so don’t focus on the minor points.

Sample starter sentences…

Reiman, Jeffrey. (2004). The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison

“Reiman’s main points are…”

“This author’s basic point is that…”

“The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison reading is basically about…”

(2) A reflection. Raise a question about the reading or think about a similar experience that happened to you or that you witnessed. For example, you might think, “This piece reminds me of the time when I was walking through the Pit, and saw…” Analyze that experience in light of the readings. Or, you could take a quote from the reading that struck you. Tell me why it struck you, and what you think about it. See below for things to avoid when writing the reflection pieces

Sample starter sentences…

“I was struck by…”

“This concept reminds me of…”

For days with only one reading, you should write one double-spaced page, days with two readings should be two pages, and days with three readings should be three pages. On some days you might be asked to read your piece aloud to generate discussion in class. Or, you may be put in groups of three or four and you asked to read your reflections to each other.

Please use 11 or 12 point font with 1 inch margins. Please staple your pages together. (I know it is sometimes hard to find a functional stapler in a rush so please plan ahead.) Short of illness or emergency, I will NOT except late papers because the papers are designed to help you prepare your thoughts for that day’s class discussion.

Reflection pieces will be graded as a “check” for full credit, a “check minus” for 2/3rds credit, or a zero for no credit.

Some tips about writing reflection pieces, by Sherryl Kleinman

· “Society says…” If you’ve written “society says…” or “society makes us feel or do…” ask yourself to what or whom you are referring. Society consists of people doing things; it is not some object doing things to people. We produce society and are a part of it. So, be specific. Do your friends, your parents, the writer at Time magazine, and so on teach you these ideas? Think about where you learned particular ideas and share that. Also, think about the ways you participate in society and reinforce certain ideas and practices. For example, I might write, “IN a recent issue of Cosmo, I saw X, which made me think of Y.”

· “Human nature…” Sociologists look at variation among people rather than posit a (or the) human nature. So, if you’ve written “that’s just natural” or “it’s just human nature,” think instead about the conditions or circumstances that might produce particular behaviors from a person in certain grouping a given time period. Some circumstances may elicit “good” (or bad) behaviors. Also, remember that what people considered “natural” in one time period for certain groups for people may change over time.

· Reacting isn’t just writing “I agree,” “it’s great,” or “this is simplistic.” Although those are starting points, tell me why you think it was great or simplistic. Maybe it made you think differently about a topic. Tell me about it. Or, tell me what you think the article left out. Offer an alterative or argue with particular points.

· Another way to start is with a quote you found particularly insightful or disagreeable. Or, find a quote that best summarizes the article, and go from there. Tell me what you found insightful (or disagreeable) about the quote.

· Relate the article to your own experience. Think about something you’ve read or seen on TV; think about a conversation you had recently. How did the article help you to understand what you read, saw or talked about?

Co-facilitation Presentation

For this assignment, you and one or two other classmates will lead the class together for about 45 minutes. Using the assigned readings for the day as the basis for the facilitation, formulate an activity or create an original video to get your ideas across. Examples of activities and original videos will be provided in the first week of class. Be creative! This is not a presentation so do not lecture.

To start the assignment, read and take notes on the readings for your day and then meet with your partner(s) to generate a tentative plan of action for your day. Figure out what questions you want to answer on your day. I also recommend that you talk to friends outside of class, family, and whomever else might be of help to you. Use your knowledge from other courses or people you know – have you seen a video, received handouts, or heard a speaker that would benefit the class? Use who and what you know.

Then 5 to 7 days prior to your co-facilitation, email me to arrange a meeting. You must meet with me to talk about your plan for the day. When we sit down, I expect you to have a vague idea of what you want to do. It does not have to be fully fleshed out. I’m pretty good at giving class activities shape, but I need you to bring something to the table. If you do not meet with me, you cannot earn more than 50% of the assignment. I make this rule because I want to make sure that you will help the rest of the class to understand the material.

On the day of your co-facilitation, your group should hand in a typed, detailed outline or summary of your presentation to me, explaining your outline for the day. This is part of your grade for the co-facilitation (see below).

A tip: if you don’t participate when it is someone else’s day to present, your classmates may not be motivated to participate on your day. So come to class expecting to participate often!

Your grade for this assignment will be based on…

· the quality of your question or questions you wanted to answer on your day (30%)

· the degree to which your co-facilitation answered your question(s), above (50%)

· the creativity exhibited in your co-facilitation (10%)

· the average participation grade you get from yourself and the others in your group (10%).

Freewrites

I think that freewrites will provide an incentive to be prepared for class. When we’re prepared, we can have a more useful and interesting discussion.

Therefore…there will be 6 freewrites throughout this semester and we’ll drop the lowest one. They will be graded as a “check” for full credit, a “check minus” for 2/3rds credit, or a zero for no credit.

You cannot make up a freewrite. I drop your lowest quiz because sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that lead to absences. I reserve the right to give a freewrite at any time during the class period.

Exams

A word on exams. The questions will be based on your readings and in class discussions so it is important that you come to class. No make ups will be accepted except in cases that I consider to be very extreme. Please notify me ASAP if you are having an emergency.

COURSE OUTLINE

PART I: INTRODUCTION

Th June 23 I Go through the course ideas, answer questions, stuff like that.

F June 24 6 How can sociology help us understand how the larger social world shapes the situations that constitute our everyday lives?

: Schwalbe, Michael. (1998). The Sociologically Examined Life, pp. 1-9. Mountain View, California: Mayfield.

M June 27 6 For Schwalbe: What is some evidence to support the idea that the social world is a human invention? Why do we sometimes forget this? How does Frye’s birdcage metaphor function in everyday life?

: Schwalbe, Michael. (1998). The Sociologically Examined Life, pp. 11-25. Mountain View, California: Mayfield.

& “Oppression,” Frye (RT 20)

T June 28 6 What is power? Who has the power at this slaughterhouse? Why?

& “Why is Class Important?” Zweig (RT 14)

& “At Slaughterhouse, Some Things Never Die,” LeDuff (RT 36)

W June 29 6 What are some different types of discrimination that exist in the workplace?

& “Sex, Race, and Ethnic Inequality in United States Workplaces,” Reskin & Padavic (RT 45)

: Hodson, Randy and Teresa A. Sullivan. (2002). The Social Organization of Work, 3rd edition, pp. 110-124. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning

: Lambda Legal website

Federal equal employment law (EEOC) does not cover non-heterosexual people. What does this mean? Which states prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation? Which states have not passed such legislation? Some cities have passed such legislation. Is your home town one of them? What about the town which you currently reside?

Th June 30 : Reiman, Jeffrey. (2004). The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison, pp.103-146. New York: Pearson

! Reflection piece due

PART II: CONSTRUCTING, REPRODUCING, AND RESHAPING IDENTITIES

F July 1 6 What are some methods by which human beings categorize themselves and others?

& Framework Essay 1 (RT pgs 2-33)

M July 4 NO CLASS

T July 5 & “Who is Black? One Nation’s Definition,” F. James Davis (RT 1)

& “Race, Censuses, and Citizenship,” Melissa Nobles (RT 2)

& “The Evolution of Identity,” Washington Post (RT 3)

& “Census 2000: Seventeen Questions from the Long Form” (RT4)

W July 6 & “Federal Indian Identification Policy,” Annette James (RT 5)

& “La Raza and the Melting Pot: A Comparative Look at Multiethnicity,” Carlos A. Fernandez (RT 6)

& “Asian American Panethnicity,” Yen Lee Espiritu (RT 7)

Th July 7 & “Whiteness as an ‘Unmarked’ Cultural Category,” Frankenberg (R&T 8)

& “The Possessive Investment in Whiteness,” Lipsitz (RT 43)

F July 8 & “The five sexes: why male and female are not enough,” Fausto-Sterling (RT9)

& “The five sexes revisited,” Fausto-Sterling (RT 10)

& “Similarity and Difference: The Sociology of Gender Distinctions,” Epstein (RT 12)

! Reflection piece due

M July 11 & “The Invention of Heterosexuality,” Katz (RT 16)

& “Homosexuality: A Social Phenomenon,” Heyl (RT 17)

& “The development of gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities,” Levine & Evans (RT 18), and the personal accounts that follow

T July 12 : Steinhauer, Jennifer. (2005, May 29). “When the Joneses Wear Jeans.” New York Times.

PART III: EXPERIENCING DIFFERENCE

W July 13 & Framework Essay 2 (RT pgs 176-200)

& “Racism in the English language,” Moore (RT 55)

: Anzaldua, Gloria. (1990). “How to Tame a Wild Tongue.” In Russell Ferguson [ed.] Out There: Marginalization and Contemporary Culture, pp. 203-211. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Th July 14 : Mercer, Kobena. (1990). “Black hair/style politics.” In Russell Ferguson [ed.] Out There: Marginalization and Contemporary Culture, pp. 247-263. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

: del Giudice P and Pinier Yves. (2002). “The widespread use of skin lightening creams in Senegal: a persistent public health problem in West Africa.” International Journal of Dermatology, 41(2):69-72.

F July 15 : Anderson, Elijah. (2004). “The black male in public.” In Spencer E. Cahill [ed.] Inside Social Life, 4^th edition, pp. 334-344. Los Angeles: Roxbury.

& “Driving While Black,” Lamberth (RT 30)

! Reflection piece due

M July 18 MIDTERM DUE (on section II) – put in box at 155 Hamilton – NO CLASS!

T July 19 : Sadker, Myra and David Sadker. (2003). “Missing in Interaction.” In Tracy E. Ore [ed.] The Construction of Difference and Inequality, 2^nd edition, pp. 287-299. New York: McGraw Hill.

: Eder, Donna. (2001). “Popularity and Friendship Among Adolescent Girls.” In Spencer E. Cahill [Ed.] Inside Social Life, 3^rd edition, pp. 172-179. Los Angeles: Roxbury.

: Chernik, Abra. (1995). “The body politic” In Barbara Findlen [ed.] Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation, pp. 75-85. Seattle: Seal Press.

¸ Clips from Mean Girls

W July 20 : Skim only! Know the main points! Welsh, Sandy. (1999). “Gender and Sexual Harassment.” Annual Review of Sociology, 25: 169-190.

: Hood, Jane C. (1998). “’Let's Get a Girl’: Male Bonding Rituals in America.” In Kimmel, Michael S. and Messner, Michael. [eds]. Men's Lives, 4^th edition, pp. 431-435. New York/Toronto: Macmillan/Maxwell.

: Jensen, Robert. (2002). "You are what you eat: The pervasive porn industry and what it says about you and your desires.” Clamor. September/October, pp. 55-59.

Th July 21 : In the same link:

Willis, Ellen. (1998). “Abortion: Is a women a person?” pp. 292-294.

Wells, Laura. (1998). “In response to a ‘moderate’ view of abortion.” Both in Amy Kesselman, Lily D McNair, Nancy Schniedewind [eds.] Women: Images & Realities, pp. 294-295. New York: McGraw-Hill.