Department of
Sociology University
of Oregon Winter
2020
Course: Experiencing Racial and Ethnic Diversity
(SOC 345: Race and Ethnicity, CRN 26046)
Time & Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 - 3:20 PM
302 Gerlinger
Instructor: Jiannbin Lee Shiao, Associate Professor,
Email:
Profile: https://sociology.uoregon.edu/profile/jshiao/
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1:30 – 3:30 PM (PLC 613) or
Fridays, 11 AM – 12 PM (24-hour advance appointment only)
GE: Kindra De’Arman, Ph.D. student,
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 – 4:30 PM (PLC 618), or by
appointment
Email: I will try to answer emailed questions as soon as I can, usually within
48 hours, excluding weekends. I receive a lot of email, and my responses
may be rather short. Your questions, however, should be as detailed as
necessary and should not resemble tweets or text messages, even if sent
from your phone. Please include our course number (SOC 345) in your subject
line.
Course Description: This course provides an introduction to how sociologists
understand race relations in the United States. Its primary objective is to
explore how Americans have constructed race, ethnicity, and diversity. The
class is organized around lectures, discussions, and two iterations of (1) a
film of a race-relations workshop paired with (2) an in-class workshop of our
own.
Over a century ago W.E.B. Du Bois wrote that "the problem of the
twentieth century is the problem of the color line" (1903). Since then, race
has proven to be one of the most salient features of the American
experience. Those who claim that Americans need to "outgrow" racial
concerns are too often those who live in homogenous or segregated
environments. News of racial tensions, racial disparities in the quality of life,
racial divides in public opinion, and beatings and killings based on racial
animosity continue to surface regularly. The underlying message seems to
be that race is conflict and that if we want a good society, whether national or
local, we should avoid the subject, deflect it in favor of discussing ethnicity
and social class instead, or wait for “someone like [former] President
1
, Obama” to comment on it. The purpose of this course is to understand this
state of affairs and to explore the future of racial and ethnic diversity in this
country.
2
Sociology University
of Oregon Winter
2020
Course: Experiencing Racial and Ethnic Diversity
(SOC 345: Race and Ethnicity, CRN 26046)
Time & Location: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 - 3:20 PM
302 Gerlinger
Instructor: Jiannbin Lee Shiao, Associate Professor,
Email:
Profile: https://sociology.uoregon.edu/profile/jshiao/
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1:30 – 3:30 PM (PLC 613) or
Fridays, 11 AM – 12 PM (24-hour advance appointment only)
GE: Kindra De’Arman, Ph.D. student,
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 – 4:30 PM (PLC 618), or by
appointment
Email: I will try to answer emailed questions as soon as I can, usually within
48 hours, excluding weekends. I receive a lot of email, and my responses
may be rather short. Your questions, however, should be as detailed as
necessary and should not resemble tweets or text messages, even if sent
from your phone. Please include our course number (SOC 345) in your subject
line.
Course Description: This course provides an introduction to how sociologists
understand race relations in the United States. Its primary objective is to
explore how Americans have constructed race, ethnicity, and diversity. The
class is organized around lectures, discussions, and two iterations of (1) a
film of a race-relations workshop paired with (2) an in-class workshop of our
own.
Over a century ago W.E.B. Du Bois wrote that "the problem of the
twentieth century is the problem of the color line" (1903). Since then, race
has proven to be one of the most salient features of the American
experience. Those who claim that Americans need to "outgrow" racial
concerns are too often those who live in homogenous or segregated
environments. News of racial tensions, racial disparities in the quality of life,
racial divides in public opinion, and beatings and killings based on racial
animosity continue to surface regularly. The underlying message seems to
be that race is conflict and that if we want a good society, whether national or
local, we should avoid the subject, deflect it in favor of discussing ethnicity
and social class instead, or wait for “someone like [former] President
1
, Obama” to comment on it. The purpose of this course is to understand this
state of affairs and to explore the future of racial and ethnic diversity in this
country.
2
