Introduction to Sociology
Professor Larry Stern
Reading Assignments, Lecture Notes, Videos, & Web Sites
Unit 6: Race, Prejudice and Discrimination
Margaret Bourne-White, Louisville Flood Victims, 1937Overview:
Macionis, Society: The Basics, Chapter 12 ("Race and Ethnicity")
To participate in discussions, click on "Discussions" in the left-hand column on Canvas. Then click on whichever discussion you'd like to join and simply "hit reply" at the bottom of the page.
What is Race: Biological Gibberish
PowerPoint Lecture: The Concept of Race
Go to Race: The Power of an Illusion and complete the brief exercise on "Race Sorting" listed in the right-hand column
Historical Overview:
Visit thesse web pages;
The Negro Motorist Green Book, New York Public Library Digital Collection
Without Sanctuary: watch the Flash movie (warning: this has disturbing photographs of lynchings in the U.S.)
Race Relations Today:
PowerPoint Lecture: The Current State of Race Relations in the United States
Anna Brown, "Key Findings on Americans' View of Race in 2019," Pew Research Center - Fact Tank, April 9, 2019
How blacks and whites view the state of race in America [interactive web page]
Jim Norman, "Americans' Support for Affirmative Action Programs Rises," The Gallup Poll, February 27, 2019
Tara Bahrampour, "'You are not going to let that word hurt you’: Procter & Gamble ad taking on racism is met with praise — and outrage," The Washington Post, August 4, 2017
Lisa Hix, How America Bought and Sold Racism, and Why It Still Matters — Collectors Weekly, November 10, 2015
Hidden Bias and White Privilege:
Go to Project Implicit and take the "Implicit Association Tests"
You do not need to login - click on the box under Social Attitudes and then at the bottom of the page, click on "I wish to proceed. Next, click on and take the Race IAT (implicit association test) and any other that you find interesting
Lisa Wade, "Flesh Colored," Sociological Images, November 8, 2011
Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”
Robert Jensen, "White Privilege Shapes the U.S." and "More thoughts on why the system of white privilege is wrong."
Tim Wise, "Reflections on Racism, Both Individual and Systemic," Sociological Images, February 26, 2013
Watch these two short videos and then click on the powerpoint lecture for a brief analysis:
"The Color of Fear," Part 1
"The Color of Fear," Part 2
Hate on the Web:
Southern Poverty Law Center: Hate Map and Hatewatch Blog
The White Aryan ResistenceFight Hate and Promote Tolerance
Recommended: Listen to the following interview:
Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, National Public Radio, January 16, 2012
Discussion Board on Canvas
A number of discussion topics are listed on the discussion board on Canvas. Participation can add bonus points to your final grade and "bump" you up to the next higher grade if you have reached the borderline i.e. 87, 77
