Katherine Rogers

This course examines the workings of race, class, gender and sexuality in U.S. society. Though they are often taken for granted or go unrecognized, gender, sexuality, class, and race are central axes of stratification, identity, and experience. In this course we will explore how they operate not simply as ways of categorizing people, but as structural forces that have real consequences for people’s lives, particularly in terms of the opportunities they have and the challenges they face. We will take a sociological perspective to examining these concepts as social constructions that help to rationalize and justify social inequality. We will then focus our attention on the relationships among them – how sexuality, class, race, and gender intersect to shape individual experiences, interpersonal interactions, and society more broadly. We will also examine how these differences and inequalities matter in a variety of institutional contexts, including popular culture, schools, the economy, the family, and the criminal-legal system, among others.

 

There is no textbook for this class. All required course readings will be posted to Canvas.

 

Writing assignments (4 x 10 points): 40 points (40%) 

Exams (2 x 20 points): 40 points (40%)

In-class pop quizzes: 10 points (10%)

In-class participation: 10 points (10%) 

TOTAL: 100 points (100%)