RACE & ETHNIC RELATIONS

Spring 2008

Course web site: http://www.csub.edu/~gsantos/

Course testing at CSUB's WebCT web site: http://webct.csub.edu/

• Joseph F. Healey, 2006. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class . The Sociology of Group Conflict and Change. 4rd ed.. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge. ISBN: 1-4129-1521-X.

• John Kromkowski, 2008. Annual Editions. Race and Ethnic Relations, 16th ed.. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 978-0-07-339745-0.

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 various ethnic and panethnic groups in the United States -- the so-designated European Americans, Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, and Asian Americans -- are systematically analyzed based on the Healey textbook. Various sociological concepts are defined to explain the origins and history of the interactions between these groups from colonial times to the present; in short, we attempt to understand the history and dynamics of modern peoplehood in the United States, informed by sociological theory.

There has never been a social consensus on, or a universal theory of, modern peoplehood, including theories of nation, race, and ethnicity; there hasn't even been agreement over the historical record of racial and ethnic relations in any specific country; such is the case with the United States. Much less can we find agreement on the theory and history of peoplehood encompassing human history, even modern world history. But there has been prolific writing on these subjects, especially on a country by country approach. We will focus on the U.S. experience, using the main textbook, the Healey book - an excellent example of an attempt to analyze the historical sociology of race and ethnicity in a single modern country.

The emphasis of the lectures, as a complement to the Healey book, will be placed on how race, ethnicity, & nationhood have been socially (re)constructed in the U.S., and how these categories relate to and are inextricably imbedded in various socio-structural processes such as modes of labor, the flows of free and forced migrations, the legacies of conquest and imperialism, enduring systems of class stratification and the vicissitudes (avowed or hidden) of class struggle, the immense role of the state, the evolving patterns of culture, and finally, gender relations. We elucidate the world historical contexts in which the social categories of race, ethnicity, and nation originated and evolved; and how they were affected by -- and in turn influenced  -- the political, economic, and cultural processes in modern world history.

Finally, an exploration of various current topics and trends of peoplehood in the United States and worldwide will be pursued independently by each student via the Annual Editions anthology of articles.

Lectures/Videos/Final Exam:

Dr. Santos will lecture every class. Attendance to every two-hour class is mandatory; absences, tardiness, and early leaving without prior approval by Dr. Santos will be penalized. From time to time, the class will watch and discuss a video documentary. The final exam (Tuesday, June 3, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm) will be exclusively based on the lectures & videos, so show up and take good notes.

Activities Based on the Healey Textbook:

For every chapter covered in the Healey textbook, students will be asked to do two types of assignments: (a) file an email essay-type report on the "Current Debates" section found at the end of the chapter -- this report is generated from within the course's web site; and (b) take the chapter test, using the WebCT system at Cal State Bakersfield.

• Chapter Debate Reports: The Healey book contains 14 chapters, of which we will cover the first 11. At the end of each chapter of the Healey textbook, there is a section entitled "Current Debates", accompanied by a few numbered questions under the heading "Debate Questions to Consider". Students generate and file their reports clicking the "Debate Reports" frame button to the left of this syllabus on Dr. Santos web site. Spaces are provided in the report form to answer the first four numbered questions (ignore any fifth or higher numbered question; if there are only three questions, that's fine too; if there are two or more current debate sections, just do the first section only). The length of each of these four short-essay answers should be a about half a page, or a couple of full paragraphs. The content will be graded by the T.A. for critical thinking, clarity, and accuracy. Before you send the report, make sure you entered all information correctly, especially your "official" email address [IMPORTANT: please stick to one email address throughout the course, even if you access the web site forms from various computers]. When you send it, two copies of your chapter report will automatically be sent out: one to Dr. Santos' email address and the other to your "official" email address. Save your reports in case anything goes wrong! The deadline for each chapter debate report is the Sunday midnight at the end of the week that chapter was assigned.
  

• Chapter Tests:  For each chapter assigned, students must take a multiple-choice test of twenty random questions (on the web) on the week it is assigned  (same Sunday midnight deadline applies). Note: there's usually a single chapter assigned per week, but on Week 3 two chapters are assigned. To access and take a chapter test, click the frame button "Tests & Quizzes" to your left (found also at Dr. Santos' home web page); alternatively, you may simply click and bookmark the URL address for CSUB's WebCT: http://webct.csub.edu/. See testing details below.

Extra: If you wish to improve a possible low chapter test score, you may take a second chapter test, so long as you do so before the assigned chapter Sunday deadline. The chapter score that will be recorded will be the average of the two test scores.

The Annual Editions (AE) anthology of articles contains 53 articles organized in 10 "Units." Each week a Unit will be assigned and each student needs to (a) freely choose two articles from that Unit to read and (b) take a quiz on each of those two articles. The deadline for each week's AE 2-quiz assignment is also the Sunday midnight at the end of the week it was assigned. The quizzes are very short and multiple-choice. You have 15 minutes to complete each, in any order you wish. Note that you may not take a second quiz on any given AE article.  (NOTE: If you wish to improve a possible low quiz score, you may read & quiz on as many extra articles within an assigned unit as you wish, so long as you take these extra quizzes before the assigned Unit's Sunday deadline. The previous low scores will not be erased, but you may be able to improve your average score a little.)

To access and take an AE article quiz, do the same thing as before with the Healey chapter tests: click the frame button "Tests & Quizzes" to your left (found also at Dr. Santos' home web page); alternatively, you may simply click and bookmark the URL address for CSUB's WebCT: http://webct.csub.edu/. See testing details below.

   http://webct.csub.edu/

If you are doing it from an off campus computer, make sure your browser is properly configured (click around WebCT support links and read how you can ensure your browser is properly configured).

You will need to know your WebCT ID and password.  All CSUB enrolled students have a "Runner" email account. Your WebCT ID is the same as your Runner Mail Logon ID -- that is, whatever prefix goes before the "@runner.csub.edu" domain.  For example, the WebCT ID for John Smith (jsmith4@runner.csub.edu) would be jsmith4. Your initial WebCT password is the last five digits of your CSUB ID Number. Once logged on to WebCT, you will be asked to change it immediately (if you have used WebCT before you'll need to enter your old password). Choose an easy to remember, easy to type new password. We also suggest that you set up your login hint immediately - and write all these codes somewhere where you will not loose them, nor expose them to theft by others.

If you need help: If you don't know your CSUB RunnerMail Logon ID or if you've changed your password and have forgotten it, contact the Student Technology Help Desk in the library at (661) 654-2315 or the Student Help Desk at (661) 654-6677, or simply go to the Library, Lower Level Room 1, during office hours. 

Be prepared!  The maximum duration for each chapter test is 60 minutes. After each weekly deadline, access to any given chapter test will be closed and no late testing will be possible. So make sure you have prepared well, chosen a day, time & place well, and have ample time and tranquility (with no distractions) to begin testing; take time to read carefully each question before you answer it - do not rush! (a common mistake). You may take the test with the open book, but exclusively on your own, please. Never plan to take a test in two or more sittings; plan always to take each test in a single session (the computer usually freezes incomplete tests).

Save your answers every time. If you change your mind on a specific answer, don't forget to save it again! And don't forget to send your quiz/test to grade when you are done (lots of students forget this last step and their scores are not computed!).

The Healey chapter tests are worth 55 percent of the final grade (5 points per test). The Healey chapter debate reports are worth 11 percent (1 point per report). The Annual Editions article quizzes are worth 20 percent (2 points per quiz). The final exam is worth 14 percent. The final letter grade will be assigned, on a total percentage scale of 0 to 100, as follows:

Dr. Santos will generally be available at his office, DDH-AA205, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, MWF. Students are encouraged to come see him or to call (664-2191) during these times. Please be advised, though, given the huge volume of incoming reports, that email communication has to be very brief and to the point. Clearly identify your business in the subject heading,  always write from your "official email address", and make sure to sign off with your full name.

Web page frame buttons to the left of this syllabus:

• There are a number of useful frame buttons to the left of the syllabus web page:
  
• "Presentations" has PowerPoint presentations for each of the Healey chapters. You will be prompted for access codes. Use the generic access codes used for accessing Dr. Santos web readings.
  
• "Other Notes" contain the learning objectives and detailed outlines for each of the Healey chapters, as well as suggestions for classroom activities. You will be prompted for access codes. Use the generic access codes used for accessing Dr. Santos web readings.
• "Debate Reports" generates the form for Chapter Debate Reports where students answer and submit the questions at the end of each Healey chapter, in the "Current Debates" section.
  
• "Readings" is the link to all the web reading lists for this course. You will be prompted for access codes. Use the generic access codes used for accessing Dr. Santos web readings. NOT USED THIS QUARTER.
  
• "Reading Reports" generates the form where student write and submit their web reading reports. NOT USED THIS QUARTER.
• "Web Links" contains a number of link lists for the course, including Dr. Santos' own list. NOT USED THIS QUARTER.
• "Link Reports" generates the form where students write and submit their web link reports. NOT USED THIS QUARTER.
• "Research Paper" is the link for Dr. Santos' tutorial on how to write a good research paper. NOT USED THIS QUARTER.
• "Student Projects" is the link for posted student projects for this course. NOT USED THIS QUARTER.
• "E-mail" generates a mail form for Dr. Santos.
  
• "Home Page" sends you to Dr. Santos web portal.
  
• "Tests & Quizzes" sends you to the campus WebCT testing site on the web.