SOCI 142Gm Diversity and Racial Conflict

SOCI 142gm—Diversity and Racial Conflict University of Southern California Spring 2012

Class Meetings: MW 3:30-5 Classroom: GFS 106 Professor: Amon Emeka Office/Hours: KAP 358, Tues & Fri 10-11:30 TA: Kushan Dasgupta Office/Hours: KAP 355, Mon & Wed 2-3:30 TA: Michael Dickerson Office/Hours: KAP 355, Mon & Wed 1:30-3

What does the election of President Barack Obama tell us about race and ethnic relations in the U.S.? What about the response President Obama’s policy initiatives? What about the law passed in Arizona to eliminate Latino/Chicano Studies from public school curriculum? This course will be a rare opportunity for students to address these and other questions with scholarly rigor.

“Diversity and Racial Conflict” is a course in sociology that introduces students to key theories and concepts in the sociological study of racial and ethnic relations in the United States while surveying the historical and contemporary circumstances of numerous racial and ethnic groups. “It is the university’s goal to prepare students through the study of human differences for responsible citizenship in an increasingly pluralistic and diverse society” (USC Catalogue 2008-09, p. 60). This course aims to “provide undergraduate students with the background knowledge and analytical skills to enable them to understand and respect differences between groups of people and to understand the potential resources and/or conflicts arising from human differences on the contemporary American and international scene” (ibid.).

By the end of this course students will be able to:

 Describe the continuing impact of race and ethnicity on U.S. life (chances)

 Articulate the social mechanisms that generated historical racial/ethnic inequalities

 Articulate the social mechanisms that generate contemporary racial/ethnic inequalities

 Articulate strategies for minimizing contemporary racial/ethnic inequalities

These skills will be gained through readings, lectures, video presentations, discussions, and written assignments required in the course. Diversity courses call for the open exchange of ideas and experiences of people from (sometimes) vastly different backgrounds. This means students must be present in class and be respectful of classmates—to respectfully disagree with others is a pivotal life skill!

SUCCEEDING IN SOCI 142gm:

Familiarize yourself with this syllabus. All expectations of you are outlined in detail here. If, after having read this document, you remain unclear regarding what is required and/or expected of you, make it known. You should always know what is going on in the course and there should be no surprises when you receive your final grade. Also, familiarize yourself with the professor and teaching assistants (TA’s) for this course. Make use of our office hours!

1 REQUIREMENTS:

“Diversity and Racial Conflict” meets for 4 hours every week (3 hours in lecture and 1 hour in discussion sections). Conventional wisdom has it that, in college, every hour in class will be preceded by 2 to 3 hours of preparation (i.e., completing readings and assignments, studying, etc.). That means you can expect to spend 8 to 12 hours outside of class each week preparing for “Diversity and Racial Conflict” or any other 4 unit course. This course is designed with the lower end of this range—8 hours— in mind; of course, there will be some variation around this number based on how quickly students read and write and their level of commitment to really learning the material.

Attendance/Participation (30 pts). Students are expected to attend all portions of all classes and discussion sections. If you are a distraction to the class (i.e., arriving late, texting, emailing, facebooking, sleeping, leaving early, etc.) you will be asked to leave the class and/or will not receive credit for attendance. Attendance will count directly toward your grade by way of weekly quizzes to be taken in discussion sections (see Quizzes below) and in-class exercises administered through http://www.tophatmonocle.com/ which is a website that will facilitate communication between students, teaching assistants, and the professor during lecture. Each student must register at https://www.tophatmonocle.com/register/student/ and pay the $20 registration fee.

Readings. The majority of time you will spend preparing for class will be spent reading. All of your readings are available in SOCI142gm COURSE READER that can be purchased at University Graphics in the University Village (directly behind the Burger King on Jefferson Blvd, 213-744-1511) for $49.86. Included in the Reader are a handful of articles from scholarly journals and selections from influential books written primarily by practicing sociologists. Because this is an introductory course we will not have time to read complete books, but you may find that the selections leave you wanting more. For this reason, I have provided their full citations in the Course Outline.

Your knowledge of the readings will tested by way of Quizzes, Jeopardy Questions, and Exams as explained below.

Quizzes (70 pts). Each discussion section will include a brief quiz to gauge your attendance and reading. They will consist of 5 true/false, multiple choice, and/or short-answer questions addressing material found in the prior week’s readings and/or information offered in two prior lectures (only).

 Tuesday Sections will be quizzed on lecture material from last Wednesday and this Monday and readings addressed in class last Wednesday and this Monday.

 Thursday Section will be quizzed on lecture material from this Monday and Wednesday and readings addressed in class this Monday and Wednesday.

As many as 2 additional points will be granted to each student on the basis of his/her participation that day. If you attend and participate actively you will receive 2 points, but if you do not participate you will receive only 1 point. If you attend discussion sections, but are disruptive (i.e., coming late, leaving early, reading non-course related materials, using personal electronics, etc.) you will receive no participation points for the day. Therefore, each quiz will be worth 7 points.

2 There will be 13 quizzes given over the course of the semester, but only your best 10 scores will count in the calculation of your quiz grade. Therefore, you can miss 3 quizzes with no penalty. This generous provision is in recognition that other academic, professional, and personal concerns sometimes arise that make it impossible for you to attend section—if this happens more than three times you are simply out of luck. There will be no make-up quizzes.

Jeopardy Questions (40 pts). A popular television quiz called “Jeopardy!” asks contestants to come up with the questions to answers that are provided by the show’s host. Like Alex Trebek, authors of our course readings offer (really long) answers to questions in the category of “Diversity and Racial Conflict.” It will be your job to articulate the central question(s) addressed in each reading even if it is not explicitly or completely stated in the reading. Students will form reading groups of 3 to 5 individuals (who are in the same discussion section) and together will decide on the single best question to submit to their TA for each reading. These questions should be written with a three to five paragraph essay in mind and, depending on their quality, will appear on the list of possible essay questions for the midterm and final exams. There are 27 readings and you may earn up to 2 points for every question your group offers until you reach 40 points. They will be graded as follows:

 ‘0’ if you fail to turn in a question OR turn in a question that could have easily been written without having read the chapter.

 ‘1’ for questions that convey a superficial understanding of the reading—questions that would only require students to define sociological concepts.

 ‘2’ for questions that convey a deep understanding of the reading—questions that would require students to define and apply sociological concepts in some way.

 Any question that finds its way onto the list of possible essay questions for the midterm or final exam with receive a bonus point—for a total score of ‘3’. Of all 20 to 30 questions received for each reading only one will be chosen for inclusion on the list of possible questions.

Some questions will consist of multiple interrelated sentences and questions. They may reflect the thinking of two or more of your group members. Don’t feel like you need to ask your question in a space of a single sentence, but be sure the questions are coherent and do not run longer than 60 words. When submitting your group’s question, be sure to list the names of all group members and identify the corresponding reading(s) by writing “Jeopardy Question for ” For example, “Jeopardy Question for Cornell and Hartmann (1998):”

All questions must be emailed to your TA by no later than 11:59PM the night before the reading is to be addressed in class—that is, EVERY Sunday and Tuesday before midnight. For a few class dates there are two separate readings. In those cases you may write a single question that addresses both readings OR two separate questions—one for each reading. Questions submitted after midnight will not be accepted.

Exams (200 pts). You and your classmates will play an integral role in constructing both the Midterm and Final Exams—both of which will be in-class essay exams. The Midterm Exam will take place on Monday, March 5 and will consist of 2 short essays worth 20 points each and 1 long essay worth 40 points (of Professor Emeka’s choosing) for a total of 80 points. The short essays will be drawn from a list of questions which will be distributed on Wednesday, March 2 and will consist of the best “Jeopardy

3 Question” submitted for each reading. This list will have few surprises since each reading’s chosen question will be presented in class on the day the reading is addressed. Additionally, there will be a list of 3 long essays provided by Professor Emeka. The long essays will require students to draw on multiple readings to address some or another big idea or trend.

The Final Exam will take place on Friday, May 4, 2 to 4PM and will consist of 2 short essays worth 20 points each and 2 long essay worth 40 points each for total of 120 points. The short essays will be drawn from a list of questions which will be distributed on Wednesday, April 25 and will consist of the best “Jeopardy Question” submitted for each reading covered since the Midterm. Additionally, there will be a list of 5-6 long essay questions—including 2-3 that appeared on the Midterm Exam and 2-3 more addressing material covered after the midterm.

Both the Midterm and Final will be closed book exams, but students are allowed to bring a use one page (one side of an 8½ X 11 page) of direct quotes from course readings to use in whatever way they wish. All quotes must be:

 Preceded by a page heading that includes your name and “SOC 142 Midterm Quotes – Spr 2012”

 typewritten in 11 or 12 point font with one inch margins

 numbered, with each new quote starting on a new line

 no more than 60 words in length

 followed by a proper citation (Author’s Last Name Year: Page)

 strictly quotes, with NONE of your own commentary

For example,

1. “Although cultural forces play a role in inner-city outcomes, evidence suggests that they are secondary to the larger economic and political forces, both racial and nonracial, that move American society ” (Wilson 2009: 61).

The quotes may be directly incorporated into your essays or may be used simply reminders as to what, in your view, is particularly instructive or particularly problematic about each reading.

Sociological Movie Reviews (40 pts). Each student is required to write a sociological review of the films, “Do the Right Thing” and “The New Americans.” Each review will be worth 20 points or 5% of your overall grade.

“Do the Right Thing” is a feature length film that follows a day in the life of a New York City neighborhood that culminates in what some would call a ‘race riot.’ Students will watch the film paying close of attention to how social facts, sociological concepts, and sociological theories are depicted by writer/director Spike Lee. Students will write about the characteristics of the neighborhood—not the characteristics of individuals—that help us make sense of this and perhaps other (non-fictional) ‘race riots.’ All or part of “Do the Right Thing” will be shown Wednesday, Feb 22 in GFS 106 at 7PM. It is not required that students attend that night, but all students must watch the film before Feb 17. The film viewing on Feb 22 will be followed by a discussion led by Professor Emeka that may be useful as you

4 begin to write your review which must be completed and submitted via ‘turnitin’ by 4:30PM on Friday, Feb 24.

“The New Americans” is a three-part documentary that follows five small groups of immigrants over the course of four years as they prepare to leave their five respective countries, arrive in the U.S., and begin to assimilate. More can be learned about the immigrants and the documentary at http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/newamericans.html. Students will watch the film paying close of attention to how social facts, sociological concepts, and sociological theories are manifest in the lives of these immigrants. Segmented assimilation theory may be particularly useful for shedding sociological light on their experience, but that is certainly not the only relevant sociological concept or theory. Students will write about how the experience one or two of these (five) groups of immigrants is shaped by a) the culture and structure the their sending countries, b) their own socioeconomic characteristics, and c) the culture and structure of their receiving society. They will also make an argument about which of these groups has the most cause for optimism going forward. We will watch most of the series during lecture, but the conclusion of “The New Americans” will be shown Wednesday, Mar 28 in GFS 106 at 7PM. It is not required that students attend that night, but all students must watch the film before Apr 1. As before, the film viewing on Mar 28 will be followed by a discussion led by Professor Emeka that may be useful as you begin to write your review which must be completed and submitted via ‘turnitin’ by 4:30PM on Friday, March 30.

Papers must be typewritten double-spaced and must not exceed 800 words. Relevant class readings should be cited in the body of the text a bibliography/works cited page is not necessary unless you cite sources other than course readings.

‘Beyond Theory’ Paper (20 pts). Over the course of the semester students will read hundreds of speculative statements offered by sociologists. You may question some of those statements. You will also read hundreds of factual statements that may be dated—that is, they may have been verifiably true at the time that they were made but not true in 2012. There may be many other reasons you question the arguments of one or more of the authors you are reading. You may be thinking race and ethnicity matters more, less, or just differently than some or another author suggests. The ‘Beyond Theory’ Paper provides you an opportunity to address ONE such issue empirically—that is, to bring evidence to bear on it. Evidence may include (but is not limited to):

 Original Analysis of Already Collected National or International Survey Data (see http://sda.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/hsda?harcsda+gss08 and http://usa.ipums.org/usa/sda/ )

 Collection and Analysis of Original Survey Data (see http://www.qualtrics.com/academic- solutions/usc-college-of-letters-arts-and-sciences/ and http://www.surveymonkey.com/ )

 Collection and Analysis of Original Interview Data

 Text/Rhetorical Analysis of Popular Literature

Some students are more curious about what people are thinking than how they are doing in a more objective sense. We call this the difference between doing research on attitudes and doing research on socioeconomic outcomes. While attitudes can be addressed using all of the methods above, socioeconomic outcomes are best addressed using the first of the methods listed above.

5 Important note: The opinion offered or argument made by an expert does not count as evidence, but rather the data that the expert is basing his/her opinion on does. You’ll need to get a hold of the latter.

Papers must be typewritten double-spaced and must not exceed 1000 words. Relevant class readings should be cited in the body of the text a bibliography/works cited page is not necessary unless you cite sources other than course readings. They must be submitted via ‘turnitin’ by 4:30PM on Friday, Apr 20.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE GRADING OF WRITTEN WORK:

‘A’ papers will be clearly written and well organized in ways that demonstrate the depth of your understanding of sociological concepts and theories as well as your ability to apply them to ‘real life’ situations.

‘B’ papers will have noticeable shortcomings in terms of grammar and/or structure OR will have underdeveloped sociological explanations.

‘C’ papers will have substantial shortcomings in terms of grammar and/or structure OR will have fundamentally flawed explanations.

‘D’ papers will have glaring shortcomings in terms of grammar and/or structure OR will fail to bring sociological concepts and theories to bear on the topic at hand.

GRADING:

Quizzes (10 @ 10 pts each) 100 pts A 368-400 C+ 310-318 Jeopardy Questions (27 @ 2 pts each) 40 pts A- 358-367 C 286-309 Midterm Exam 80 pts B+ 350-357 C- 278-285 Movie Reviews (2 @ 20 pts each) 40 pts B 326-349 D+ 270-277 ‘Beyond Theory’ Paper 20 pts B- 318-325 D 238- 269 Final Exam 120 pts TOTAL 400 pts

LATE WORK POLICY:

NO late ‘Jeopardy questions’ will be accepted. There are NO make-up quizzes. Written assignments submitted no more than 24 hours late will be docked one full grade (2 pts out of the 20 possible) and may receive no written feedback. Written assignments submitted more than 24 hours after the deadline listed in the syllabus will receive no more than half credit (up to 10 pts out of the 20 possible).

A WORD ON PLAGIARISM:

6 Plagiarism is always grounds for a failing grade, but if the plagiarism is egregious it may be grounds for expulsion. Be careful to acknowledge the sources you draw on as you write by citing them in the body of the text. If you plagiarize, ‘turnitin’ will bring that fact to light and you will suffer the consequences.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Mon, Jan 9 Introduction

Video: “Third Rock From the Sun: Dick Like Me”

Wed, Jan 11 The Fluidity of Race and Ethnicity

Reading: “The Puzzle of Ethnicity and Race” in Cornell, Stephen and Douglas Hartmann. 1998. Ethnicity and Race: Making Identities in a Changing World. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press. Pp. 1-35.

Mon, Jan 16 NO CLASS -- Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

Wed, Jan 18 The Theory and Reality of the American Melting Pot

Reading: “Rethinking Assimilation” in Alba, Richard and Victor Nee. 2003. Remaking the American Mainstream: Assimilation and Contemporary Immigration. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Ch. 1.

“Conclusion: Remaking the Mainstream” in Alba, Richard and Victor Nee. 2003. Remaking the American Mainstream: Assimilation and Contemporary Immigration. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Ch. 7.

Mon, Jan 23 Mechanisms of Social Exclusion

Reading: “How Stratification Works” in Massey, Douglas. 2007. Categorically Unequal: The American Stratification System. New York: Russell Sage. Ch.1.

Wed, Jan 25 White Privilege

Reading: “Born to Belonging” in Wise, Tim. 2004. White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son. Brooklyn, New York: Soft Skull Press. Pp. 1-31 & 127-41.

7 Video: “Color of Fear” (LVYVID 737 pt. 1)

Mon, Jan 30 The Maintenance of White Privilege

Reading: “The Central Frames of Color-Blind Racism” in Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. 2006. Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. Ch. 2.

Video: “Color of Fear” (LVYVID 737 pt.2)

Wed, Feb 1 The Institutionalization of Inequality in the U.S.

Reading: “How Unequal? America’s Invisible Policy Choices” in Fischer, Claude, Michael Hout, Martin Sanchez Jankowski, Samuel Lucas, Ann Swidler, Kim Voss. 1996. Inequality by Design: Cracking the Bell Curve Myth. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Ch. 6.

Mon, Feb 6 Black Poverty in the U.S.: Structure and Culture

Reading: “Structural and Cultural Forces that Contribute to Racial Inequality” in Wilson, William J. 2009. More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City. New York: W.W. Norton. Chs. 1-2.

Wed, Feb 8 American Apartheid? Race, Ethnicity, and Residence in the U.S.

Reading: “Historical Overview and Theories of Immigrant Spatial Incorporation” in Iceland, John. 2009. Where We Live Now: Immigration and Race in the United States. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Chs. 2-3.

Mon, Feb 13 “Inter-ethnic” Conflict in Modern Times

Reading: “From Civil Relations to Racial Conflict: Merchant-Customer Interactions in Urban America.” Lee, Jennifer. 2002. American Sociological Review 67:77-98.

Wed, Feb 15 Experiential Realities of “Urban” Boys

Reading: “The Labeling Hype: Coming of Age in the Era of Mass Incarceration” in Rios, Victor. 2011. Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys. New York: NYU Press. Ch. 3.

Mon, Feb 20 No Class – President’s Day

Wed, Feb 22 Contemporary Colonialism?

Reading: “Colonized and Immigrant Minorities” in Blauner, Robert. 2001. Still the Big News: Racial Oppression in America. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press. Chs. 2-3. Movie Night: “Do the Right Thing”

8 Fri, Feb 24 Sociological Movie Review due via Turnitin by 4:30PM

Mon, Feb 27 American Indians: Past and PRESENT

Reading: “The Changing Political and Economic Status of the Americans Indians: From Captive Nations to Internal Colonies.” Snipp, C. Matthew. 1986. American Journal of Economics and Sociology 45(2): 145-57.

“American Indians and Natural Resource Development.” Snipp, C. Matthew. 1986. American Journal of Economics and Sociology 45(4): 457-74.

Wed, Feb 29 Israel and Palestine: Racial Conflict?

Reading: “From Colonization to Separation: Exploring the Structure of Israel’s Occupation.” Gordon, Neve. 2008. Third World Quarterly 29:25-44.

Video: “I Know I’m Not Alone”

Mon, Mar 5 Midterm Exam

Wed, Mar 7 Immigrants in the New Century

Reading: “In Their Own Eyes: Immigrant Outlooks on America” in Portes, Alejandro and Ruben Rumbaut. 2001. Legacies: The Story of the Immigrant Second Generation. Berkeley, Cal: University of California Press. Ch. 5.

Video: The New Americans (Part 1)

Mon, Mar 12 & Wed, Mar 14 No Classes or Sections – SPRING RECESS

Mon, Mar 19 The Racialization of Mexicans

Reading: “Building a Better Underclass” in Massey, Douglas. 2007. Categorically Unequal: The American Stratification System. New York: Russell Sage. Ch.4.

Wed, Mar 21 Still A Melting Pot? Segmented Assimilation

Reading: “Not Everyone is Chosen: Segmented Assimilation and it Determinants” in Portes, Alejandro and Ruben Rumbaut. 2001. Legacies: The Story of the Immigrant Second Generation. Los Angeles: University of California Press. Ch. 3.

Video: The New Americans (Part 2)

Mon, Mar 26 Asian Experiences and Asian Identities in the U.S.

Reading: “Reactive Solidarity: Anti-Asian Violence” in Espiritu, Yen Le. 1993. Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging Institutions and Identities. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press. Chs. 6-7.

Wed, Mar 28 New Diversity and Old Color Lines

9 Reading: “The Cultural Boundaries of Ethnoracial Status and Intermarriage” in Lee, Jennifer & Frank Bean. 2010. The Diversity Paradox: Immigration and the Color Line in the Twenty First Century. New York: Russell Sage. Ch. 5. Movie Night: The New Americans (Part 3)

Fri, Mar 30 Sociological Movie Review due via Turnitin by 4:30PM

Mon, Apr 2 Race and Education in the U.S.

Reading: “Law, Race, and Education in the United States.” Lucas, Samuel R. and Marcel Paret. 2005. Annual Review of Law and Social Science 1: 203-31.

Wed, Apr 4 Race and Education in One Specific Context

Reading: “Unequal Outcomes, Unequal Opportunities” in Noguera, Pedro. 2003. City Schools and the American Dream: Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education. New York: Teachers College Press. Chs. 4-5.

Mon, Apr 9 The “War on Drugs”

Reading: “The Lockdown” in Alexander, Michelle. 2010. The New Jin Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age if Colorblindness. New York: The New Press. Ch. 2.

Wed, Apr 11 Racial Impacts of the “War on Drugs”

Reading: “The Color of Justice” in Alexander, Michelle. 2010. The New Jin Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age if Colorblindness. New York: The New Press. Ch. 3.

Mon, Apr 16 Is U.S. Society ‘Post-Racial’?

Reading: “The President, the Tea Party, and Voting Behavior in 2010: Insights from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study” Jacobson, Gary. 2011. Unpublished paper.

Video: “A More Perfect Union” (Obama’s March 2008 speech on U.S. race relations)

Wed, Apr 18 Exposing the Whiteness of Color Blindness

Reading: “E Pluribus Unum or Same Old Perfume in a New Bottle?” in Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. 2006. Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. Chs. 8-9.

Fri, Apr 20 ‘Beyond Theory’ due via Turnitin by 4:30PM

Mon, Apr 23 What Can Be Done?

Reading: “What Works?” in Blackwell, Angela, Stewart Kwoh, and Manuel Pastor. 2002. Searching for the Uncommon Common Ground. New York: W.W. Norton. Ch. 4.

Wed, Apr 25 What Must Be Done?

10 Fri, May 4 Final Exam

*This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of Professor Emeka