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Course Syllabus

Course Information

SOC 3325, Section 001 Race, Ethnicity and Community Spring 2011

Professor Contact Information

Bobby C. Alexander, Ph.D.

Office Phone: 972-883-6898


E-mail: bcalex@utdallas.edu. PLEASE use regular UTD e-mail instead of
eLearning to reach me. Thank you.
Office: GR 2.532
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and by appointment

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

None

Course Description

The course examines social stratification of race or ethnic groups of Americans in income,
occupation, and education, in political power, and in other areas of U.S. society and its social
institutions. Also examined are degrees of discrimination and prejudice experienced by different
race or ethnic groups, along with degrees of assimilation into U.S. social institutions and the
dominant American culture. The course also discusses the debate concerning social inequity,
multiculturalism, and assimilation fueled by the growing racial or ethnic diversity of American
society, to which immigrants arriving since 1965 have contributed, and the growing political and
economic power of Americans who are not part of the dominant social group.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

The course objective is to understand the social meaning of race or ethnicity, the social
construction of race and ethnicity, and their roles in multiracial and multiethnic societies. Closely
related to this key objective is understanding race or ethnicity in relation to inequities in wealth,
occupation, education, social status, political representation, and other resources and
opportunities.

The course objective will be accomplished by students’ writing two essay exams on the course
reading assignments as well as three short literature reviews of peer-reviewed, scholarly journal
articles on a sociological topic related to race or ethnicity.

Course Syllabus Page 1


Required Textbooks and Materials

Two texts are required: Race and Ethnic Relations: American and Global Perspectives, by Martin
N. Marger, Wadsworth; and Diversity in America, by Vincent Parrillo, Pine Forge Press. Both
are available at the UTD Bookstore and Off Campus Books. Students will be responsible for
selecting further readings from scholarly journals and other scholarly sources associated with the
literature review assignment. Supplemental reading materials may be placed on electronic
reserve in the UTD McDermott Library.

Assignments & Academic Calendar

Students will write two eight-page, take-home exams. Both will be in essay format. Exam
questions will be handed out in class one week before the exams are due.

Students also will write three two-to-three-page literature reviews of three different scholarly
sources, including peer-reviewed, academic journal articles, on a single topic related to race or
ethnicity. Students will choose a topic that interests them and has significance for U.S. society
and/or has sociological importance.

Students will present their literature reviews and policy suggestions based on them in class
presentations.

Instructions for all course assignments will be made available on the course website on
eLearning. Students will download and print the instructions and bring them to class one week
before assignments are due.

January 10
Orientation to the Course

January 12 and 19 (NO CLASS JANUARY 17: Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday)
Basic Sociological Concepts of Race and Ethnicity
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 1: “Introduction: Some Basic Concepts”

January 24 and 26
Ethnic Stratification
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 2: “Ethnic Stratification: Power and Inequality”

Literature Review Topic due January 26th

January 31 and February 2


Prejudice and Discrimination
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 3: “Techniques of Dominance: Prejudice and Discrimination”

Course Syllabus Page 2


February 7 and 9
Assimilation and Pluralism
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 4: “Patterns of Ethnic Relations: Assimilation and Pluralism”

February 14 and 16
Assimilation and Pluralism
Read: Diversity in America:
Chapter 1: “Perception and Reality”

The “American Ethnic Hierarchy”


Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 5: “Foundations of the American Ethnic Hierarchy” (includes
“Middle-Eastern Americans” and the newest immigrants)

First Literature Review due February 16th

February 21 and 23
The “American Ethnic Hierarchy” Continued
Continue: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 5: “Foundations of the American Ethnic Hierarchy”

February 28 and March 2


Diversity of Americans
Read: Diversity in America:
Chapter 7: “Diversity in the Information Age”
Chapter 8: “Intergenerational Comparisons”

First Exam questions handed out March 2nd

March 7 and 9
“White Ethnic” Americans
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 10: “White Ethnic Americans”

First Exam due March 9th

March 14 and 16 NO CLASS: Spring Break

March 21
Jewish Americans
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 11: “Jewish Americans”

March 23 and 28
Black Americans
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations
Chapter 7: “African Americans”

Second Literature Review due March 28th

Course Syllabus Page 3


March 30 and April 4
Latino Americans
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 8: “Hispanic Americans”

April 6 and 11
Asian Americans and “Middle-Eastern Americans”
Read: 1) Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 9: “Asian Americans”
2) Handout from Middle Eastern Quarterly

April 13 and 18
Multiculturalism
Read: Diversity in America:
Chapter 9: “Is Multiculturalism a Threat?”
Chapter 10: “Multiculturalism after 9/11”

Class Presentations

Third Literature Review due April 18th

April 20 and 25
Responses to Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
Read: Race and Ethnic Relations:
Chapter 12: “The Changing Context of American Race and Ethnic Relations”

Class Presentations

April 27 and May 2


The Future of Immigration
Read: Diversity in America:
Chapter 11: “The Next Horizon”

Class Presentations

Second Exam questions handed out May 2nd

May 9 (Note: Exam date is later than official UTD scheduled exam in order to give students
a full week to work on the exam.)

Second Exam due

Students will turn in the exam to the instructor’s office (GR 2.530) at 10:30 a.m.

Grading Policy

The percentage distribution (total equals 100%) for the course grade follows.

65%: the two essay exams combined


20%: the three literature reviews combined

Course Syllabus Page 4


5%: in-class presentation
10%: attendance
Note: Students automatically will be excused from two classes. Students who miss more
than two classes will be excused if they have legitimate reasons (for example, illness and
death in the family) and provide proper documentation.

The grading scale follows.

A+ = 97-100
A = 94-96
A- = 90-93
B+ = 87-89
B = 84-86
B- = 80-83
C+ = 77-79
C = 74-76
C- = 70-73
D+ = 67-69
D = 64-66
D- = 60-63
F = 59 and below

Course & Instructor Policies

Students must submit hard copies of all assignments in class on the due dates; late papers will not
be accepted without the prior approval of the instructor. No electronic submissions will be
accepted, unless the student is absent from class and has a legitimate reason for being absent.
This requirement is intended to help students turn in their work on time and to promote fairness,
since students work hard to submit work on time.

Class attendance is required. The intent of this policy is to help students perform well on
assignments by keeping up with lectures and discussion.

University Policies

To view university policies on Student Conduct, Grade Appeals, Disability Services,


Religious Holy Days, and others, please go to the link that follows.

http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies

Course Syllabus Page 5

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