TO: Beth Dobkin, Provost
FROM: Hisham Ahmed, Chair
Academic Senate
DATE: March 16, 2016
RE: Senate Action S-15/16-44CA
SOC 107: Whiteness
At the March 16, 2016 meeting of the Academic Senate, the attached Proposal for permanent approval of SOC 107: Whiteness was approved on the Consent Agenda.
The proposal was submitted to the Academic Senate from the Undergraduate Educational Policies Committee, where it was unanimously approved by a vote of 7-0-0 at the March 11, 2016 meeting.
This action was assigned Senate Action #S-15/16-44CA.
Attachment
cc: President James A. Donahue
Dean Sheila Hassel Hughes
Ynez Wilson Hirst
Department of Sociology
New Permanent Course Proposal
SOC 107*, Whiteness
This course crosslists with Ethnic Studies.
*Please note that the original experimental status proposal had this course listed as SOC 117. We have changed the number so as to not create confusion with TRS 117, which also crosslists with Ethnic Studies.
1. School, Department, Course Number, and Course Title:
SOLA, Sociology, SOC 107: Whiteness
This is an upper division course because it involves an in-depth study of the subject matter. The course requires a rigorous reading and writing schedule throughout the semester, as well as the intellectual readiness, personal maturity, and reflexivity of the students to be able to participate in discussions about complex issues.
2. Justification for the course: The Sociology Department’s website states, “Sociology addresses the most pressing social issues in contemporary society: racial and ethnic tensions, gender inequality, poverty, health and illness, social movements, crime and deviance, educational inequality, immigration and problems in urban environments, just to name a few. Sociologists study everything from the social dynamics of two people in conversation to the social dynamics of political revolutions”. SOC 107 sits squarely within the department’s focus of social inequality and social justice. The study of Whiteness seeks to explore oppression dynamics from a lens of race and racial formation. SOC 107 will complement SOC 112: Race and Ethnicity directly by delving more deeply and specifically into some of the topics examined in that course. SOC 107 will also complement the course content from SOC 115: Wealth and Poverty, SOC 120: Social Movements, SOC 123: Ethnic Groups in the United States, SOC 124: Justice and Community, and SOC 125: Gender and Society.
3. Objectives for the course: The objectives and learning outcomes for the SOC 107 are: After completing this course students will be able to:
(1) Explain what is meant by the social construction of race and ethnicity (namely as it relates to racial formation and Whiteness) and apply it to everyday social and historical circumstances.
(2) Interrogate general assumptions underlying concepts of race and ethnicity through critical inquiry.
(3) Explain how social categories and structures of power affect the human person.
(4) Discuss how one’s individual social position, power and privilege operate within dialogues about race and race relations.
The above listed objectives and learning outcomes fit with those of the Sociology Department, the Ethnic Studies Program, SOLA, and the overall mission of the College. In SOC 107, students will gain a greater understanding of institutions and structures that relate to race, race relations, and social inequality. Particular attention is made to ground this work within a social justice framework.
4. Assessment: There are three areas of assessment for SOC 107—Journal, Exams, and Participation. (For greater detail and percentage breakdown, please see the attached syllabus).
The primary assessment tool for SOC 107 is the Journal. Students will keep a critical daily reflective journal, with the main objective being the “Critical Analysis and Incorporation of Course Materials”. In the Journal, students illustrate their knowledge and understanding of the course materials (readings, lectures, discussions, movies, speakers, etc.), the ways that they are thinking about the issues and processing them in a critical manner, and noting their relevance or connection to everyday life.
In addition to the Journal, SOC 107 students will take an in class Midterm based on the readings and key points to date, and a take home Final that will serve to assess their overall understanding of the semester’s teachings.
Participation in small group work and class dialogue, as well as asking and answering questions of understanding will be utilized in my overall grading and assessment of the class.
5. Student population: The expectation is that SOC 107 will be a full (25+ students), upper division elective course in the Sociology Department. Most of the students will be junior and senior Sociology majors and minors, but there will likely also be other interested students from other departments (i.e.—Communications, History, Politics, WaGS, JCL, etc.). Whiteness crosslists with Ethnic Studies, so there will also be ES students enrolled.
6. Relationship to present College curriculum: SOC 107 ties to the Core Curriculum in two primary areas: Social, Historical, Cultural Understanding (SHCU) and American Diversity (AD).
The SHCU learning goal states, “By studying the world from the perspectives and frameworks of history and the social sciences, students will understand how to place today’s world in a meaningful context and to arrive at sufficiently complex explanations for current social arrangements”. The assigned readings for Whiteness provide a historical foundation for contemporary race relations.
The AD learning goal states, “We live, study, and work in an increasing diverse American society. Therefore in the core curriculum, students will be asked to intellectually engage with social, cultural, economic, and political diversity in the United States”. As arguably, one of the most prominent and salient social factors, race is the centerpiece of SOC 107. Through an extensive and intensive study of how race has shaped the United States historically, students will have a greater understanding of its contemporary consequences, with a vision for how social justice and activism can shift and change these trajectories.
7. Any extraordinary implementation costs: There are no extraordinary costs related to the implementation of this course.
8. Library resources: Please see attached report from Patty Wade.
9. Course credit and grading options: The credit for this course will be 1 (one) full credit. Students must pass the class with a grade of at least C- to receive credit in the major. Students will spend 3.25 hours in class each week during the semester. The projected out-of-class time will average 5 hours per week, and will include reading assignments to prepare for class and journal entries to assess understanding of course content and provide opportunities for reflection. The class format will be primarily lecture and discussion. Letter grade only
10. Prerequisites, Corequisites: Students need to have taken SOC 2 (Introduction to Sociology), SOC 4 (Social Problems), or ES 1 (Introduction to Ethnic Studies) prior to enrolling in SOC 107 (Whiteness).
11. Course description wording for the appropriate College catalog: There is an underlying assumption to society’s understanding of race and race relations that only minorities or people of color have a racial identity; and that whites are the “norm”, the referent, the majority, and the mainstream, not members of a racial group. In this course, we will investigate the sociohistorical and cultural constructions of race through an exploration of whiteness. We will examine whiteness in relation to race, class, ethnicity and gender. Is “white” a “race”? How did “white” become a racial category? What is whiteness? What is white privilege? Prerequisites: Sociology 02, 04, or ES 01, or consent of the instructor.
12. Course content: Please see attached syllabus.
13. Review of experimental offering: SOC 107 was offered (as SOC 117) in Fall 2014 with “experimental” status. There were two sections with a total of 42 students. In Spring 2010 and Fall 2012, Whiteness was offered as SOC 135: Special Topics. There were 29 students enrolled in 2010 and 53 students in two sections in 2012. Between 2012 and 2014 slight adjustments were made to the course content before applying for experimental status.
The intense reading and discussion model works well for this course content. In some instances, direct lecture is most effective, particularly in the first few weeks of the semester as we are getting through some foundational material. All in all, the course readings, writing assignments, and in-class small group work creates an environment that allows the students to learn, reflect, and understand the process of racial formation in the United States.
Most of the changes in the content and structure of SOC 107 happened between it being taught as SOC 135 (Special Topics) and as an “experimental” course. There were two primary changes: 1) Schedule of readings; and 2) Assessment. In earlier classes, White By Law, by Ian Haney Lopez, was read later in the semester. I have moved it up to being the first reading. Haney Lopez sets up the structural and legal arguments needed to understand racial formation, and particularly the ways in which whiteness is embedded institutionally. I also lecture the ideas from this book in a very detailed and direct way as they provide a necessary background and foundation for the other texts. In terms of assessment, I eliminated a traditional end of semester research paper in favor of weekly reflective and critical journals. Having the students track their reactions and intellectual connections weekly and with each reading allows them a much greater understanding of the concepts and issues.
In the end of semester course evaluation of Fall 2014, students were asked, “Overall, I would rate this class as:”. Of the students who participated in the evaluation, the unanimous response was 5 (Excellent). In the section asking students to rate specific aspects of the course, responses ranged from 4.5 to 5.
Some of the student comments from Fall 2014 include:
“I really enjoyed this class, and I am glad to have learned so much more for such an important subject. I think this class should definitely be a requirement for all people attended Saint Mary's.”
“This was my first class with Professor Hirst and I loved it! She is an amazing professor and I am looking forward to having her next semester as well. The course readings were extremely helpful in understanding this material and I am so happy I got the chance to experience Professor Hirst's teaching. Favorite course of mine I've had so far at Saint Mary's.”
“This has been one of the best courses I have taken in my two years at Saint Mary's. It's a very controversial topic, yet I love that Saint Mary's is able to provide a course as such.”
“Her expectations were very clear and challenged my understanding of the topic. Great Professor and a great class!”
“Our instructor was able to level with us as a class and we were able to discuss as a group the topic of race.”
SOC/ES 117 MWF, 8a-905a, FAH 140
Fall 2014 MWF, 1030a-1135a, FAH 130
Professor Ynez Wilson Hirst, PhD
FAH 240-13, ext-8615
Office Hours: Monday and Friday, 1145a-1245p; and by appointment
Email:
Whiteness
“Whiteness is, of course, a delusion, a scientific and cultural fiction that like all racial identities has no valid foundation in biology or anthropology. Whiteness is, however, a social fact, an identity created and continued with all-too-real consequences for the distribution of wealth, prestige, and opportunity.”
–George Lipsitz
“Being white means never having to think about it.” -James Baldwin
There is an assumption in today’s society that only minorities or “people of color” have a racial identity, and that whites are “race-less”, for they are the “norm”, the referent, the majority, and the mainstream. In this course, we will deconstruct that assumption, and critically explore the ways in which white is a “race” and a very real racial identity and category.
The study of “Whiteness” is often considered controversial. According to Wikipedia approximately 30 colleges and universities in the United States, including Princeton University, UCLA, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, currently offer regular courses dealing with Whiteness studies. In most cases, the field of Whiteness studies is considered multi or interdisciplinary involving such areas as: Arts and Humanities, Sociology, English Literature, Communications, and Cultural and Media Studies.
The study of Whiteness includes the socio-historical and legal processes by which a white race and racial identity was created (and is subsequently reified), the nature of white identity and its relationship to white supremacy and white privilege, and the potential for social change regarding structures and notions of racism, and other modes of oppressions. We will deeply explore each of these ideas over the course of this semester.
Grading
Journal (40%)
Midterm (In Class) (20%)
Final (Take Home) (20%)
Attendance and Participation (20%)
Journal: You will keep a critical daily reflective journal for this class. The primary objective of your journal is the “Critical Analysis and Incorporation of Course Materials”. Your journal will be the main way you show your knowledge and understanding of the course materials (readings, lectures, discussions, movies, speakers, etc.) and that you are thinking about these issues, processing them in a critical manner, and illustrating their relevance to your everyday life. On some days, I will provide a prompt or particular question that you may (but don’t have to) use as a starting point for that day’s entry. There are a total of 22 entries due at the end of the semester. [Week-Number of Entries: 1-1, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2, 5-2, 6-2, 7-0, 8-1, 9-2, 10-2, 11-2, 12-2, 13-0, 14-2]
Some suggestions for your journal:
1. Keep it up to date. DO NOT wait until the last minute and try to recreate an entire course worth of entries. Do it each day after class, or each night after reading for the next day.
2. One way to think about your journal entries is in terms of “evaluating, reacting and responding”. Your entries are opportunities for you to think critically about what the author is saying and to engage the course material more deeply. Two important concepts for this class are “deconstruct” and “critical”. Your entries should show your ability to deconstruct and critically understand the topics we explore.
3. Some questions that may help to guide your journal entries: Do you agree/disagree? How does this topic relate to others we have covered? How does this topic relate to a current event? What are the main points that the author is trying to make? How does this reading relate to my personal experiences?
4. Show off your understanding and knowledge. Although the journal itself is fairly free-form in nature, be sure to anchor each entry to specific information covered in class.
Some requirements for your journal:
1. There are no specific page requirements for the journal. Some entries will be longer than others. In general, though, each day’s entry should be 1½ -2 pages in length, with the entire semester’s work reflecting 35-50 pages.