RACE & ETHNIC RELATIONS
Fall 1999
Course web site: http://www.csubak.edu/~gsantos/syl-327-web.html

• Joseph F. Healey, 1998. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class . The Sociology of Group Conflict and Change. 2nd. ed.. London: Verso.

 

• John Kromkowski, 1999. Annual Editions. Race and Ethnic Relations 99/00. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.

 
• Various Authors. Web Readings on Dr. Santos' World Wide Web Site.

 

 
 
 
 
 

[To access Dr. Santos' web readings click above or press the frame button "Web Readings" to your left. These readings are password controlled and only enrolled students will receive the password]
 
 

COURSE CONTENT

This course is designed to provide students with a broad introduction to the field of race & ethnic relations in the United States. The historical and contemporary experiences of the various ethnic and panethnic groups of the United States -- the so-called European Americans, Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, and Asian Americans -- are systematically analyzed and explored using various sociological concepts, and relating these to the respective groups' historical genesis as such and to their mutual interactions from colonial times to the present. In short, the course attempts to broadly describe and explain the history and dynamics of modern peoplehood in the United States.

The emphasis is placed on how race, ethnicity, & nationhood were and are socially (re)constructed in the U.S., and how these social categories relate to various social structural processes such as migration, class stratification, the law & the state, cultural dynamics, and gender relations. We also seek to reveal and understand the contexts in which all these modern social categories and groups originated and evolved, how they were affected by -- and in turn contributed to making possible -- the broader political, economic, and cultural life of the United States in each of its historical stages.

A note of caution: there is no consensus among scholars on what would constitute a proper, framing theory of peoplehood yet; there is not even agreement on the histories of peoples as such in the modern world-system, as a whole or within each country or cultural region. The nature and history of relations between racial & ethnic groups within most "national case studies," such as the United States, remain controversial academic and social topics - sometime reaching explosive proportions. The same can be said of modern nationhood itself. But the Healey textbook is an excellent illustration of a good attempt - among many competing ones - at analyzing the historical sociology of race and ethnicity in the United States. Dr. Santos lectures complement the book's own perspective by presenting a broader global analysis - also among other competing ones - of the historical unfolding of race & ethnic relations in the U.S. from a world-system's perspective.

Extra explorations of contemporary issues and trends related to race & ethnic relations are also pursued via the Annual Editions anthology of articles, and the large selection of readings and links placed in the course web site.

Finally, students are given an opportunity to research in depth the nature and history of race & ethnic relations in other areas of the world through organized group projects.
 
 

Course Design:

The course is designed around three types of learning activities: the classroom lectures, multiple individual reading and writing assignments (some involving testing), and a group research project. Students are expected to fulfill their responsibilities in all three areas to obtain a good - or even passing - grade. It is essential students understand clearly what is expected of them and carefully plan their time around their various deadlines.

Attendance:

Attendance to the lectures is mandatory; absences, tardiness, and early leaving without prior consultation with Dr. Santos will be penalized.

Activities Based on the Healey Textbook

Each week a chapter in the Healey textbook is assigned (except the second and third weeks, each of which has two chapters). Students will be asked to file two different email reports per chapter every week (except on the first week when no report is required), both of which are generated at the course web site, using forms activated by the frame buttons to the left:
 

1. Chapter Reports: Submit a "critical thinking" report on each of the first 11 chapters of the Healey textbook, with an emphasis on analyzing and evaluating the main sociological concepts used, the main historical process described, and the interplay or "fit" between the two; that is, evaluate how well the theory and the history found in the chapter connected.  Do you agree with Healey's historico-theoretical explanations? Why or why not? What would be an alternative explanation or approach? How can you extend, illustrate,  or amplify the main conceptual points or enrich the understanding of the historical experiences found in the chapter? The length of each Chapter Reports should be about two printed pages long, double spaced. To write, edit, and send your chapter reports it is highly recommended that you first do it on a word processor like "Word" and then, when you are done and you have saved it, (a) copy the text, (b) toggle to the course web site, press the "Chapter Reports" frame button to your left and then, after the form appears on screen, (c) paste your text within the report field; and finally, (d) fill out the other information in the form itself and send it. Always save and keep your original text files before you even paste them unto the report form, and always fill out all the form fields before you send a report; especially make sure you put in your correct email address and the proper chapter number. A copy of your report will automatically be sent to Dr. Santos' email address and to yours as well. The deadline for each chapter report is the Sunday midnight at the end of the week it is assigned, except for the first week (the deadline for Chapter One is the next Sunday).

 
2. Debate Reports: At the end of each chapter of the Healey textbook, there is a section entitled "Current Debates", accompanied by a few questions (Chapters 8 & 9 have two such sections; please choose the first Current Debate section and ignore the second one). Answer the first four numbered questions only, using the "Debate Reports" frame button to your left. The length of the answers should be short - no more than a couple of paragraphs long (because of the brevity, there is no need to create text files first elsewhere, rather just enter your answers directly into the form, fill the form entirely, and send it). You will receive a copy on your email address - save that. The deadline for each debate report is the Sunday midnight at the end of the week it is assigned, except for the first week (the deadline for Chapter One is the next Sunday).

 

 
 
 
 
 

Note: For the second and third weeks, given we cover two chapters on each week, students will have to submit a total of 4 reports per week related to the Healey textbook: 2 chapter reports and 2 debate reports; for the remaining weeks the total is 2 reports per week, i.e. a chapter report and a debate report.

Activities Based on the Annual Editions Anthology of Articles

The Annual Editions book contains 43 articles organized in 10 "Units."  Each week one or more Units will be assigned, except for the first week (no assignment). On any given week, students shall freely select and read at least two articles from among the articles found within all the Units assigned for that week and take a quiz on each of them. To take a quiz, press the button "Quizzes" to your left (there's a "Quizzes" button also at Dr. Santos' initial web page; alternatively, you may simply go directly to the URL address of the CSUB Quiz Center and bookmark it for later use. The URL is: http://www.csubak.edu/QuizSystem/ .

To take a quiz, the student must first "log on" by entering his/her social security number, then by selecting the appropriate quiz. The quiz labels are numbered with the corresponding article, e.g., "soc327-41" corresponds to the quiz for article 41.  The quizzes are very brief and entirely made up of multiple choice questions. A student has 10 minutes per question and is presented one question at a time. A student may "suspend" the quiz by pressing the proper button, log off the quiz program, and return to the quiz at a later time. Never quit the quiz or the quiz program abruptly; always complete or suspend a quiz and always log off the quiz program. The program scores the quiz automatically after each question and at the end of the quiz as well. Students may look at their accumulated record of scores from past quizzes.

A given quiz can be taken only once and only before the corresponding Unit's deadline. The deadline for each Unit is the Sunday midnight at the end of the week it is assigned.

Note 1: If you wish to improve a low score, you may select and read as many  extra articles as you wish from the assigned Unit and take the corresponding quizzes, so long as the extra quizzes are taken before their corresponding Unit deadlines. To repeat: You may take as many extra quizzes as you wish - but only once and before the Unit deadline. The low scores will not be erased, but the average score may improve.

Note 2:  Regardless of how many Units are assigned on a given week, the total number of articles a student must select - and therefore the total number of quizzes a student must take - is a minimum of 2.

Activities Based on Dr. Santos' Web Readings

Students shall file a brief (half-to-one-page) reading report per week (except for weeks 1 and 2 when none is required) by selecting a web reading from an assigned list of web readings assembled by Dr. Santos and placed at the course web site. These reports ought to be more personal in tone, focusing on how you reacted to the reading, including both your thoughts and feelings. To access the web reading lists, click here, or press the frame button "Readings" to your left. To choose and access a specific reading, click on the assigned reading list and then click on the readings to browse and choose. You will always need to enter, at the beginning of each browser session, a username and a password, both of which will be supplied to all enrolled students in the classroom.

To file a web reading report, press the frame button "Reading Reports" to your left and a form similar to the Chapter Report form will appear. Fill it up entirely before sending it. Students will get an email copy of the reports they send and ought to save each report before or after sending it. The deadline for each web reading list assigned is the Sunday midnight at the end of the week it is assigned.

Final Exam

There will be no midterm exam, only a final exam, which will be exclusively based on the Healey textbook. The date of the final exam is Wednesday, December 1, from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm in the same classroom. The exam will be a long multiple-choice test. Scantron sheets will be provided. Please bring several # 2 pencils. And come rested! There is also a chance the exam will be posted on the web quiz system at the same time for those able to access it.

Group Research Papers

Students will be asked to form, on the fourth week of class, groups of ten students each to jointly design, research, and write a single-volume research project on the nature and history of race & ethnic relations, (or other forms of peoplehood, such as caste, tribe, clan, civilizational region, etc.) in given countries or world regions (U.S. excluded). Each student must write their own research paper - five-to-six pages long - for the volume. Therefore, the groups need to meet outside class time and design a project outline of possible individual subtopics to present to Dr. Santos for his approval, preferably during his office hours. For the guidelines on how to write the research term paper click here, or click the button "Research Paper" to your left (ignore the length of the paper stated there, but follow everything else). The deadline for clearing the project outline with Dr. Santos is October 15. The deadline for the groups turning in the research volume in final, bound form, is the last day of classes, November 22. The bound volume should contain (a) a title page, (b) a table of content page, listing each student's paper -- title and student name, and (c) all the student papers in the same order as listed in the table of contents. It is NOT required that the papers' page numbers correspond to each other, i.e., that the number of the last page of a paper corresponds with the number of the first page of the next paper; what IS required is that each paper be numbered, whether separate from, or in correspondence with, the other papers. And all individual paper should start with the title and name of the student at the very top, immediately followed by the text (no separate title page needed). Finally, each paper may have it's own bibliography at its end, or the group may opt to create a joint bibliography at the end of the volume (to be included in the table of content). Appendices are fine for tables, charts, maps and pictures, but they do not count as part of the length of the paper (five-to-six pages of text).

The possible countries/regions to choose from (on a first come, first served basis) are those already listed in Chapter 12 of the Healey textbook, plus the following: Mexico, Central America, the Spanish Caribbean, the French Caribbean, the British Caribbean, the Andean World, the European Union, the Muslim World, the former Soviet Union countries, China & the Chinese Diaspora, India & the Indian Diaspora, Sub Sahara Africa and the African Diaspora. In addition, three special issues are eligible as research projects are:

(1) IMMIGRATION: the late-19th-century and 20th-century origins and history of the world's (authorized and unauthorized, free and coerced, intra-continental and transcontinental) flows of so-called economic and political immigrants, the scales and directions of these flows at different times, and the possible future world scenarios of transborder human mobility;

(2) THE NATION-STATE: the rise, universalization, contemporary crisis, and possible futures of the modern nation-state as the ordering political and sociocultural paradigm of peoplehood in the modern world-system, and its history of interactions with and adaptations to other forms of peoplehood (such as tribe, caste, race, ethnicity); and,

(3) ETHNONATIONALIST GENOCIDE: the 20th-century's experiences of genocide and the systematic and extreme violation of human rights in the name of country & nation, ethnic or racial purity or claims, or civilizational superiority and destiny. Papers may focus on "case studies" or "global period studies," or a combination of both Beyond description, the papers must analyze and reveal (a) the structural (political & economic), (b) the ideological (cultural) conditions and contexts that sustained, rationalized, and even promoted or caused these sort of experiences in our century, some of which predate the century, and (c) possible long-term solutions for the 21st century.

Note: The process of outline consultation/authorization with Dr. Santos is most important and should not be skipped. Most outlines undergo dramatic improvement after a session or two with him. Projects done without his prior advise and consent consistently receive very poor grades, mostly because the papers miss the real purpose of the exercise, described above, and instead explore other unrelated aspects of a country or region that have nothing to do with the course's content and objectives. Groups are urged to select coordinators and representatives to meet with Dr. Santos, and individual students are invited to visit with him after their respective group's outline has been approved.

Extra Points for Exploring New Web Sites or Dr. Santos' Links

There are two frame buttons to your left labeled "Web Links" and "Link Reports." The former button connects you to a large repository of web links collected by Dr. Santos, many of which are related to the course's subject matter. You are also encouraged to seek out and explore on your own new links related to the course's subject matter. The latter button is a form (a so-called "cgi" form) that feeds into itself: in it you may file a report on one of Dr. Santos' links or on a new link you found on the web, with the advantage that when you "send" it, the information is automatically appended to the bottom of the form itself. This accumulating, sausage like form allows other students to explore the links you reported on, and perhaps "bookmark" them or file their reports on them as well. Students are required to file their link reports anytime during the term but before the last day of classes. They will be judged for type and quality of link explored and the quality of the report itself. The more reports, the more extra points, up to five reports maximum per student. No copies of these reports are sent to anyone, since they remain visible in the Link Report form itself.

Grading:

The Healey Chapter Reports are worth 16 points in the aggregate (1.5 points per report). The Healey Debate Reports are worth 11 points in the aggregate (1 point per report). The Annual Editions quizzes are worth 30 points in the aggregate. The Web Reading Reports are worth 8 points (1 per report). The final exam on the Healey book is worth 30 points. The individual student research paper is worth 5 points. Up to 5 extra points may be obtained by contributing to the Link Reports (each is worth 1 point). The final letter grade will be assigned, on a scale of 0 to 100, as follows:
 
 

Dr. Santos Office Hours & E-Mail to Teaching Assistants:

Besides welcoming students to visit Dr. Santos during his office hours (posted above) for any matter related to the course, students are likewise encouraged to communicate with their Teaching Assistants via email on matters related to their reports, which they will be managing and evaluating. The quizzes are managed by Dr. Santos and problems or issues related to them may be communicated to him via email as well. All student email messages must be very brief and to the point, as will be the responses to them. The email addresses for Dr. Santos and the T.A.s are posted above.