Course Description
A social psychological understanding of race and racism, with a particular emphasis on the experience of black Americans in the United States. The primary objective is to examine the interplay between interpersonal processes and the institutions through which racial boundaries and hierarchies are created and maintained.
Athena Title
Social Psychology Race Racism
Prerequisite
SOCI 1101 or SOCI 1101H or SOCI 2600 or PSYC 1101 or PSYC 1101E or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course provides a basic social psychological understanding of race, racism, and discrimination in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of Black Americans. A social psychological approach to the topic begins with the assumption that race and ethnicity are socially and politically constructed phenomena: They are phenomena that vary significantly across time and place, and that ultimately rest on processes of group boundary formation, segregation, and the creation of intergroup racial hierarchies. The primary objectives of the course are to understand: 1) the social conditions under which segregation, racial hierarchies, and racial conflict emerge 2) how interpersonal interactions become sites for the reproduction of racial segregation and inequality 3) the interplay between interpersonal processes and the institutions through which racial boundaries and hierarchies are created and recreated in the United States. We will discuss social psychological theories from both sociology and psychology in this class, but also focus on real- life applications of concepts. By the end of this course, you should be able to apply social psychological ideas to analyze the real-life situations and relationships you encounter.
Topical Outline
Week 1: Introduction Week 2: Race as a Social Construction, Race as a Social System Weeks 3-6: Race and Social Cognition • Stereotyping and Discrimination (individual-level explanations, social categorization, social identity theory, stereotype content) • Intergroup Relations (racial attitudes and racial segregation of intimate relationships, schools, neighborhoods) • Implicit Attitudes Weeks 7-12: Racism and its Social Consequences • Whites’ racial attitudes and white privilege • Group Position and Racial/Ethnic conflict • Racism and mental health • Internalized Racism • Stereotype Threat and Self-Affirmation • Experiences of being Biracial/Multiracial in the United States Weeks 12-14: Race as a Status Characteristic • Theories of status and power inequality • How micro-level processes shape macro-level racial inequality (focus on three institutions: education, law, family) • Intersectionality (intersections of race, gender, and class) Week 15: Social Change
Syllabus