Week 11

Is Equality before the Law Sufficient

to Deliver Equity for Women and African Americans?

DEADLINES

Quiz and Part A Post: Monday   11/4 at 11:30 pm in Webcourses (but accepted until Wed.).

Part B Posts:                Wednesday 11/16     at 11:58 pm in Yellowdig.

Read (ALL SUBJECT TO QUIZ; in Files under Assigned readings):

GENDER

Ball et al. chapter 8, pp. 273-281: Women’s Liberation.

BRITANNICA_Institutional_Sexism

COONTZ_ Why Gender Equality Stalled

Gender Argument in Cartoon Form

GOLDIN’s very short video, at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=S2J7gjBuPD4Links to an external site.

NYT_Women_Enter_Field_Pay_Drops

RACE

Ball et al. chapter 8, pp. 263-272: Black Liberation.

BRITANNICA_Institutional_Racism

WP_Fla_Bank_Racial_Red_Lining

COATES_Case_for_Reparations (pp. 6 to 13 only). I assign only these pages because we focus on the issue of equity building through home ownership and not on reparations for slavery as a solution.)

HOWEVER, if you are interested in the issue of reparation: read the entire article by Coats as well as WILLIAMSON, The Case against Reparations: A reply to Ta-Nehisi Coates. (There will be no quiz questions on the readings related to the issue of reparations.)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

1. Describe the general concept of institutional sexism.
2. Describe how institutional sexism can be illustrated in the manner that society organize women’s careers, motherhood, and the responsibility for raising children.
3. Describe the general concept of institutional racism.
4. Describe how institutional racism can be illustrated in the manner African-Americans are treated in the housing market where citizens are expected to accumulate wealth and transmit it to their descendants.

PART A TASKS in Webcourses

Q-0:  Is there an idea or a claim expressed in the readings that you find difficult, confusing, or unclear? If so, tell us which idea this is. Cite the document title and page where you encountered this idea. We cannot help you if the description of what is unclear is overly broad. You do not need to answer this question.

Q-1: Which idea(s) or claim(s) expressed in the readings (and viewing) did you find the most interesting or meaningful? Summarize that idea, claim or piece of information. Explain why you found it meaningful. Does it clarify something important in your mind? If so, what? Does it change something important in your thinking? If so, again what?

200 words minimum. State your word count.

 NOTE: In answering the question in Part A, you must strive to demonstrate that you reflected on the meaning of the readings and viewing. There is no right or wrong answer. There are only answers demonstrating shallow and perfunctory or serious and deep reflections on the material. We want to see the latter.

Your Part A answer is graded 50% for thoughtful content and 50% for proficient writing.

PART B TASKS in Yellowdig

Week 11 Instructor’s Question:

SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWNG THREE QUESTIONS:

Gender Q-1: In your view and after reflecting on the relevant assigned materials, is formal equality before the law (gender blindness) sufficient to deliver equality of opportunity for women? Justify your answer.

Race Q-1: In your view and after reflecting on the relevant assigned materials, is formal equality before the law (color blindness) sufficient to deliver equality of opportunity for African Americans? Justify your answer.

Reparations Q-1: In your view and after reflecting on the relevant assigned materials, are reparations for racial slavery a useful and legitimate method to bring justice to African-Americans? Justify your answer.