SOC 3325 Race, Ethnicity, and Community

Spring 2006

Instructor and Contact Information

Dr. Bobby C. Alexander
Office: GR 3.516
Office Phone: 972-883-6898
Office E-mail: bcalex@utdallas.edu Please use Pipeline, instead of WebCT.
Office Hours: 3:15-5:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays,
and by appointment

Course Description
The sociological study of race and ethnicity, one of the main subfields of sociology,
emerged in the 1920s in the study of populations in large urban settings. Contemporary
sociological study in the U.S. was revitalized by the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s
and by social movements involving other racial and ethnic groups encouraged by it, as
well as by the new immigration of the 1970s, which contributed to a more racially and
ethnically diverse population. Challenging predictions by many social scientists that race
and ethnicity would lose their significance in the face of industrialization and forces of
modernization, they remain central to people’s identity and social experience around the
world. This course examines some of the reasons why.

The course begins by examining the social meaning of race and ethnicity as well as the
ideology of racism and its role in society. It also examines race and ethnicity in relation
to patterns in the distribution of wealth, education, political representation, and other
resources, as well as opportunities in employment, political power, social status, and
other areas of multiracial and multiethnic societies. The course introduces a variety of
sociological theories, including social stratification by race and ethnicity, “dominant-
minority” groups, prejudice and discrimination, and power relations, to explain
discrepancies in the distribution of resources to people of different racial and ethnic
groups and their social and economic opportunities. The course considers public policy,
for example Affirmative Action and immigration law, as a means of addressing inequities
and opportunities. While conflict and competition characterize ethnic relations, harmony
and accommodation, which are encouraged by public policy and law, do so as well. The
course considers why this is the case.

Other issues considered include immigration by a variety of racial and ethnic groups, and
patterns of ethnic relations after settlement including cultural and structural assimilation
and pluralism. Attempts to address these and other issues by government and extra-
governmental institutions also are considered.

The course highlights some of the main racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., including
blacks/African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans and
other white “ethnic” Americans, and whites/European Americans. The course
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concentrates on the United States, but considers race and ethnicity from a global
perspective.

Although the format of the course is lecture and discussion, students are encouraged to
bring their own interests to class sessions.

Course Requirements:

Readings
One of the required texts gives an overview of the sociological study of race and
ethnicity: Race and Ethnic Relations: American and Global Perspectives, by Martin N.
Marger, 6th edition, Wadsworth, 2005. The second text offers a more detailed discussion
of immigration as it relates to race and ethnicity: Diversity in America, by Vincent N.
Parrillo, 2nd edition, Pine Forge Press/Sage Publications, Inc., 2005. The texts are
available in the UTD Bookstore and at Off Campus Books. The reading assignments are
printed in the course calendar below. Students are required to read the assigned material
before class in order to contribute to class discussion. The remainder of the readings for
the course will be those students select, and the instructor approves, for the literature
review they will prepare for the course paper, which are discussed below.

Two Exams
Students will write two take-home exams. Both will be in essay format. Exam questions
will be handed out in class one week before the exams are due. Each exam will cover
material assigned after the preceding exam. Exam due dates are printed in the course
calendar below. Students must submit hard copies of the exams; e-mailed electronic files
of the exams are not accepted, with the exception of emergencies.

Course Paper
Students will elect to write either a library-based term paper or to undertake a field-based
project, which will incorporate library research as well as interviews made in the field.
Students will write on topics they choose that are relevant to the study of race and
ethnicity that are of interest to them. Topics must be approved by the course instructor.
The paper must be around 10 pages. The instructor will post guidelines for the paper on
WebCT and give detailed instructions in class. The due date for the paper is printed in
the course calendar. Students must submit hard copies of the paper; e-mailed electronic
files of the paper are not accepted, with the exception of emergencies.

Three Literature Reviews

Students will turn in three literature reviews. At least two must be reviews of articles
published in peer-reviewed scholarly/academic journals. One may be reviews of chapters
in a scholarly/academic book. The instructor will post guidelines for the literature
reviews on WebCT and provide detailed instructions in class. Due dates for the literature
reviews are in the course calendar. Students must submit hard copies of the literature
reviews; e-mailed electronic files are not accepted, with the exception of emergencies.
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Late Work
Students must notify the instructor before exams, literature reviews, and the paper are
due in order to receive approval to submit work late. Students must have a legitimate
excuse and must put their reason in writing to the instructor. Legitimate excuses must be
of a serious nature, such as medical emergencies. Documentation will be required.
Students who face emergencies and are unable to request permission in advance must
submit documentation as soon as they are able. The policy is intended to help students
stay on track in submitting written work and to promote fairness to students who submit
work on time.

Students who miss class are responsible for obtaining copies of exam questions and
guidelines for the literature reviews and the course paper on the site for our course on
WebCT.

Course Grade
Each exam will count as 25% of the course grade; combined, the exams count as 50%
of the course grade. The course paper will count as 25% of the course grade. The
three literature reviews will count as 20%. The remaining 5% of the grade will be based
class attendance – students are expected to come to class regularly – and contribution to
class discussion of the ideas based on the course reading material; in other word, students
can earn up to 5% of the grade by coming to class regularly and contributing to class
discussion.

Scholastic Dishonesty
Scholastic dishonesty is a serious offense and is governed by official university policy,
which can be found in the UTD catalogue and on the UTD Web site.

Course Calendar

January 10 and 12
Introduction to the Course
Basic Concepts
Read: Marger, Chapter 1: “Introduction: Some Basic Concepts”

January 17 and 19
Ethnic Stratification
Read: Marger, Chapter 2: “Ethnic Stratification: Power and Inequality”

January 24 and 26
Prejudice and Discrimination
Read: Marger, Chapter 3: “Techniques of Dominance: Prejudice and Discrimination”

Paper topic due in class January 26th

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January 31 and February 2

Assimilation and Pluralism
Read: Marger, Chapter 4: “Patterns of Ethnic Relations: Assimilation and Pluralism”

February 7 and 9
Assimilation and Pluralism continued
Read: Parrillo, Chapter 1: “Perception and Reality”

The American “Ethnic Hierarchy”

Read: Marger, Chapter 5: “Foundations of the American Ethnic Hierarchy” (includes
“Middle-Eastern Americans” and the new immigrants)

First literature review due in class February 9th.

February 14 and 16
The American “Ethnic Hierarchy” continued
Continue: Marger, Chapter 5: “Foundations of the American Ethnic Hierarchy”

First Exam questions handed out in class February 16th.

February 21 and 23
Read: Parrillo, Chapter 7: “Diversity in the Information Age”
Chapter 8: “Intergenerational Comparisons”

First Exam due in class February 23rd.

February 28 and March 2

White “Ethnic” Americans
Read: Marger, Chapter 7: “Italian Americans”

No Class: March 7 and 9: Spring Break

March 14 and 16
Jewish Americans
Read: Marger, Chapter 8: “Jewish Americans”

March 21 and 23
African Americans
Read: Marger, Chapter 9: “African Americans”

Second literature review due in class March 23 rd.

March 28 and 30
Hispanic Americans
Read: Marger, Chapter 10: “Hispanic Americans”
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April 4 and 6
Asian Americans and “Middle-Eastern Americans”
Read: Marger, Chapter 11: “Asian Americans,” and
Handout on Middle-Eastern Americans
April 11 and 13
Multiculturalism
Read: Parrillo, Chapter 9: “Is Multiculturalism a Threat?”
Chapter 10: “Multiculturalism after 9/11”

Third literature review due in class April 13 th.

Second Exam questions handed out in class April 13th.

April 18 and 20
Responses to Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
Read: Marger, Chapter 12: “Current and Future Issues of Race and Ethnicity in the
United States”
Parrillo, Chapter 11: “The Next Horizon”

Global Issues of Race and Ethnicity

Read: Marger, Chapter 17: “Global Issues of Ethnic Conflict and Change,” pages 569-
578 and 591-594 only

Second Exam due in class April 20 th.

April 25
Course Paper Due
Students will turn in their papers to the instructor’s office (GR 3.516) during the
scheduled final exam period (2:00 and 3:15 p.m.).