24.236 | Fall 2014 | Undergraduate, Graduate

Topics in Social Theory and Practice: Race and Racism

Course Description

Courses in the Topics in Social Theory and Practice series feature in-depth considerations of such topics with reflections on their implications for social change.

The topic for Fall 2014 is race and racism. We will consider a variety of arguments for and against the biological and / or social "reality" of race—taking …

Courses in the Topics in Social Theory and Practice series feature in-depth considerations of such topics with reflections on their implications for social change.

The topic for Fall 2014 is race and racism. We will consider a variety of arguments for and against the biological and / or social “reality” of race—taking into account purported races other than those defined by the black / white binary and the intersection of race with other social categories. We will then consider a number of accounts of racism, contemporary manifestations of racism, and potential counter-measures.

Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments with Examples
A young white man wearing a hoodie holds a sign over his head with the words  "Skittles," "Ice tea," and "Hoodie" listed next to boxes with check marks. Beneath them, next to a box with an x marked in it , are the words "Black. Maybe I'll be spared."
In 2012, hundreds participated in the Million Hoodie March in NYC. The march was organized in memory of Trayvon Martin, whose death ignited national debate over issues of racial profiling. (Image courtesy of PictureNewYorkLG on flickr. License CC BY-NC-SA.)