Race, Racism, and Resistance (410-0-20)

Instructors

Jennifer A Jones
Jennifer Jones is an Associate Professor of Sociology and a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. Her research lies at the intersection of the sociology of race, immigration, and politics. Throughout her scholarship, she examines how race “works”, exploring the relationship between categorical ascription (e.g., checking a box, or how one is perceived) and meaning-making (e.g., identity, or feeling a sense of group belonging).

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 222: Tues 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

"Race, Racism, and Resistance in Global Perspective"

This course will introduce students to major theories, topics, and debates in the field of race and ethnicity with a focus on the genealogy of the subfield. During this quarter, we will engage with important issues in the field, such as the utility of race and ethnicity as concepts; how racial and ethnic ‘groupness' is formed, classified, and inhabited; explaining persisting racial and ethnic inequality; and practices of resistance. This class will also bring a critical lens to the field of sociology and the ways in which race has played a defining role in the discipline over time. Finally, it will introduce students to the work of race scholars in the department and critical approaches to using racial categories in empirical work.

Learning Objectives

• Gain a broad understanding of the sociology of race as a field;
• Make sense of the role of race in shaping the field of sociology more generally;
• Understand and deploy sociological terms and concepts in the study of race and racism;
• Recognize key debates in the field;
• Compare racial classification systems, racial hierarchies, practices of racism, and strategies or resistance across time and place;
• Develop critical assessments of sociological texts;
• Begin to develop your own perspective regarding key sociological concepts and debates when it comes to race.

Teaching Method

Seminar

Evaluation Method

Weekly response papers, midterm proposal, final paper

Class Materials (Required)

This course will have required books/other materials.

TBD

Class Attributes

Permission of department

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Sociology/MORS-Soc PhD Students
Add Consent: Department Consent Required