Experiencing Race, Class, and Gender in the United States

1
Experiencing Race, Class, and Gender in the
United States

• Overview
• increasing diversity in U.S.
• media images of past unrealistic then, certainly
  now
• how will increasing diversity affect your life?
• Enrichment
• Challenges
• Practical workplace, etc
• Social cohesion
• how does it affect American politics, culture,
  economy?
• Why Study?
• Understand
• Adapt
• Change

2
I. OVERVIEW

• Names and Labels
• Are important
• Reflect power
• Affect self-image
• Change over time and with different subgroups

3
I. OVERVIEW

• Theories
• Are both models of present and visions of future
• Assimilation
• Amalgamation / Melting Pot
• Pluralism / Multiculturalism

4
I. OVERVIEW

• Sociopolitical positions
• different from book, will stress conservative,
  liberal, radical
• They vary by
• Premises about human nature and society
• Analysis of the present
• Vision of the future

5
I. OVERVIEW

• Ideological Principles - better seen as systems
• Eurocentricity
• Patriarchy
• Capitalism
• Conservative, liberal, radical views
• Operate singly, together
• reinforce

6
IDENTITY

• Complex, multidimensional
• Internalization vs. self-definition
• self definition usually involves group effort