L 362   Class, Gender & Race in the Global Village

T/TH Fall 2005:               Russ  Kleinbach, Ph.D.

Phone:  O: 951-2606   -- KleinbachR@PhilaU.edu 

        http://faculty.philau.edu/kleinbachr/

Prerequisites:  At least sophomore status 

Texts:              Rius.  MARX FOR BEGINNERS.  New York:  Pantheon Books,  1976/1979, (paper)

      Margaret L. Andersen & Patricia Hill Collins.  RACE,  CLASS,  and  GENDER.   Fifth Edition, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,  2004. 

Introduction:  The concept of the Global Village assumes that we share not only an ecological environment, and a mutual relationship to the same earth, but that we live in a world in which groups and individuals with different assumptions, attitudes, beliefs, values, communicative styles, economic systems, and political systems live in contact with each other.  It studies individuals and groups as well as an understanding of their interdependence.   It recognizes that discrete events in the world today have global ramifications and seeks to examine relations between causes and consequences.

      The course is a systematic study of theories, concepts, and methods of the social sciences focusing on the nature of economic, social, racial and sexual stratification in the U.S. and societies in other parts of the world, and North/South stratification in a world context.  The course is designed to enable us to understand, and to be able to use social science categories, concepts, theories and methods to analyze and influence social situations and environments. 

In the course we will make some theoretical assumptions: 

(1) the context of our study is the world,

(2) reality (including social facts, knowledge and individuals) is historical and social, and

(3) social existence precedes human personal experience. 

Organization:  The course will be structured around the assigned reading, lectures by the instructor, student written work and class discussions.  We will read and study the assigned material and post on Black Board and/or bring to class written and footnoted comments and questions on issues and categories on which we wish to elaborate, expound, raise questions and/or disagree.  Thus a good deal of responsibility for what happens in the class periods rests with the students.  We will spend much of our class time in discussion; examining  the assumptions, concepts and conclusions of the reading, and we will evaluate the reading in terms of issues which it addresses and the world view which it presupposes and/or projects.  We will try to probe the presuppositions and implications of what we read, and in so doing we will also probe the presuppositions from which we read. 

NB:  Students are expected to take notes on class discussions, films and speakers as well as on the textbook and lectures.  NB = nota bene (note well) 

Requirements:

      (a) Class attendance and contribution to class discussion, including written and footnoted comments and questions. (20% of grade) Students may also request or be requested to make 5-10 minute presentations to the class on a topic of interest to them and the class. 

      (b) Three exams* (20%, 20%, 20% of grade)

      (c) One Book Review/Analysis* (20% of grade)

Exams must be taken and the paper turned in the day they are scheduled, except in cases of prior arrangement or personal emergency.  An unexcused late paper may be turned in up to one week after the due date but it will be penalized 1 letter grade.  Late exams, if excused, will be made up at the convenience of the instructor!  Exams will be short answer and essay questions, and will cover material in the readings, films, material contributed to the class by the students and the instructor.

       In class discussion, papers, and exams students should (a) demonstrate knowledge of the data of the subject, i.e., the available information, theories, problems and questions related to the subject, (b) demonstrate the student’s ability to be theoretical, i.e., to address the subjects in terms of the related abstract propositions and theories, (c) demonstrate the student’s ability to discuss the subject critically and reflectively, and (d) demonstrate the student’s ability to organize material coherently with a good balance of specificity, generalization and opinion. 

Contribution to class meetings will be evaluated in terms of the following:  (a) the student’s critical evaluation and questioning of, and responses to the readings and comments of other students and the instructor, (b) the student’s contribution to the learning of fellow students and the instructor; this includes listening to and responding to others in such a way that all involved are encouraged to listen, to learn and to express our questions and views during class, and (c) the student’s demonstrated knowledge of the material. 

Book Review/Analysis:   The paper will be (a) a description of the facts and issues in a book (novel or monograph) relevant to the course, and (b) an analysis of these facts and issues using the concepts and theories which have been learned in the first four weeks of the course.   The paper should be 5-8 pages in length.  Papers that do not complete the assignment or do not receive a grade of “C” or better will be rewritten.  Papers should be typed, preferably on a word processor, follow good essay form and be properly footnoted.  See assignment sheet for details.

Please,  no plastic covers or blank pages. 

“Properly footnoted” means that whenever you use a resource to gain information or ideas which are not general knowledge, you must provide documentation in order to give credit to the authors of the information and to allow anyone reading your paper to either check your research or read more of the work from which you are drawing.  Footnotes are required when items of information or ideas are drawn from a source, when material is paraphrased, and when material is quoted directly.  For information concerning proper documentation see any textbook on college writing or your expository writing text.   Incomplete documentation is called plagiarism.  Plagiarism is theft, and partially or totally stolen papers will not be accepted.  

Communication skills:  It is School of General Studies policy that in all disciplines, and at all course levels, in the school, instructors incorporate into their courses the opportunity for students to develop their ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.  In particular, essay exams or some form of written assignment (i.e.,   short analytic papers or a research paper) should be included in all courses offered in the school.  In this course these requirements will be met through the extended class discussions, the Book Review/analysis, and essay examinations.

 Etiquette request:  I request that students not chew gum, or wear baseball hats in class.

 Academic integrity and honesty is expected in all forms of course work.  Any dishonesty or cheating may result in the student failing the course, or being brought before the Student Conduct Committee that could lead to dismissal form the College.  The primary forms of academic dishonesty to be avoided are (a) plagiarism:  Taking the ideas or words of another without giving due credit to the source, and (b) cheating:  giving or taking information during an examination.          

 College Studies:  This course is one of several choices in the “Social Science I” segment of your College Studies curriculum. You must take one course from this course group. The Social Science I courses continue to develop the writing, communication, and critical thinking skills you learned in your first year of college. However, these courses are focused on the global environment (not just on the U.S.) and will help you to understand cross-cultural differences in society, economy and politics using social scientific methods and concepts. In these courses, you also continue to develop your information literacy skills (i.e. your ability to retrieve, understand and utilize information).  

College Studies, overall, is the main general education part of your undergraduate experience at Philadelphia University. This is taught in 2 schools: the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Science and Health. The courses taught in these schools are carefully planned to be taken in sequence. College Studies courses prepare you to understand American society, cultural differences, and the world outside the US. They also help you to develop skills that will be useful in your professions and in your lives outside the university. These skills include an understanding of ethical and moral perspectives, the ability to integrate knowledge from all your classes into a coherent whole, and the tools to become life-long learners.  

The Learning & Advising Center offers students professional assistance and peer tutoring tailored for their individual needs.  Students should seek reading/study skills help when they are not getting enough out of their assigned readings or feel their study techniques are not as successful as they would like or expect.  Writing tutorial sessions may revolve around such items as narrowing a topic, defining a thesis, organizing ideas, or improving grammar and mechanics.  Professional help in Math and ESL is also available.  Peer tutors who have taken the courses and received special training are on duty to help in a wide range of college courses. Students may come to the Learning Center on their own, or they may be referred by a faculty member.            

The Learning Center is located in Haggar Hall.     Telephone: 951-2799 http://www.philau.edu/learning/index.htm
 

L 362.  Class, Gender & Race in the Global Village

T/TH fall  2005:                    Russ  Kleinbach, Ph.D.

 Tentative Schedule and Reading Assignments

 What is social science?  How can social science be useful?  What are theoretical Paradigms?

 Class

1  Tue    Aug  30          Introduction to the course & to three paradigms.

 2  Thur  Sept  01          Paradigms continued 

                                      [The three paradigms must be learned and memorized]
                                        Rius, Marx for Beginners,  pp. 1-32 

3  Tue  Sept  06           Rius,   pp. 33-64  &  Paradigms continued 

4  Thur  Sept  08          Rius,   pp. 65-123                                                                       

5  Tue  Sept  13           Rius,   pp. 124-143 

6  Thur  Sept  15          Film:  Mondragon Experiment. 

7  Tue  Sept  20           Discussion of film, paradigms and Marx 

8  Thur  Sept  22          Exam on  paradigms & Rius  [paradigms must be memorized] 

9  Tue  Sept   27          Readings from RACE, CLASS & GENDER:   by Anderson and Collins

                                     Introduction  …[suggest you also read preface]    . . . . . . . . . . .  p. 1                                                             I  Shifting the Center     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   p. 15
                                    1  Missing People & Others: Joining Together to Expand the Circle
                                    2  La Güera,    ……………………………… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .      p. 28
                                     3  Report from the Bahamas, ……… … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       p. 35 

10  Thur  Sept  29      4  Angry Women Are Building: Issues and Struggles                                                                       Facing American Indian Women Today . . . . . . . . .                  p. 44                                          5  Oppression……………… … … … … … … . . . . . . . . . .                                          
                                    6  A Different Mirror ……… … … … … … … . . . . .  . . . . . . . . .      p. 51
                                    7  Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Differences    p. 64 

11  Tue  Oct 04           II  Conceptualizing Race, Class and Gender, introduction   . . .  p. 75  

                                                            RACE AND RACISM                                            

                                      8  Something About the Subject Makes it Hard to Name                                       
                                     9  White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack               p. 103

12   Thur  Oct  06       10  Of Race and Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               p. 108
                                     11  Seeing More Than Black & White  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      p. 111
                                    12  What White Supremacists Taught a Jewish Scholar about Identity
                                    13  Race Matters .. . . . .  .  .  . . . . . . . . . . . .                                       p. 121
                                       Film:  A Question of Color      

13  Tue  Oct  11          CLASS AND INEQUALITY   
                                   14  Economic Apartheid in America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      p. 127
                                   15  Tired of Playing Monopoly? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     p. 140
                                    16  Wealth Matters  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     p. 149
                                   18  Black Picket Fences: Privilege and Peril among
                                         the Black Middle Class  .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           p. 158

14  Tue  Oct  18          GENDER AND SEXISM  
                                  20  Ideological Racism and Cultural Resistance                                                            
                                  21  A White Woman of Color  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    p. 184
                                  22  Masculinities & Athletic Careers   . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .  .  .  .    p. 190 

15 Thur  Oct  20       23  Just Choices: Women of Color, Reproductive Health, and
                                      Human Rights . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                      p. 203

III  Rethinking Institutions . . . . .  Introduction  .  .  .  . . . . . .        p. 215

                                       Film:  “Democracy in a Different Voice”

16 Tue  Oct  25    WORK  AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION                                             
                             Bensten: - “The Political Economy of Women’s Liberation”  Handout                    
                                   24  Race, Class, Gender, and Women’s Works  . . . . . . . . . . . .  p. 228 
                                   25  The Indignities of Unemployment  . . . . . . . . .    . . . . . . .    p. 237
                                   26  “Soft” Skills and Race . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      p. 239                                                       27  The Invisible Poor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      p. 248
                                   28  Domestica   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       p. 257

 17  Thur  Oct  27   Film:  “Global Assembly Line” - [on the Maquiladoras:

                                 U.S. industries which offer Mexican women jobs]
                                   BOOK REVIEW / ANALYSIS DUE       

18   Tue  Nov  01   Exam

19   Thur Nov  03   FAMILIES
                                29  Our Mothers' Grief:  Racial-Ethnic Women and the
                                      Maintenance of Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      p. 266
                                31  Countering the Conspiracy to Ignore Black Girls . . . . . . . .  p. 287
                                      Film:  Abortion for Survival  [179.76 AV 7358    on reserve] 

20  Tue  Nov  08   CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND THE PRODUCTION OF IDEAS
                              34  Racist Stereotyping in the English Language . . . . . . . . . . . . .   p. 310
                              35  Crimes Against Humanity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .           p. 321
                              36  Media Magic: Making Class Invisible  . . . .  .  .  .  .  .  . . . . . .       p. 329
                             37  The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria p. 337 

21  Thur  Nov  10  Kyrgyzstan Essays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Handouts

                                                            Film:  Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan 

22   Tue    Nov  15        Central Asian and Trafficking Essays . . . . . . . . . . . . .           Handouts
                                       53  Globalizing Sex Workers’ Rights . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          p. 465
                          Convention on all forms of Discrimination Against Women . . . .   Handout
                          Fourth World Conference On Women; .Summary . . . . . . . .            Handout
                           U.S. Withdraws Support From Women's Plan  . . . . . . . . . . .           Handout
                          A Place Where Women Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           Handout 

23  Thur  Nov  17  International Essays on Homosexuality . . . . . . .  . . . . . . .           Handouts
                                Essays on Islam and Gender . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..          Handouts

 24  Tue  Nov  22   STATE INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIAL POLICY
                                40  The First Americans:  American Indians. . . . . . .  .  .   .  .   .       p. 354
                                41  Can Education Eliminate Race, Class & Gender Inequality     p. 361
                                42  Welfare Reform, Family Hardship, and Women of Color    . . . p. 371
 
25   Tue  Nov  29   43  Aid to Dependent Corporations:  Exposing Federal 
                                      Handouts to the Wealthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           p. 379-83
                                     IV  Applying the Framework
                                      Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .  .  .       p. 395-08
                                   46  Optional Ethnicities: For Whites Only?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      p. 418
                                   47  “Mexicanness” in New York: Migrants seek New Place in
                                        Old Racial Order   . . . . . .  . . . . . .  . . . . . .  . . . . . .  . . . . .         p. 427 

26  Thur  Dec  01        48  Migration and Vietnamese American Women . . . . . . . . .   p. 433
                                     49  Chappals and Gym Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .  .     p. 441 

27  Tue  Dec  06        SEXUALITY   and VIOLENCE
                                   50  The Gender of Sexuality . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .  . . .       p. 448-55
                                   International Essays on Violence and Women . . . . . . . .       Handouts

                                   Film- FGM:  World Health Organization: The Road to Change   
                                                                     
28         Thur  Dec  08  TBA . . .                                                            

Final Exam