| SYLLABUS
PREJUDICE: Race, Class and Gender
Socy 337
COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
This
course examines prejudice as attitude formation and change. The
primary goal of this course is to understand what prejudices are,
how they are formed and changed and what purposes they serve. This
will be accomplished by examining three types of prejudice: race,
class and gender. In the first section of this course students will
define prejudice, examine the consequences of prejudice and the
purposes it serves in American society. The second phase of this
course will examine the relationship between prejudice (as an attitude)
and discrimination (as behavior). Reasons for the relatively weak
link between the two will be critically explored. The remainder
of the course will focus on conditions under which changes in prejudice
occur. We will explore change induced by education, pressures for
social conformity, overt persuasion and media influences.
REQUIRED
TEXT:
Sampson,
Edward E.
1998 Dealing with Differences: An Introduction to the Social
Psychology of Prejudice. Harcourt Brace
A
packet of articles for this class is available at SAS-E Inc. on
Wentworth Street. Ask for the packet for Dr. Bakanic's class.
CLASS
FORMAT AND ATTENDANCE:
Class
time will be spent in a combination of lecture, discussion and in-class
projects. Attendance and participation in discussion and projects
will be noted and will influence your grade. Attendance will be
recorded on days we engage in interactive class assignments. If
you are absent on those days you will receive a daily grade of zero.
Your participation grade will be calculated based upon your attendance
and the quality of the assignments you complete in class. You are
expected to attend all classes unless you have an approved absence.
ASSIGNMENTS
AND EXAMINATIONS:
Classroom
assignments and exercises: This course will include both lecture
and discussion. I have developed in-class polemic exercises designed
to help students examine their own prejudices. For example, one
exercise asks to imagine that they will be transformed into a person
of the opposite sex. They must answer questions about how their
life would be different. Students work in groups on these exercises
and present their resulting suppositions to the class.
Exams:
There will be two regular exams and a final examination. These
exams will cover information from lectures, text, articles and films.
A ten point grade scale will be used:
100-90=
A
89-87 = B+
80-86 = B
79-77 = C+
76-70 = C
69-60 = D
59-0 = F
Make-up
exams will be given on June 4 after the final exam regardless of
which exam you miss. If you know you will be absent for a scheduled
exam, contact me in advance. Unexcused absence from an exam will
result in a zero.
Reader
Articles
1.
Petty, Richard E. and John T. Cacioppo 1996.
1996 "Introduction to Attitudes and Persuasion" in Attitudes
and Persuasion. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
2.
Stephan, Cookie and Walter G. Stephan.
1985. "Attitudes and Attitude Change" in Two Social Psychologies.
Homewood,IL: Dorsey Press.
3.
Bakanic, Von
1995 "I'm Not Prejudice, But..." Sociological Inquiry Vol 65:67-87.
4.
Constable, Pamela
1995. "Misperceived Minorities" Washington Post National Weekly
Edition October 23-29, 1995.
5.
Kleinpenning, Gerard and Louk Hagendoorn
1993. "Forms of Racism and the Cumulative Dimension of Ethnic Attitudes"
Social Psychology Quarterly Vol 50 :21-36.
6.
Bakanic, Von.
1997 "Violence Against Women" in Lawrence et al. (eds.) Censorship.
Pasadena, CA: Salem Press.
7.
Ehrenreich, Barbara
1989. "The Class in the Middle" ; "The Discovery of the Working
Class" "TheNext Great Shift" in Fear of Falling. New York:
Pantheon Books
8.
Smith, Kevin B.
1985. "I made It Because of Me" Sociological Spectrum Vol 5:255-267.
Reader
Table of Contents
1.
Syllabus for Socy 337 "Prejudice: Race, Class and Gender"
2.
Sociological Terms Used in this Course
3.
Class exercises, assignments and study guides
4.
Articles
Petty,
Richard E. and John T. Cacioppo 1996.
1996 "Introduction to Attitudes and Persuasion" in Attitudes
and Persuasion. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Stephan,
Cookie and Walter G. Stephan.
1985. "Attitudes and Attitude Change" in Two Social Psychologies.
Homewood,IL: Dorsey Press.
Bakanic,
Von
1995 "I'm Not Prejudice, But..." Sociological Inquiry Vol 65:67-87.
Constable,
Pamela
1995. "Misperceived Minorities" Washington Post National Weekly
Edition
October 23-29, 1995.
Kleinpenning,
Gerard and Louk Hagendoorn
1993. "Forms of Racism and the Cumulative Dimension of Ethnic Attitudes"
Social Psychology Quarterly Vol 50 :21-36.
Bakanic,
Von
1997 "Violence Against Women" in Lawrence et al. (eds.) Censorship.
Pasadena, CA: Salem Press.
Ehrenreich,
Barbara
1989. "The Class in the Middle" ; "The Discovery of the Working
Class" "The Next Great Shift" in Fear of Falling. New York:Pantheon
Smith,
Kevin B.
1985. "I made It Because of Me" Sociological Spectrum Vol 5:255-267.
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