Sociology of Race and Ethnicity: Strategies for Comparative Multicultural Courses

A Sociology of Race/Ethnicity Textbooks: Avoiding White Privilege, Ahistoricism, and Use of the Passive Voice

“…Instead, we are treated to a view of American history in which categories of 'red,' 'white,' 'yellow,' and 'black,' are taken as given" (Sipress 1997:176). Race/ethnicity texts have previously been similarly critiqued for their compartmentalized, superficial, simplified, group by group presentation of racial/ethnic groups, a formatting style which inadvertently portrays race as fixed and thus hinders students' ability to understand race as a dynamic social construction (Downey and Torrecilha 1994).…”

Measuring the impact of higher education on student development regarding racial attitudes and support for race-based policy

“…These three ways are exemplified through the efforts that some predominantly white colleges and universities have made in diversifying their curriculums (e.g., the establishment of diversity course graduation requirements) to help prepare their students to meet the challenges in a diverse complex world. In fact, some sociologists who teach the sociology of race and ethnicity have proposed new pedagogical approaches to meet these new demands on diversifying the curriculum (Downey and Torrecilha, 1994;Lucal, 1996;Marullo, 1998).…”

“…However, even though the research studies aforementioned had indicated a decline in racial prejudice and racism over the last fifty years, research studies have also shown that racial prejudice and racism still persist despite the fact that ethnic studies and diversity courses have been implemented into the existing curricula structures at predominantly White colleges and universities (Downey and Torrecilha, 1994;Feagin et al, 1996;Sidanius et al, 1996). In order to unravel the complexity of this irony, a brief historical overview of the development of the American university is called for to capture some of the institutional dynamics of higher education in predominantly White universities.…”

“…Consequently, American higher education in the beginning of the 21 st century stands at the threshold of helping students become sensitive to other cultures and preparing them to meet the challenges of responsible citizenship needed to work in a culturally diverse global community. One initiative widely practiced in American higher education is requiring undergraduate students to take diversity or multicultural courses in the hopes of helping students develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to make our nation more democratic and just (Banks, 1996;Downey & Torrecilha, 1994). These valiant diversity-related initiatives have not gone unnoticed.…”

“…However, the irony is that even though predominantly White universities and colleges are taking a proactive role by requiring their undergraduate students to take multicultural courses before they graduate, interracial tension and conflict still persist inside and outside the classroom all over the nation (Banks, 1996;Feagin, Vera, and Imani, 1996;Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, and Allen, 1999). Concurrently, sociologists are not only examining race relations at colleges and universities, but also implementing new pedagogical methods that allow students to question their preconceived notions and attitudes based on race (Downey and Torrecilha, 1994;Feagin et al, 1996;Jakubowski, 2001;Lucal, 1996;Marullo, 1998;Obach, 2000). In addition, some sociologists are focusing their attention on ways to reduce racial prejudice as a method of reducing the potential for interracial tension and conflict on college campuses (Bobo, 2000;Feagin et al, 1996;Hughes, 1997;Marullo, 1998).…”