Academic Subject
Sociology
Topic
Racial and ethnic case studies in the United States
Length
60 minutes
Audience
College students (for adult learners)
Objectives
- To increase students' understanding of social inequality based on race and ethnicity in the United States
- To analyze specific case studies of racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States
- To identify potential solutions to address systemic racism in the United States
Materials Needed
- Whiteboard and markers
- Projector and screen
- Laptop or computer with internet access
- Handouts with case studies
- Homework assignments
Lesson Overview
- Introduction to the topic (5 minutes)
- Discuss the importance of understanding racial and ethnic inequalities in society
- Introduce the case studies that will be analyzed in the lesson
- Historical context (10 minutes)
- Provide a brief overview of the history of racism and discrimination in the United States
- Discuss the impact of historical events on current-day systemic racism
- Case studies (30 minutes)
- Divide students into groups and provide them with handouts of specific case studies of racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States
- In their groups, students will analyze and discuss the case studies, identifying the causes and effects of discrimination, as well as potential solutions to address the issues
- Group presentations and class discussion (10 minutes)
- Each group will present their findings from their case study analysis
- The class will engage in a discussion about the common themes and patterns identified across the case studies
- Homework (5 minutes)
- Distribute homework assignments, which will include questions related to the case studies discussed in class
Homework Assignments
- Read the article "The Invisible Knapsack of White Privilege" by Peggy McIntosh and answer the following questions:
- What is the "invisible knapsack of white privilege"?
- How does this concept relate to the case studies discussed in class?
- Choose one of the case studies discussed in class and research a current-day example of similar discrimination. Write a brief summary of your findings.
- Reflect on your own experiences with race and ethnicity. Identify any instances where you may have benefited from privilege or experienced discrimination based on your race or ethnicity. How did these experiences make you feel? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future as a result of these experiences?
Images
The image of an African American man with a sign that says "Black Lives Matter" in front of a protest crowd.
The image of a group of Latinos holding signs that say "Stop the Hate" and "We Belong Here" at a rally.
The image of protesters holding signs that say "Stop Asian Hate" and "We Will Not Be Silenced" during a rally.