PLSC 325: THE POLITICS OF RACE IN THE UNITED STATES 3:45-5 Tuesday and Thursday, Weinstein 304. Office Hours: T and Thu 9-10:30 and

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1 PLSC 325: THE POLITICS OF RACE IN THE UNITED STATES 3:45-5 Tuesday and Thursday, Weinstein 304 Spring 2009 Professor Andrea Y. Simpson Office: Weinstein Hall 202-P office phone Office Hours: T and Thu 9-10:30 and by appointment Racial and ethnic conflict is a factor of contemporary life all over the globe. If we are to understand ethnic conflict anywhere, it may help to begin to understand ethnic and racial conflict here in the United States. This course will focus on the tension and conflict surrounding the treatment of African-Americans, although we will address overarching ideas of inequality based on race and ethnicity throughout the course. The reason for this focus is that African- Americans are the largest minority group in this country and unique in that their presence here is the result of slavery. Some of the questions we will be asking are: Why is race an issue that will not go away? What is the role of culture and class in constructing race? Who is responsible for resolving racial conflict? The goals of this course are: to introduce you, the student, to the concepts and language of scholarship on race to expose you to the most recent historical scholarship on race to encourage you to think critically about race politics in the United States through the writing exercises, help you to hone your ability to express complex ideas on paper. This is a race politics class, and there will be moments and days, in which we will have tension and disagreements among us. These are positive incidents of tension, to paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., because we cannot grow as intellectuals, or people, without encountering and working through social tensions. I will respect you and your thoughts during our journey through this very difficult subject, and I hope you will respect me in turn. Please check your preconceived notions about race and politics at the door so that we can begin this journey with curiosity and enthusiasm. Keep your minds on ideas and issues, not on people. Texts Slavery by Another Name, Blackmon (SBAN) The Anatomy of Racial Inequality, Loury (ARI) Racism without Racists, Bonilla-Silva (RWR) Other Articles as Assigned All texts are on 4-hour reserve at Boatwright Library. Articles are posted on Blackboard. 1

2 Grading Papers: 60 % Project/presentation: 25 % Class participation: 15 % Paper Assignments You will write three five-page response papers, excluding the bibliography. The paper assignments are mandatory. Two 5-to-7 page response paper to selected reading assignments are due on the dates indicated in the course schedule. The response paper is an opportunity for you to explore aspects of the readings that interest or puzzle you. It is a way for me to gauge the depth of your understanding on the issues raised. Following are some helpful hints for writing a good response paper: 1. Briefly state the part of the argument or aspect of the reading you plan to address. 2. Take a position. Do you agree or disagree with this aspect of the argument? 3. Look for flaws in the author s reasoning or research. These papers are formal writing assignments. Writing style and grammar are important. Misspelled words are simply not acceptable. You may write in the first person (using I ). I will base your grade on the organization, creativity, and clarity of your writing as well as the support you provide for your argument. If you think that you may have to miss a class, you should turn in your response papers before class. You may place them in Professor Simpson s mailbox in 202 Weinstein. I will not accept late papers, faxed papers, or papers sent via . Writing Expectations My standards for writing are rigorous. I will assess your writing based on clarity, organization, word usage, and sentence construction. You should have a clear understanding of baseline standards in these areas. I plan to edit carefully each assignment, including in-class quizzes, for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes. I strongly you recommend a good writing book. My favorite tools are On Writing Well, by William Zinsser and Woe Is I by Patricia T. O Connor. Other excellent writing tools are: Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynn Truss and Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. Remember that running a spell check through your Word program is not the same as proofreading your work. Some students find it helpful to read their papers aloud to find errors. Please seek help through the Writing Center and other sources if you need help in this area. I am also available via , during office hours, and by appointment to help you. I will use the following criteria in evaluating all written assignments: Do you define key terms and phrases as we have used them in this course? Does your thesis reflect your grasp of key terms in this course? Do you adequately explain the theories or ideas you are using from lecture and assigned readings? 2

3 Do you provide evidence for conclusion you reach in your paper? Was your supporting evidence appropriate and convincing? Do you offer an interesting and thoughtful conclusion to your paper? Is the essay well organized, and clear? Do you have a number of grammatical, punctuation, and sentence structure errors? Are you critical in discussion your observations, or do you just offer a summary? Other good tips for writing well: Your topic should be narrow enough to write a concise and convincing piece of research Anyone who reads your paper should understand it. Your reader is not just me you are writing for anyone who is interested; therefore, you must define your terms and organize your paper. Topic headings are a good way to lead the reader through your argument. Personal experiences and observations do not carry as much weight as an academic publication. Anecdotes and stories can illuminate, but they are no substitute for hard research, whether it is qualitative or quantitative. Avoid the temptation to write something you think I will agree with you will never be sure of my opinions in this class. During many classes, I will play devil s advocate to spark discussion and to help you to think more critically. Integrity in writing includes writing about something that you believe in, not something that you believe can yield extra points from the professor. Project/Presentation On the fourth class meeting, students must turn in a presentation topic that critically assesses some aspect of politics or culture that illuminates how we construct race today. These presentations will be fifteen minutes in length. Teams of two or three are acceptable. We will discuss details of the presentation as the semester progresses. Participation The success of this course depends upon the participation of professors and students. Please come to class prepared to speak on the readings and answer questions. I understand that some students are shy, and not everyone is completely comfortable speaking in class. It is part of your learning experience to practice good oral communication. Good questions are as helpful as good answers to questions and substantive comments. I will keep a record of daily participation. A Note about Documentaries We will see a number of documentaries this year. They are not entertainment. These are learning exercises. I expect you to pay attention, take notes, and be ready to respond to questions. I plan to pose questions from these documentaries on your midterm exam. 3

4 Academic Integrity and the Honor Code Students must adhere to the University of Richmond Honor Code. This means that on both the midterm and final exam, students must write the following, I pledge that I have neither given nor received assistance during the completion of this work. You should provide your signature after the pledge. Students are encouraged to seek help in writing papers. However, it is a violation of the honor code to plagiarize content from any source. Plagiarism is the act of using someone else s words without proper attribution. Paraphrasing does not exempt students from the need to cite sources. Please refer to the University of Richmond websites at and for additional guidance. Support Services On campus are a variety of support services, including the Academic Skills Center, the Technology Learning Center, and the Writing Center. However, one source on which you may focus is the Speech Center, which could be valuable as you prepare to lead discussions in class. The website for the center is They can help you hone your discussion and presentations skills through practice and critical review. Course Schedule Tuesday, January 13 Thursday, January 15 Tuesday, January 20 Thursday, January 22 Tuesday, January 27 Thursday, January 29 Tuesday, February 3 Thursday, February 5 Tuesday, February 10 Introduction, Review of Syllabus, Rules for Class Discussion Chapters 1 and 2, SBAN Chapters 3 and 4, SBAN Chapter 5, SBAN RESPONSE PAPER DUE Chapters 6 and 7, SBAN Documentary: Slavery and the Making of America Chapter 8, SBAN Chapters 9 through 11, SBAN Documentary: Slavery and the Making of America Chapters 12-14, SBAN 4

5 Thursday, February 12 Tuesday, February 17 Thursday, February 19 Tuesday February 24 Thursday, February 26 Tuesday, March 3 Thursday, March 5 Chapters 15 and 16, SBAN Chapter 17 and Epilogue, SBAN Documentary, Ethnic Notions Review for Mid-Term Mid-Term Chapters 1 and 2, ARI Response Paper Due Chapter 3, ARI SPRING BREAK, MARCH 6-MARCH 16 Tuesday, March 17 Thursday, March 19 Tuesday March 24 Thursday, March 26 Tuesday, March 31 Thursday, April 2 Tuesday, April 7 Thursday, April 10 Tuesday, April 14 Thursday, April 16 Thursday April 21 Thursday, April 23 Chapter 4, ARI Documentary, Africans in the Americas Chapter 5, ARI, Assessment and Assistance with Chapters 1 and 2, RWR Chapters 3-6, RWR Chapter 7, RWR Chapters 8 through Postscript, RWR Response Paper Due Review, Discussion of Presentation Schedule What Have We Learned? 5

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