Marlese Durr - American Sociological Association

Race and Minority Relations (Soc 442/642) Dr. Marlese Durr
174 Millett Hall 9-10AM 480D Millett H all
Office Hours: 1-2PM Phone:873-2275
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course investigates race/ethnic relations within the United States from a socio-historical perspective
highlighting: (1) contemporary statem ents about race/ethnic relations; (2) factors leading Europeans to
immigrate to the U.S.; (3) the involuntary and voluntary immigration of racial minorities; and (4) our
transformation from an agricultural to an industrial society promoting the development of cities and cultural
pluralism . To accomplish these goals, the class is divided into fou r segments.
Segment I reviews three classic writings on discrimination, assimilation, and race/ethnic relations written
during the mid-to late 20th century . Segment II focuses on White Ethnics immigration and settlement on the
Eastern seaboard and African Americans presence in these cities, coupled with their procuring and
maintaining employment opportunities.
Segment III examines the social and political mobilization of ethnic and racial minorities as citizens w ithin
their new homeland. Segment IV explores social and cultural changes within the U.S. focusing on social,
econom ic, and political conte xts of society.
Additionally, this course will make substantial use of electronic scholarship (the internet) to complete class
assignm ents addressing two pu blic policy issues of the late 20th and p ossibly ea rly 21st ce ntury.
REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING: Students are required
to complete:
(A)Two In-Class Examinations: consisting of a combination
of Multip le-Choice, True-False, and Essays questions (distributed
about equally across class reading assignm ents and lectures).
(B) A Position Paper: discussing contemporary immigration
policies and affirm ative action legislation from the position of an
"Econo mic Liberal or Conservative" (See page 3).
(C) Two 3-5 Page Historical Descriptions: describing social
protests and educational development and economic advancement
(advantage or disadvantage) of White ethnics and racial minorities
(See pa ge 3).
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GRADE
SUMMA RY
Requirement Ratio Points
In-Class Exam I 20% 100 pts.
In-Class Exam II 20% 100 pts.
Position Paper 35% 175 pts.
Description I 10% 50 pts.
Description II 15% 75 pts.
_____________________________
Total 100% 500 pts.
Your Points/50 0=A,B ,C,D,F
Extra Credit: consisting of 25 points w ill be given to students attend ing the W .E. B. Du Bois Public Forum
(October 17, 1996) and Scholars Exchange Panel (October 19, 1996) at the WSU Student Union M ultipurpose
Room. To receive these extra credit points, a 3-6 page description of questions and remarks on conservatism
and gender issues should be completed by October 21, 1996.
Class Attendance and M ake-Up Policy: Students are expected to attend class regularly. Make-up exam s will
be given for SERIOUS ILLNESS OR FAMILY EMERGENCIES ONLY during FINALS WEEK.
An official excuse (with th e appropriate d ate) will be require d at the tim e of the ex amina tion.

TEXT(s): Aguirre. Adalberto, Jr. and Jonathan Turner. American Ethnicity:The Dynamics and
Consequences of Discrimination. New York: Mc Graw Hill, Inc. 1995.
Pedraza, Silvia and Rueben G. Rumbaut. Origins and Destinies: Immigration, Race, and
Ethnicity in America. New York:Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1996.
Required Reading Schedule
A=Aguirre & Turner/ P=Pedraza & Rumbaut/R=Reserve
Segment I Theoretical Considerations & Discussion
9/18 Merton "Discrimination and The American Creed" (R)
Gordon "Assimilation in America: Theory & Reality" (R)
Wilson "The Declining Significance of Race" (R)
Segment II Immigration & Settlement
9/25 Chapter 1 Ethnicity and Ethnic Relation (A)
Pedraza "Origins and destinies: Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in American
History" (P)
10/2 Chapter 2 Explaining Ethnic Relations (A)
Chapter 3 The Anglo Saxon Core and Ethnic Antagonism (A)
10/7 Rumbaut "Origins and Destinies: Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in Contemporary
American History" (P)
10/9 Historical Description 1 Educational Development and Economic Advancement of White
Ethnics and African Americans in East coast cities during the la te
19th and early 20th century.
Segment III Urbanism & Race/Ethnic Relations
10/9 Bender and Reimers "New York as an Immigrant City". (P)
Chapter 7 Asian Americans (A)
10/11 Bozorgmed i et.al, "Los Angeles: Explosive D iversity". (P)
Chapter 6 Latino/Hispanic Americans (A)
10/16 Grenier and Perez "Miam i Spice: The Ethn ic Cauld ron Sim mers". (P)
10/21 Manning "Washington, D.C.: Th e Changing Social Landscape of Internationa l
Capital City" (P)
10/23 Exam I October 23, 1996
Segment IV Social & Political Mobilization
10/25 Chapter 4 African Americans (A)
Morris and Herring "The Civil Rights Movement: A Social and Political Watershed" (P)
10/30 Chapter 5 Native Americans (A)
Cornell "American Indians and Political Protest". (P)
11/6 Chapter 8 White Ethnic Americans (A)
Gold and Phillips "Mobility and Continuity Among Eastern European Jew s" (P)
11/13 Historical Description 2 Social Protests and Political Mobilization by Asian and Latino
Americans in West Coast Cities in the mid-to-late 20th century.
11/20 Exam II November 20, 1996
11/25 Position Pa pers Immigration Policies & Affirmative Action Legislation
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"THE NET"
Electronic Scholarship: used in this class involves the accessing of one of several internet search engines
to locate on-line scholarship in the area of race\ethnicity for historica l and contemp orary issu es. This
technology will be especially helpful in locating materials (since 1960) to construct your
position papers on immigration policies and affirmative action legislation . More importantly, you will be ab le
to access current information on these issues through the electronic newsstand (New York Times, Washington
Post, Los Angeles Times). Additionally, a class newsgroup (Wright.Soc.Soc442) has been established for
student-to-student and student-to-professor conversation about class readings and assignments. A
mand atory atte ndance com puter w orkshop will be held Septe mber 20, 1996.
The internet search engines are: Altavista, American Studies, Excite, Clearinghouse, Inktomi,
Yahoo, and Galaxy. To access these web sites type the following : Lynx http://Libnet.Wright.Edu
and tab to virtual reference and follow the directions found within the page.
Writing Assignment Format
All writing assignments should be type (double-spaced) with one inch margins and numbered in the lower
right corner of the page. Papers will be graded on appearance, grammar, spelling, organizational format, and
content. Each paper should be stapled (top left corner) with a cover page. The cover page must have the title
of your paper (centered). Your name, course title and num ber, professor's name and quarter should be placed
at bottom right of cover page (single spaced). Late writing assignments will receive a letter grade reduction
for each day they are late. Handwritten assignments will receive an F (papers will not be returned, so make
copies).
INTERNET ASSIGNMENTS
Historical Description I: is to be completed by October 9, 1996 should be a brief, but through discussion
of the education development and economic advancement of White Ethnics and African Americans during
Reconstruction and the early 20th century. Historical Description II: due November 13, 1996 should
discuss social protests and political mobilization of Asian and Latino Americans in West coast cities during
the mid-to late 20th century.
A Position Paper: requires that you take the position of an "Economic Liberal" or "Economic Conservative"
and develop a 7-10 position paper arguing for or against affirmative action legislaton and current
immig ration po licies.
Affirmative Action Position Paper
Within your paper include a discussion on: (1) the Presidential Administration which developed and
implemented Executive Order 11246; (2) what an Executive Order is; (3) the purpose of the order and which
groups it spoke to and under what conditions; (4) the year the order took effect; (5) the pro's and con's of the
order; (6) the California Civil Rights Initiative and 1996 presidential candidates positions on affirmative
action. If you have taken the Economic Conservative position, provide solu tions to this p olicy. Economic
Liberals should provide solutions on how to strengthen the current affirmative action policy.
Immigration Policies Position Paper
Within your paper include a d iscussion on: (1) the p urpose of im migration policies; (2) a brief history on
immigration policies in the United States: (3) the pro's and con's of such policies; (4) Proposition 187; and (5)
the 1996 p residential candidates position U.S. imm igration policies. If you ha ve taken the Economic
Conservative Position, provide solutions to this policy. Economic Liberals should provide solutions on how
to strengthen the current affirmative action po
Association of Black Sociologist (ABS) Listserver: also contains texts of cu rrent articles of
importance which address issues of race/ethnicity, from an African American perspective. Students may
subscribe to the list by a ccessing e-mail and then typing: listserver@cmuvm.csv.ccmich.edu. In the body of
the letter, type your request Sub Abslst-L. You will probably receive a message back from them welcoming
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you to the listserver. The missue of this listserver can result in some serious consequences, even the revoking
of e-mail privileges
RACE & MINORITY RELATIONS (SOC 442)
Preparation Tips
Each student should develop a "Question and Answer Outline" for assigned chapters, readings, and lecture
notes. This outline will firm your grasp of key ideas, concepts, and theories. Remember, the subheadings
in each chapter describes wha t will be discussed in each se ction. To b egin you r outline, you might ask:
I. CHAPTER 1 ETHNICITY AND ETHNIC RELATIONS
Q. What does this chapter discuss?
A. This chapter discusses ethnicity and ethnic relations and focuses on the:
1. definitions of race and ethnicity;
2. definitions of mino rity groups, prejudice, and discrim ination;
3. definitions of ethnic groups, stratification, prejudice.
Q. How does the discussion of biological differences fit with these concepts?
A. The discussion of biological difference fits with these terms because:
(1)____________; (2.)___________; (3)_________________.
Q. What is the difference between these concepts?
A. The differen ce between prejudice and discrimination is that:
Prejudice is defined as ____________________, while Discrimination
describes _______________________.
Q. How m any types of discrimination exist?
A. At least ______ types of discrimination exist. They are:
1. ____________________
2. ____________________
3. ____________________
Q. What is the difference (or similarity) between ethnic, reverse, and
institutional discrimination?
A. _______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Write your questions and answ ers without the aid of your text or lecture notes to
test your mem ory and reading comprehen sion.
For all blank spaces (as well as filled in responses) return to your lecture notes
and text to check your answers and fill in the correct response(s) in all open
spaces. By continually refining and reviewing your outline, you are revisiting
class lectures a nd text reading a second, maybe even a third time. Complete your
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CHAPTER
CONCEPTS
Each chapter has
concepts associated
with theorist and
theories.
These concepts are
usually bolded
and/or italicized.
Define each concept in
the following manner:
Ch.1 Ethnicity and
Ethnic Relations
Race is defined as__.
Prejudice is ______.
Subpopulation is ___.

total review using this method. 1
THEORIST, MULTIPLE-CHOICE, AND TRUE-FALSE QUESTIONS
Theorists contained in the chapter and chapter summaries enable you to link concept and theory development
with a person and a person with a concept and theory. For example, Merton, La Piere, and Wirth are social
theorist discussed in the first chapter (C hapter 1) of you r text.
Table 1 displays a me thod for outlining th eorists, their writings, and concepts associated with their writings
for each chapter. This same method may be used to review assigned articles (see Table 2). After reviewing
these tables, prepare tables of your own. Your tables shou ld contain more information then these examples.
Table 1 SOCIOLOGIST W HO DESCRIBE ETHNICITY ISSUES (Ch.1,2,3,5)
Theorist Ideas on Race & Ethnicity Concepts
Wirth People singled out for differential treatment Minority group
Merton Personality Ty pes which discriminate All-Weather Liberal
Table 2 SOCIOLOGIST WHO HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT RACE & ETHNICITY
Author Article &M ain Points Concepts
Gordon Assimilation in American Anglo-Conformity
competing models on societal development and character Melting Pot
Cultural Pluralism
Wilson The Declining Significance of Race Underclass
class more im portant than race after W WII
description of the African Am erican middle-class
description of the Underclass
Comp lete Table 3 as you move through the class for each ethnic/racial group discussed. Your table heading
will change as we discuss different groups (especially during the 19th & 20 th Century). But this table will
give you and idea on how to prepare materials in texts and class lectures for examination.
Table 3 White Ethnic Arrival and Settlement in Colonial America
Ethnic Group Country of Origin Economic Conditions Date of Immigration
Irish
Scotch-Irish
Germans
Scandinavians
Africans
1 What do the concepts subpopulation, institutional discrimination, ethnic stratification, and
ethnic discrimination mean? This a guide on how to prepare for the in-class exam.
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