The objective of this course is to cultivate an appreciation of the intersection of a sociological and historical approach to understanding the complexity and dynamics of race relations and multiculturalism in the American context. Using scholarly resources from these two distinct disciplinary traditions, the course provides students with a comparative and critical appreciation of the development of race relations in the United States.

This course uses the disciplinary lenses of psychology and literary studies to examine how the world looks and feels from the perspective of someone who is a member of an oppressed or negatively stereotyped group. The course provides an introduction to the assumptions, scientific methods, and forms of writing used by experimental social psychologists and to theories and research findings bearing on the experience of prejudice. Analysis of literary texts including poetry, fiction, and autobiography provide additional insights into the experience of prejudice.