SOC 102 - Race, Class, Gender & Sexuality

Race, class, gender, and sexuality are axes of stratification, identity, and experience. They are often taken for granted or go unrecognized. In this course, we will address the multiple and intersecting ways these concepts shape society, individual life chances, and daily social interactions. First, we will take a detailed look at each of the core concepts: race, class, gender, and sexuality. Studying the “socially constructed” nature of these concepts, we ask what meanings and values have been attached to them by social actors, and we examine how these social constructions help to rationalize and justify social inequality. Next, we will analyze the significance of race, class, gender, and sexuality in a variety of institutional and interpersonal contexts, including schools, the workplace, families and relationships, and the criminal justice system.