DUSP Courses 1998

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11.023 Bridging Cultural and Racial Differences

Course Topic: Developing a Bridge Between Cultural and Racial Differences

Overview

As our nation's work force and population diversify, conflicts centered around race and culture will inevitably increase. To meet this challenge, leaders and productive citizens must learn to separate truth from myth with respect to race and culture. They must learn to see beyond the current stereotypes to the point where they can begin to use cultural differences as a constructive tool for social change rather than as a source of cultural antagonism. Finally, they must learn to make use of the life experience and expertise of our culturally rich and diversified population to develop techniques for conflict resolution that are up to the task of dealing with the qualitatively new set of social problems that America will face in the next century.

This course will challenge students to think about how these goals can be achieved, by exploring the racial and cultural differences that currently exist in America with special attention to economic status, residential segregation, education, political participation, and crime. Aside from required classroom participation in discussion based on an assigned set of readings, students will be expected to maintain a weekly one-page journal of any learning experience that relates to race and/or culture that might occur as a result of class discussion, readings, or activities outside of the classroom such as interviews with students or faculty from other cultural backgrounds. Finally, a team project written report of approximately 25 pages on some aspect of racial and/or cultural issues will be required.

Course Outline: Developing a Bridge Between Cultural and Racial Differences

The objectives of the course are:

o To introduce you to cultural and racial stereotypes, with special emphasis on education, housing, economics, and political participation;

o To use these differences as a constructive mechanism for social change, not cultural antagonism;

o To develop tools for conflict resolution to improve the quality of life in the workplace and society; and

o To provide a forum (both written and oral) for presenting and defending your own opinions and views.

Course Structure

Sessions Topics

1 Introduction

2-3 Cultural, Racial and Personal Differences

4-6 Stereotypes

7-9 Global Perspectives

Weekly Journals Due

10-15 Race and Ethnicity

Team Selections in Session 10

(11.023 students only)

16-21 College Experiences (Racial/Ethnic)

Weekly Journals Due

22-25 Team Project Reports

26 Conclusion

Weekly Journals Due

Assignments

A one-page weekly journal on race/culture related to an experience, class discussions, or assigned readings will be required, one of which should reflect an assigned reading on race matters. The additional resources will provide insight for class discussions and participation and journals. Teams will be organized by Session 10, with the consent of the instructor (Required for 11.023 students). A multicultural composition of the teams will be encouraged. A 25-page written team report on a selected topic from the required readings and class discussions will be presented in class and submitted in Sessions 22-25.

Tentative Reading List and Resources

1. Affirmative Action and Reaction, Films for the Humanities &

Sciences. (27 minutes)

2. America's War on Poverty, PBS Video Production. (60 Minutes)

3. Blue Eyed, California Newsreel. (93 minutes)

4. Class Divided, PBS Video Production. (57 minutes)

5. Intuitively Obvious Series: Expressions by Students of Color at MIT,

MIT Video Production, 1993-96.

6. Politics of Love in Black and White, California Newsreel. (33 minutes)

7. The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, PBS Video Production. (120 minutes)

8. The Color of Fear, Lee Mun Wah, 1995. (90 minutes)

9. The Color of Your Skin, PBS Video Production. (58 minutes)

10. True Colors, ABC. (60 Minutes)

11. Bell, Derrick. Faces at The Bottom of the Well : The Permanence

of Racism. New York: Basic Books, 1992, Preface, p. 31.

12. Cao, Lan and Novas, Himilce. Everything You Need to Know About ASIAN

AMERICAN History. New York: Plume/Penguin Group, 1996.

13. Civil Rights Issues Facing Asian Americans in the 1990s: A Report of the U.S.

Commission on Civil Rights, February, 1992, 223 pp.

14. Commentary. Is Affirmative Action on the Way Out? Should it be that Way?

A Symposium, March 1998.

15. Essays by Various Authors. "RACE." Hungry Mind Review: A Midwestern Book

Review, No. 31, Fall 1994.

16. Hacker, Andrew. Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile,

Unequal. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992, 257 pp.

17. Hammond-Hazen, Susan. TIMELINES OF NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY:

Through The Centuries with Mother Earth and Father Sky. New York: Perige

Books/ The Berkeley Publishing Group, 1997.

17. Higginbotham, A. Leon, Jr.; Francois, Anderson Bellegarde. "The Supreme

Court's Blinders." The Boston Globe, July 9, 1995.

18. King, Martin Luther, Jr. Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?

Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press, 1967, 209 pp.

19. Lee, Joann Faung Jean. Asian Americans. New York: New Press, 1991,1992.

20. Long, Alex. "My Promise." Essay submitted to the 1990 MIT Annual Writing

Contest, 6 pp.

21. McCrory, Mary. "The Racial Politics of Our Presidents." The Boston Globe.

22. McGlynn, Angela Provitera. "Is the College Classroom a 'Chilly' Environment for

Hispanic Females?: Educator Proposes Warming Strategies." The Hispanic

Outlook in Higher Education, July 25, 1997, pp. 14-16.

23. Patrick, Deval L. "Defining Affirmative Action." The Boston Globe,

March 12, 1995.

24. Report of National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Report,

1968). Summary, 13 pp.

25. Reviews, essays, and commentaries by various authors. "Whiteness: What Is It?"

Hungry Mind Review: A Midwestern Book Review, No. 45,

Spring 1998.

25. Taylor, William O. "Affirmative Action, Yes." The Boston Globe,

March 12, 1995.

26. The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation and The Corporation for What Works. The

Millennium Breach: Richer, Poorer and Racially Apart/ A Thirty Year Update of

the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. Washington, DC,

March 1998.

27. Weatherford, Jack. NATIVE ROOTS: How The Indians Enriched America.

New York: Fawcett Columbine/Ballantine Books, 1991.

28. West, Cornel. Race Matters. Boston, Mass. Beacon Press, 1993.

29. Williams, Clarence G., ed. Reflections of the Dream 1975-1994 : Twenty Years

Celebrating the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Massachusetts Institute

of Technology. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1996.

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This syllabus may have been updated. To ensure that you're looking at the most recent version, please hit "Reload."
11.023 Bridging Cultural and Racial Differences
Course Topic: Developing a Bridge Between Cultural and Racial Differences Overview As our nation's work force and population diversify, conflicts centered around race and culture will inevitably increase. To meet this challenge, leaders and productive citizens must learn to separate truth from myth with respect to race and culture. They must learn to see beyond the current stereotypes to the point where they can begin to use cultural differences as a constructive tool for social change rather than as a source of cultural antagonism. Finally, they must learn to make use of the life experience and expertise of our culturally rich and diversified population to develop techniques for conflict resolution that are up to the task of dealing with the qualitatively new set of social problems that America will face in the next century. This course will challenge students to think about how these goals can be achieved, by exploring the racial and cultural differences that currently exist in America with special attention to economic status, residential segregation, education, political participation, and crime. Aside from required classroom participation in discussion based on an assigned set of readings, students will be expected to maintain a weekly one-page journal of any learning experience that relates to race and/or culture that might occur as a result of class discussion, readings, or activities outside of the classroom such as interviews with students or faculty from other cultural backgrounds. Finally, a team project written report of approximately 25 pages on some aspect of racial and/or cultural issues will be required. Course Outline: Developing a Bridge Between Cultural and Racial Differences The objectives of the course are: o To introduce you to cultural and racial stereotypes, with special emphasis on education, housing, economics, and political participation; o To use these differences as a constructive mechanism for social change, not cultural antagonism; o To develop tools for conflict resolution to improve the quality of life in the workplace and society; and o To provide a forum (both written and oral) for presenting and defending your own opinions and views. Course Structure Sessions Topics 1 Introduction 2-3 Cultural, Racial and Personal Differences 4-6 Stereotypes 7-9 Global Perspectives Weekly Journals Due 10-15 Race and Ethnicity Team Selections in Session 10 (11.023 students only) 16-21 College Experiences (Racial/Ethnic) Weekly Journals Due 22-25 Team Project Reports 26 Conclusion Weekly Journals Due Assignments A one-page weekly journal on race/culture related to an experience, class discussions, or assigned readings will be required, one of which should reflect an assigned reading on race matters. The additional resources will provide insight for class discussions and participation and journals. Teams will be organized by Session 10, with the consent of the instructor (Required for 11.023 students). A multicultural composition of the teams will be encouraged. A 25-page written team report on a selected topic from the required readings and class discussions will be presented in class and submitted in Sessions 22-25. Tentative Reading List and Resources 1. Affirmative Action and Reaction, Films for the Humanities & Sciences. (27 minutes) 2. America's War on Poverty, PBS Video Production. (60 Minutes) 3. Blue Eyed, California Newsreel. (93 minutes) 4. Class Divided, PBS Video Production. (57 minutes) 5. Intuitively Obvious Series: Expressions by Students of Color at MIT, MIT Video Production, 1993-96. 6. Politics of Love in Black and White, California Newsreel. (33 minutes) 7. The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, PBS Video Production. (120 minutes) 8. The Color of Fear, Lee Mun Wah, 1995. (90 minutes) 9. The Color of Your Skin, PBS Video Production. (58 minutes) 10. True Colors, ABC. (60 Minutes) 11. Bell, Derrick. Faces at The Bottom of the Well : The Permanence of Racism. New York: Basic Books, 1992, Preface, p. 31. 12. Cao, Lan and Novas, Himilce. Everything You Need to Know About ASIAN AMERICAN History. New York: Plume/Penguin Group, 1996. 13. Civil Rights Issues Facing Asian Americans in the 1990s: A Report of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, February, 1992, 223 pp. 14. Commentary. Is Affirmative Action on the Way Out? Should it be that Way? A Symposium, March 1998. 15. Essays by Various Authors. "RACE." Hungry Mind Review: A Midwestern Book Review, No. 31, Fall 1994. 16. Hacker, Andrew. Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992, 257 pp. 17. Hammond-Hazen, Susan. TIMELINES OF NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY: Through The Centuries with Mother Earth and Father Sky. New York: Perige Books/ The Berkeley Publishing Group, 1997. 17. Higginbotham, A. Leon, Jr.; Francois, Anderson Bellegarde. "The Supreme Court's Blinders." The Boston Globe, July 9, 1995. 18. King, Martin Luther, Jr. Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press, 1967, 209 pp. 19. Lee, Joann Faung Jean. Asian Americans. New York: New Press, 1991,1992. 20. Long, Alex. "My Promise." Essay submitted to the 1990 MIT Annual Writing Contest, 6 pp. 21. McCrory, Mary. "The Racial Politics of Our Presidents." The Boston Globe. 22. McGlynn, Angela Provitera. "Is the College Classroom a 'Chilly' Environment for Hispanic Females?: Educator Proposes Warming Strategies." The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, July 25, 1997, pp. 14-16. 23. Patrick, Deval L. "Defining Affirmative Action." The Boston Globe, March 12, 1995. 24. Report of National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Report, 1968). Summary, 13 pp. 25. Reviews, essays, and commentaries by various authors. "Whiteness: What Is It?" Hungry Mind Review: A Midwestern Book Review, No. 45, Spring 1998. 25. Taylor, William O. "Affirmative Action, Yes." The Boston Globe, March 12, 1995. 26. The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation and The Corporation for What Works. The Millennium Breach: Richer, Poorer and Racially Apart/ A Thirty Year Update of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. Washington, DC, March 1998. 27. Weatherford, Jack. NATIVE ROOTS: How The Indians Enriched America. New York: Fawcett Columbine/Ballantine Books, 1991. 28. West, Cornel. Race Matters. Boston, Mass. Beacon Press, 1993. 29. Williams, Clarence G., ed. Reflections of the Dream 1975-1994 : Twenty Years Celebrating the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1996.