In order to foster the development of a robust sociological imagination, students will be required to explore the complications of race, class, gender and sexuality as constitutive of social structures, social identities and social relations in the United States. Course material requires students to critically examine the ways that power, history, and social relations shape the everyday lives of people within intersecting and overlapping stratification systems. At the core of such an examination is a robust historical understanding of how macroeconomic forces, racial classification, patriarchy, and other power relations shape, and are shaped by, individual opportunities, experiences, and outcomes. The history of capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity, as well as other inequitable power relations, will be explored.

This class utilizes a multitude of theoretical perspectives to examine, make sense of, and critique processes of identity formation, as we all unequal power relations, specifically along the lines of race, class, gender, and sexuality. From conflict theory to structural functionalism, from the split labor market to colorblind racism, and from queer theory to black feminist thought, students will have to demonstrate their understanding of what these theories argue, as well as articulate the utility of each when empirically examining the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality, giving intentional focus to what these processes and systems mean for both individual identity and institutional functioning.

For well over a century, sociologists have examined race and ethnicity, sex and gender, economic stratification, and other forms of identity and inequality. Recent decades have seen the additional categories of ability, sexuality, and age added to the topics of intersectional and sustained empirical inquiry. Thus, a lot has been written about the numerous causes and consequences of varying forms of inequality. This course will necessitate that students not only learn this material, but critically engage with it as well. That is, in a serious and sustained manner, students will be challenged to articulate their understanding of identity formation, as well as systematic forms of advantage and disadvantage, particularly from a sociological perspective. They will also be challenged to substantively discuss—in both oral and written modalities—the empirics of competing thematic perspectives.  

Consistent with society, itself, sociology and other social sciences have a tortured history—and troubled present—of marginalizing the marginalized. The academy has not been immune form the broader pattern of giving intellectual primacy to some at the expense of others, simply because of their location, or locations, within intersecting stratification systems. This class not only addresses this history (and present) directly, but it requires students to do so as well. While important, it is not enough to recite theoretical perspectives or examine empirical studies. This course asks a more fundamental question: whose knowledge matters? Employing a critical perspective, or deconstructing the tendency of further marginalizing the marginalized, is a central component of this course.

While this course is committed to introducing students to serious theoretical and scholarly work in the intersecting areas of race, gender, and class in the United States, maintaining a high ethical standard, particularly for discourse and interaction, will always remain a top priority. Course content has the potential to be sensitive in nature, and because of this possibility, it will likely spark debate. Debates can be very productive, and hopefully, students will get excited about discussing course material. At the same time, it is important that everyone in the room feel able to participate. This is not to say that everyone will feel comfortable in every way and at all times; after all; the discomfort felt through challenging deeply-rooted societal assumptions, privileges, and stereotypes is a productive intellectual moment. However, it is to say that no student should feel personally attacked for expressing their views. This class will require students to keep a thoughtful and open mind as we study subjects that may be new, or those that push them to consider viewpoints that differ from their own.

Students will write a 15-page research paper, in multiple drafts, demonstrating understanding and application of course material. Complete instructions, including scaffolded due dates and instructions on drafts and revisions, will be provided to students at the beginning of the semester. Scaffolding assignments include selecting a topic, designing a thesis statement, identifying preliminary sources, conducting a literature review, and submitting a rough draft for credit. Substantial faculty feedback will be provided at every juncture in this process. 

Each scaffolded assignment will be graded for credit as an individual entity. These individual assessments will include a variety of feedback options, including summary memos, process notes, track-changes, and one-on-one conferences. Grading for the overall research paper will, at least in part, be predicated upon how well the students incorporate teacher feedback from scaffolded assignments into their final draft. 

As this is a social science (sociology) course, it will focus on the writing conventions that are consistent with the discipline of sociology. This includes written reports, case studies, literature reviews, and original research papers. Beginning the first few weeks of the semester, these genres will be taught for the entirety of the course. In-class workshops, presentations from librarians and library staff, group discussions, and a litany of assignments are all designed to immerse students within the social science genre. 

The writing component for this course if worth 30% of the final grade.