The Roots of Ferguson: Understanding Racial Inequality in the Contemporary U.S.

This course provides an overview of sociological understandings of race, with a particular focus on race relations in the contemporary United States. The course begins by inquiring how sociologists understand racial distinctions, asking: What comprises a racial group? What constitutes a "group" in the social sense? The course then shifts to explore patterns of racial inequality in the U.S., particularly through investigating the intersections of economic, political, and racial stratification. After analyzing national trends in racial stratification, the course narrows its focus to particular regions and metropolitan areas, including St. Louis, to shed light on pressing public concerns such as the interrelationships between race and the criminal justice system. The course ends by looking beyond U.S. borders to compare the way that race is understood in other countries. Are there common patterns of racial classification shared by many societies? What makes the U.S. system of racial stratification distinctive? No prerequisite.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; AS SD I; FA SSC; AR SSC; AS SC

The Roots of Ferguson: Understanding Racial Inequality in the Contemporary U.S.

SOCIOLOGY 2010

Section 01