SOCI 201 Minorities in American Society

This course will introduce students to a sociological investigation of the racial, ethnic, and gender stratification system found in the United States. This course will introduce students to concepts essential to the sociological analysis of the American stratification system such as prejudice, discrimination, minority, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. This course will examine the historical process through which the American racial and ethnic stratification system was socially constructed, and it will examine the various theoretical perspectives that have emerged in the attempt to understand this historical process. It will also teach students to apply these concepts and theories to an analysis of contemporary social problems and to his or her everyday life experiences. Students will be exposed to sociological information and ideas that will help him or her to understand and to critically analyze the world we live in.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Eligible to enroll in ENGL 121

Hours Weekly

3 hours weekly

Course Objectives

1. Summarize critically the classical and contemporary theories aimed at understanding ethnic and racial stratification.
2. Identify the major analytical frameworks and theoretical perspectives in the sociology of race and ethnic relations, describe their differences in levels of analysis and explanatory assumptions, and determine their theoretical orientation toward a variety of social problems or issues.
3. Use and evaluate the methods of sociology to assess evidence on issues involving race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.
4. Apply sociological theories and research to controversies about racism, sexism and homophobia.
5. Analyze the impact of cultural diversity on the American experience.
6. Explain the origins of ethnic, racial, and gender hierarchies in America.
7. Analyze the changing position of gay people in the U. S. and the development of gay liberation movements.
8. Explore the idea and application of the concept, intersectionality, to understand the interrelationship between various stratification variables.
9. Formulate specific, unified and concise theses through writing that demonstrate an understanding of sociological thinking.

Course Objectives

1. Summarize critically the classical and contemporary theories aimed at understanding ethnic and racial stratification.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Application paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT1
2. Identify the major analytical frameworks and theoretical perspectives in the sociology of race and ethnic relations, describe their differences in levels of analysis and explanatory assumptions, and determine their theoretical orientation toward a variety of social problems or issues.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Application paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric
   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Social sciences rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT2

   Program Goal(s)

   Degree: Social Sciences - A.A. Degree (Transfer)

   1. Employ social science concepts, methods, and/or theories to understand behavior, institutions, and/or change over time.

3. Use and evaluate the methods of sociology to assess evidence on issues involving race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Application paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric
   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Social Science rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT3

   Program Goal(s)

   Degree: Social Sciences - A.A. Degree (Transfer)

   2. Apply introductory research skills that social scientists use to gather and interpret information.

4. Apply sociological theories and research to controversies about racism, sexism and homophobia.

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Application paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric

   Critical Thinking

   • CT4
5. Analyze the impact of cultural diversity on the American experience.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course rubric
6. Explain the origins of ethnic, racial, and gender hierarchies in America.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course rubric
7. Analyze the changing position of gay people in the U. S. and the development of gay liberation movements.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course rubric
8. Explore the idea and application of the concept, intersectionality, to understand the interrelationship between various stratification variables.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course rubric
9. Formulate specific, unified and concise theses through writing that demonstrate an understanding of sociological thinking.

   This objective is a course Goal Only

   Learning Activity Artifact

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Paper

   Procedure for Assessing Student Learning

   • Other (please fill out box below)
   • Course rubric