TOPIC: Race, Class, and Gender

SECTION OPEN TO SENIOR MAJORS ONLY
SECTION MEETS SECOND 8 WEEKS ONLY

This course will examine the influence of gender, race, and class from
a perspective of power and culture.  We will question the way in which
power dynamics influence these social statuses by focusing on their
interlinkages.

The course will begin with an examination of the nature of social
class dynamics, looking at the shaping of middle-class culture as well
as working-class culture.  This will set the frame for considering the
way patterns of oppression are established by both those in power and
those who lack power. Then we will analyze the way in which mainstream
concepts regarding bodies and sexuality have affected the lives of
women and men. Here we will also look at the way in which race and
class issues are interrelated with issues of sexuality and concepts of
femininity and masculinity. This will be followed by a examination of
the ways in which people are redefining sexuality and gender through
cultural practices.

In the next section of the course we will examine constructions of
identity, focusing in more depth on racial and ethnic identities. We
will also look at processes of race and class oppression as well as
ways in which being  white shape our belief systems. This will be
followed by an examination of variations in ethnicity and multi-ethnic
identities.  The last section will examine creative expression as a
means of resisting oppression as well as other forms of resistance and
social change.

Required course readings include the following-
Unequal Childoods by Annette Lareau
Elusive Culture   by D. Yon
Readings on Oncourse

Course Requirements

Students are expected to do all the readings before coming to class
and to participate actively in discussions. Three papers will be
required for the course- two reflections papers and one group research
project.  In the reflection papers students will be asked to expand on
their ideas and thoughts regarding the discussion and readings on a
topic (questions for these papers will be distributed later.) These
papers should be 2-3 typed pages in length and will be due on Oct. 25
and Nov. 15). The group research project will involve original data
collection in the form of interviewing, field research, or content
analysis of media.  One option is to interview people about their
experiences with regard to education, beauty messages, and/or
mainstream sexual perspectives.  Another option would be to do
participant observation in a mainstream subculture such as girls'
clubs or beauty salons or in a culture of resistance such as gay
alliance groups or the Black Cultural Center.  The third option would
be to examine gender, race, and/or class messages in some type of
media (TV, movies, magazines, cartoons, music, graffiti, etc.).  The
groups will consist of 2-3 students and short presentations will be
made during the last two weeks of class. Papers will be given a
collective grade unless separate grades are requested.  They will be
due Dec. 1  with late papers being subject to a lower grade. Finally,
there will be two in-class exams, each consisting of 2-3 essay
questions.  Review questions will be distributed prior to each exam.

The final grade will be determined as follows:

Reflection papers- 20%
Group research project- 30%
Mid-term exam-  25%
Final exam-   25%