Spring 2021  |  AAS 3251W Section 001: Sociological Perspectives on Race, Class, and Gender (51011)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
Completely Online
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Online Course
Meets With:
SOC 3251W Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/19/2021 - 05/03/2021
Tue 01:00PM - 02:15PM
Off Campus
UMN REMOTE
Enrollment Status:
Closed (16 of 16 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
In the midst of social unrest, it is important for us to understand social inequality. In this course we will analyze the impact of three major forms of inequality in the United States: race, class, and gender. Through taking an intersectional approach at these topics, we will examine the ways these social forces work institutionally, conceptually, and in terms of our everyday realities. We will focus on these inequalities as intertwined and deeply embedded in the history of the country. Along with race, class, and gender we will focus on other axes of inequality including sexuality, citizenship, and dis/ability. We will analyze the meanings and values attached to these social categories, and the ways in which these social constructions help rationalize, justify, and reproduce social inequality.
Class Notes:
This lecture is completely online. On Tuesdays, the lecture will meet in a synchronous format at the scheduled time. The remaining lecture material will be available online in an asynchronous format.
Class Description:
In this course, we examine race, class, gender and sexuality as axes of stratification, identity, and experience. Our goal is to understand the multiple and intersecting ways that these concepts shape American society and influence each of our lives, life-chances, and daily interactions.
The opening weeks of the class are devoted to a detailed examination of each of our core concepts. In the second half of the course, we move to an analysis of the significance of race, class, gender and sexuality in different contexts including the labor force, the family, schools, the criminal justice system and the dynamics of language. We close the class by asking how the U.S. will be shaped by race, class, gender and sexuality as we continue through the 21st century, and by evaluating solutions to the problem of social inequality. This course will make you think and reflect. Join us!!

Oh, and if you are an AAS student, don't worry, I won't forget about you! You will have some unique options to personalize this course.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Everyone! Everyone should take this class to understand more about themselves, others, and society!
Learning Objectives:
1.1 Actively engage with the professor, TAs, and other students

1.2 Engage in course activities

1.3 Reflect on personal assumptions and values in the context of gender, race, and social class

1.4 Question current knowledge of gender, race, and social class

2.1 Identify societal constructions of gender, race, and social class

2.2 Explore how gender, race, and social class applies to social relationships, communities, societal institutions, and how they could shape the future of society

2.3 Articulate how gender, race, and social class manifest in intimate relationships and in the family

2.4 Identify ways that gender, race, and social class affects the workplace and career advancement

3.1 Contrast opinions and facts in multiple media outlets

3.2 Recognize assumptions and presuppositions in own, peer, and professional opinions

3.3 Develop a clearly articulated argument to support an argument related to gender, race, and social class and use it to justify one or more conclusions related to gender, race, and social class

3.4 Analyze and assess the strength of arguments related to gender, race, and social class and the implications for the course of action and/or assumptions that flow from the argument

3.5 Teach gender, race, and social class concepts to peers inside and outside of the class

3.6 Contemplate how scholars study gender, race, and social class, and the limitations therein

4.1 Describe gender, race, and social class over time and across the life course

4.2 Synthesize gender, race, and social class as interdependent, intersectional concepts

4.3 Identify race, gender, social class, and sexual orientation-related factors that influence communities

4.4 Appreciate the diversity of American family life

5.1 Learn to write clearly and without jargon

5.2 Read the work of peers and provide feedback that is actually useful

6.1 Identify multiple personal identities, including race, social class, gender identity, sexual identity, religion, etc.

6.2 Articulate how own intersectional identities, and the values and beliefs that accompany them, shape own experiences

6.3 Appreciate how others' intersectional identities lead to different values and beliefs and experiences, both personal and professional

6.4 Question the lenses through which American society is viewed and reflect on the origins of these lenses

7.1 Communicate gender, race, and social class topics to peers

7.2 Articulate why gender, race, and social class matters

7.3 Identify a contemporary current event or media story connected to gender, race, and/or social class

Grading:
Your grade will have 7 components:
Prediction Quizzes: pass/fail quizzes that ask you to predict what you will learn the next week (pass/fail)
Quizzes: Online quizzes that cover each module's materials.
Engage Discussions: On Zoom (once per week) or Online (once per week) discussions of that weeks materials
Short Papers: Short papers on various topics.
Reflections: Short, less formal reflection of that week's module.
Blog Project: A gender, race, and social class themed blog post
Final Paper: A final paper on a question related to gender, race, and social class
Exam Format:
There are 14 quizzes (taken in Canvas) in this class. There is no midterm or final.
Class Format:
This class will meet synchronously (live on Zoom) on Tuesday only. The class will meet asynchronously in an online discussion forum on Thursday.
Workload:
This class will require you to read about 30 to 40 pages per week. It will require you to write about one two-page paper per week. It will require you to complete two quizzes (short quizzes, less than 20 minutes), per week. It will require you to complete about one reflection per week. This class is based in active learning. If you are not into doing readings for your courses, not into staying on top of tasks, or not into discussion, this may not be the class for you. Or, maybe you are into these things, but not during a global pandemic. I get it. So, you can decide for yourself whether this is the class for you. I personally think it is awesome and a lot of fun. But I might be biased; I am the professor. Ha!
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/51011/1213
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
9 November 2020

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2021 Asian American Studies Classes

To link directly to this ClassInfo page from your website or to save it as a bookmark, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=AAS&catalog_nbr=3251W&term=1213
To see a URL-only list for use in the Faculty Center URL fields, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=AAS&catalog_nbr=3251W&term=1213&url=1
To see this page output as XML, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=AAS&catalog_nbr=3251W&term=1213&xml=1
To see this page output as JSON, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=AAS&catalog_nbr=3251W&term=1213&json=1
To see this page output as CSV, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=AAS&catalog_nbr=3251W&term=1213&csv=1
Schedule Viewer
8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
10 pm
s
m
t
w
t
f
s
?
Class Title