Instructor. Felipe Pimentel                                                               E-Mail: fpimente@hejira.hunter.cuny.edu

Course description: This course will present a sociological perspective on race and ethnic relations. We will look at people as part of ethnic and racial groups and see how group membership shapes their life histories, economic and social opportunities, and structural positions within society. The class will examine a wide variety of issues ranging from immigration, multiculturalism and ethnic conflict to racism, discrimination and minority status in American society. A fair amount of sociological writings dealing with all these themes will be discussed. The course's focus is on critical comparisons on how these bodies of scholarship address similar questions and concerns.In addition, we will explore how ethnic and racial groups construct collective identities. The focus of the class will be on the United States from a comparative perspective, since the sociological understanding of racial and ethnic relations is certainly an important issue across the globe. The class will stress on two major questions:

1. The social construction of race and ethnicity. Both, race and ethnicity as social identities and collective identifications in changing societies.
2. The sociological understanding of race or ethnicity as "independent variables" that lead to divergent outcomes for people. The relationship between race and ethnicity and other forms of social and class stratification. Within that context, whether ethnicity and race are separate and independent dimensions of social stratification, or whether they can be subsumed under status, or social class.

Academic objective: This course is designed to raise students' critical awareness of issues of "race" and "ethnicity" in contemporary societies. To achieve this goal we will examine several theoretical perspectives on the subject giving special attention to the ways these sociological concepts are used in academic and public discourses. Students will be exposed to the sociological study of racial and ethnic group relations seeking to explain why questionable biological notions of "race" don't have any relevance for the understanding of social, cultural and economic differences within human societies. One of the goals of the class is to put in question certain ideologies which suggest that social inequality between ethnic and racial groups is caused by "natural differences". Overall, this class pursuits three major objectives:

• To familiarize students with major sociological theories utilized when studying racial and ethnic groups.
• To provide students with the sociological tools needed to understand the importance of race, ethnicity, and minority status in our society.
• To create a "critical social sensibility" among students regarding the broad diversity of racial, ethnic and minority groups.

Poor African-American family, picture from the book "American Pictures".

Certain racial and ethnic groups have a higher percentage of families living below the so-called poverty line. Why do you think are African-Americans and Latinos poorer than Whites?

Class requirements & students' responsibilities: There will be two in-class exams during the semester (mid-term and final). In addition, students (no exceptions) must write a research paper (9-12 pages, typed) on specific subjects to be discussed in class. While the tests will account for 60 percent of the class grade (30% each one), the paper will account for the remaining 40 percent of your grade (100%). Class participation is highly encouraged. Students are responsible for being up-to-date in their readings.

Final grades: I follow the college's grading system as stated in the catalogue. I don't change final grades; neither do I accept last minute work for "extra credit". No incompletes will be given. NC only for students who have fulfilled all class requirements.

Research paper: Written papers are due Tuesday, December 4. There will be an increasing deduction of points after that date. You are expected to write the paper and hand over your work on time according to the scheduled date. Without exemptions, I won't accept papers after December 14. Students must follow certain procedures on how to prepare the paper that are posted at the "research paper" page. Before writing the paper you need to prepare a short proposal/prospectus stating the subject and tentative bibliography. The proposal/ prospectus is due Friday, October 5. At least 50% of the materials to be used in your paper should be from the required and supplementary readings discussed in class. Students are responsible for knowing Hunter College's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism and the penalties for such behavior. PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED and will result in failure for the course and may result in serious disciplinary action from the college.

Exams: Examinations are based on required readings. An examination missed is graded as a zero. Make-up tests won't be given, and the so-called "curves" won't be used to grade exams in this class. The grading system is simple. All examinations are scored on a 100-points scale.

Attendance & lateness: Attendance is highly encouraged, however, points won't be deducted for absences. If for any reason you don't come to class you are responsible for all the material discussed that day. Students are expected to be in the classroom on time. Please, don't come late since it creates unwanted disruptions that affect the normal flow and dynamic of the class.

Office hours: Only by appointment, Tuesday 2:20-3:00 p.m. and Friday 10.00-10:40 a.m. at Hunter west # 1633 (or HW # 1732).

For Required Readings and Class Schedule for the semester go to the page "Class Outline".