| This course will explore the causes and consequences of intergroup disparity from a comparative, cross-national perspective. Inequality between groups that are differentiated on racial, ethnic, religious, or caste grounds will be treated in depth across an array of countries, including the United States, India, Great Britain, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Malaysia, Japan, and Nigeria. Theories of the sources of intergroup inequality will be considered critically ranging from those that emphasize collective dysfunction on the part of members of the disadvantaged group to those that emphasize structural racism or ethnocentrism as the cause of their inferior position. Approaches to discrimination from the fields of economics (e.g statistical discrimination), sociology (the contact hypothesis), and social psychology (stereotype threat) will be analyzed in depth. Finally, the course will examine remedies for intergroup inequality including affirmative action and reparations. |
