POLITICAL SCIENCE 334:
THE POLITICS OF RACE, ETHNICITY AND INEQUALITY
Since its creation, no set of political issues has more bedeviled the American political system than those having to do with race and ethnicity. The nationís founders devised a political system that has done a pretty good job of addressing conflicts arising from ideological, geographic, religious and class differences, but the institutions they created have been largely inept when it comes to dealing with the persistent inequalities related to race and ethnicity. Social policy problems related to education, crime, and welfare, that might otherwise find resolution, often prove unsolvable to the extent race and ethnicity enter into the debates. Whether or not the nation can and if it can, how, begin to solve these problems are the fundamental questions of this course.
Several of the authors of the books we will read this semester make the same point: that Americans haven't yet learned how to talk about race. Like sex, religion and politics, it is a subject that is not discussed at the dinner table. These authors often complain that the dialogue about racial matters has been inhibited both in academe and society at large. Many believe, like President Clinton, that the problems related to race and ethnicity in America can be cured by an open and honest public debate (and, since the problems have not be cured, that we have not had such a debate). This is all somewhat ironic in that just the last few years have seen the publication of surprising number of uninhibited, contentious and generally well-written books on race, ethnicity and social inequality in America. In truth, there is a healthy debate going on; more often than not, those who argue that there is not are really complaining about the lack of consensus, and the nation's continued failure to address its most challenging social problems.
In this course we will read many of these books, analyze and critique them. We will read the books in part for the knowledge and information they might contain, but mostly to gain an understanding of the diversity of thinking about these matters. An important objective of this course is for the students to develop an ability to communicate their own ideas and insights about these most controversial of subjects. This involves more than formulating ideas and putting them on paper; it involves finding an audience, exposing one's ideas, evidence, and logic to others and anticipating, and responding to, their reactions. In this regard, this course will be different.
Perhaps unlike many other courses related to race, ethnicity and social inequality, there will be no attempt to impose any doctrine, perspective or ideology on this course (although even saying that might do so), other than that we ought to adhere to standards of free and open inquiry. The books themselves have been chosen to reflect a very broad spectrum of thought and ideology. The authors, the other students in the class, and, perhaps, the instructor will, no doubt, express views with which you will disagree. This should be appreciated: you will never learn much from people you agree with. Our discussions will be guided by one general rule: We are all students trying to learn; it is just as important not to take offense as it is not to offend.
Due Dates, Requirements and Grades.
Each (undergraduate) student will be assigned to read four of the books (one from each of the four sections of the course), to summarize the work in class, and to submit a review of each book to the discussion list. Each reviewer will be asked to summarize and discuss the assigned book one week prior to the date the review is due. The reviews should be approximately 1,500 words in length. The reviews and in-class summaries will comprise 80% of the final grade. Note that the class presentation on each book is a part of the grade for that review. Reviews will not receive a grade higher than a B if the reviewer cannot adequately summarize the book the prior week. Each review will be evaluated based on the "Summary Grade sheet" standards.
Class participation, both oral participation in class and in the form participation on the discussion list, will comprise 10 percent of the grade. This will include at least three well-thought-out messages to the discussion list commenting on other reviews that have been posted . Participation on the discussion list, in the form of "commentaries" submitted to the list will require some reading of, or reading-about, the other books on the list. Such commentaries should consist of serious analysis of the book or the review under discussion. At all times avoid sending quick, short, and immediate responses to reviews and commentaries to the list.
For your first book (only), a draft copy must be sent to the instructor and the other students reviewing the same book by February 6th. You are welcome to send draft copies of your other reviews to the instructor and each other at any time, but please do so sufficiently in advance of the due date to receive comments back.
A final take-home examination on the course subject matter (minimum 2,00 words in length) will comprise 10% of the grade. This will be sent to the instructor (but not the discussion list] by May 1. The examination is intended to assess how well you grasp the ideas presented in all of the books, particularly those you have not reviewed and to develop and summative and integrative interpretations of many different works.
In the class schedule below, two books are assigned each week. The date shown for each pair of books is the day that the book review must be sent out on the e-mail discussion list. Reviews MUST be sent out by the date indicated. (Thus, the first review may be posted on February 7th, It must be posted by February 14, midnight).
Late reviews sent out within one week of the due date indicated will receive a 5% grade reduction. Later than that, the reviews should not be sent out on the discussion list, and you will receive a 20% grade reduction.
Graduate Students will be required to do a either an additional book review (this before April 15th) or a longer review comparing one of the books on the list with one that is not.
Attendance for this course is mandatory. Do not enroll in the course if you anticipate problems attending class. Any student with three or more absences -- for any reason at all -- must complete an additional review of a book assigned by the instructor (the grade to be included in the average other reviews).
Once we get into the book review schedule, each class will be primarily devoted to a discussion of one of the two books to be reviewed the next week. These discussions will be led by the students doing those reviews.
An unusual feature of this course involves the use of an Internet electronic mail discussion list, POS334-L . Each student's work will be distributed on the POS334-L list to over three hundred faculty and students across the world, some of whom will be submitting their own writings and commentaries on each other's writings. The purpose is both to provide an external audience for the students' ideas and to bring ideas from the outside into the class. In effect, your writing will be on public display.
I. Introduction: (WEEKS 1-3).
The first two weeks will address general principles of writing book reviews, an introduction to the major value conflicts and issues concerning race and ethnicity, and some demonstration of the use of electronic mail and discussion lists. We will examine and evaluate previously-published book reviews, including those sent to the POS334-L discussion list.
The following readings (available on-line) will be discussed on Thursday, January 20th:
Walter Williams, "Affirmative Action Can't Be Mended"
II. BOOK REVIEW SCHEDULE:
(Note: Each student will be assigned one book from each section, graduate students will pick one additional book. The date refers to when the review must be posted to the discussion list, we will discuss each book the week before.)
Section I: Ethnography of Race and Ethnicity:
Anderson, Elijah. Streetwise ISBN: 0226018164
Rieder, Jonathan. Canarsie ISBN: 0674093615
Duneier, Mitchel. Slim's Table ISBN: 0226170314
Kotlowitz, Alex. There Are No Children Here ISBN: 0385265565
Section II: Theories of Race and Racism in the U.S.
Bell, Derrick, Faces at the Bottom of the Well ISBN: 0465068146
Delgado, Richard. The Coming Race War? ISBN: 0814718779
Jhally, Sut and Justin Lewis. Enlightened Racism ISBN:0=8133-1419-4
Sleeper, Jim. Liberal Racism ISBN: 0670873918
Steele, Shelby. A Dream Deferred ISBN: 0060168234
Payne, Richard J. Getting Beyond Race ISBN: 0813368588
Section III: Justice and Law
Ezorsky, Gertrude. Racism and Justice ISBN 0-8014-9922-4
Urofsky, Melvin I. Affirmative Action On Trial ISBN: 0700608303
Chavez, Lydia. The Color Bind ISBN: 0520213440
Cole, David No Equal Justice ISBN 1-56584-473-4 (out of print?)
Kennedy, Randall. Race, Crime, and the Law ISBN: 0375701842
Simon, Rita J. The Case For Transracial Adoption ISBN: 1879383209 (book out of print?)
Paul L. Wachtel Race in the Mind of America : ISBN: 0415920019
Section IV: Race and Cultures
Deloria, Vine. Custer Died for Your Sins ISBN: 0806121297
Bordewich, Fergus. Killing the White Man's Indian ISBN: 0385420366
Dianne Walta Hart, Undocumented in L.A. ISBN 0-8420-2649-5
Philip Gourevitch We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families ISBN: 0312243359
Simpson, Andrea Y. The Tie That Binds ISBN: 0814781020
David Roediger, The Wages of Whiteness ISBN: 1859842402
(Note: Each Illinois State student will be assigned one book from each section, graduate students will pick one additional book. The date refers to the week the reviews on each book should be posted, with commentaries then and the following week.)