The Dynamics of Racial & Ethnic Relations

This course considers racial and ethnic relations and the major sociological theories used to analyze them, and provides an overview of assimilation and integration. Students explore how sociologists examine race and ethnicity through analysis and research. Students evaluate and use resources to analyze social phenomena, using what they have learned to contribute to sociological conversations. The course emphasizes multiculturalism and focuses on sociological explanations of dominant group/minority group encounters within the contexts of power, poverty, and segregation. Students study contemporary and historical examples of institutional discrimination, and discuss policies and issues related to improving race relations in the United States.