Contexts Magazine graduate editorial board member Shannon Golden has offered a syllabus and in-class exercise to our readers for a course addressing ‘Sociological Perspectives on Race, Class, and Gender.’ The materials were developed as part of a course in the Sociology of Higher Education offered by Professor Ron Aminzade in the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota.

The syllabus:

• For a semester-length course meeting twice weekly
• Assignments include weekly media reaction papers as well as two longer papers, designed to be ‘writing-intensive’
• The section devoted to ‘Course Dialogue’ provides a great example of how to encourage students to engage in respectful debate about controversial issues.  – A must-read for all first-time instructors.

In-class exercise:

• Title: ‘A White African-American?’
• Written scenario about whether a student typically identified as ‘White’ can be considered for an academic award aimed at recognizing accomplishments of African-American students
• Provides discussion questions to get students talking about the scenario
• Engages students in small group discussion
• Based on an actual event, with some details modified