Diversity Issues
Diversity Issues
Syllabus
Instructor: Joseph Patrick Ferry, MA.
ferry@tenebrae.org
An awareness of social and cultural diversity colors much of our experience
as citizens of the globe. Within American society issues of gender,
race, religion and class have often undermined our attempts to "...form
a more perfect society." More than ever we are aware that, individually
we will need to live and work in a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic
society; and we are aware that, as citizens we will need to build the
social institutions and processes that are inclusive and fair to people
of every tongue and tradition. This course will explore our experiences
of that kind of diversity.
The course will draw on insight from diverse disciplines from the social sciences for our studies and our discussions: history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, political science and social work.
This course critically examines societal custom and personal attitudes, values and norms regarding diversity. Topics include: race, ethnicity, gender and sexual preference, religion, age, and dis/abilities. We will examine how these factors influence our perception of self and others.
Course Objectives
- Students will acquire a deeper understanding of the complex of tradition, heritage, relationships, experiences and choice that forms an identity.
- Students will study the concepts of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, as categories that are socially constructed and socially used to include, to exclude, and to negotiate relationships.
- We will study at the histories of the notions 'Gender', 'Race', 'Tribe' and 'Nation', and attempt to understand why and how these concepts arose as explanatory as well as political tools. We will look at bodies, fitness, and health, speech, accent, music and dress as social marks of difference and distinction - methods of joining and isolating.
- Students will gain an understanding of the social and political power of language in shaping perception, belief and world view.
- Students will examine the way in which values and judgments can be embedded in institutions and social systems such that equitable processes can, without anyone intending it, yield inequitable results.
- Students will be able to make a distinction between individual change and social change.
- Class will study the personal/social advantages/disadvantages of belonging to groups. We will study to inevitable necessity of the outsider, the alien, 'the other' whenever any kind of group is formed.
- Students will examine economic conditions and the relationship of economic patterns and ways of making a living to ideology and belief patterns, and group formation, solidarity and exclusiveness.
- Students will work on field projects experiencing diversity, examining and reflecting on the social confusion and value conflicts that emerge in those experiences.
- Demonstrate critical thinking on issues of race, gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
- Describe the impact of minority and majority status as it pertains to economic, psychological and social experience.
- List some of the contradictions in our multicultural society and different strategies toward resolving them.
- Evaluate the positive and negative dimensions of one's own cultural experience.
- Identify personal values that promote understanding and cooperation among different peoples.
Required Texts:
On Being Different, 3rd Edition
Authors: Condrad Kottak and Kathryn Kozaitis
Publisher: McGraw Hill
Student requirements
- Study readings. Each week there will be readings in the text that will cover subject areas that will be the focus areas of class discussion.
- Attendance, preparation and participation in class discussions
- Do field research on diversity, make presentations, and submit written reports on field observations and scholarly study on areas of diversity.
- Take tests. There will be two tests, one at midterm and a final comprehensive exam.. All tests must be taken by deadline. There will be no late tests available, and no make-up tests. Tests will cover classroom discussions, readings in text, assigned articles, and independent research projects.
Grades and Grading