SOC 224, 225 - American Ethnic Diversity

Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement DE (and W and is a linked (IL) course when offered as 225).
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology .
This course is designed to provide a general overview of the field of the sociology of race and ethnic relations with a particular emphasis on the historical situations and experiences of various immigrant and minority groups in American society. We will first examine the socio-political and economic history of a variety of minority and immigrant groups. A substantial amount of course material will then focus on analyzing the varying structural conditions and institutional barriers that affect the different strategies by which various minority and immigrant groups have sought entry and success in dominant society. Finally, throughout the course, discussions will be devoted to examining specific institutions and the various ways in which constructions of racial and ethnic categories and hierarchies are produced and reproduced in the U.S.