Immigration, Assimilation, and Inequality

Catalog description

Examine theories, research, and policies on the incorporation of immigrants and their descendents. SOC 525 Immigration, Assimilation, and Inequality (3) Over the last several decades, the diversity of American society has increased substantially as a result of immigration from Latin America, Asia, and other world regions. This has raised numerous questions about the consequences of immigration and the long-term prospects of immigrants and their descendants. The major objective of this course is to provide the foundation for a sociological understanding of the process of assimilation (or incorporation), especially in relation to the structure of opportunities and the reproduction of inequality. This will be accomplished through a survey of contemporary theoretical perspectives, and both quantitative and qualitative studies that evaluate their merits. Although sociology has embraced the study of assimilation since its inception, we will also draw on other disciplines to explore various topics associated with educational attainment, economic mobility, social incorporation, political incorporation, family formation, and ethno-racial identification. Students will be evaluated on the basis of their engagement with weekly readings, as revealed by the quality of their participation in discussions and their written response to weekly essay questions. Students will also be required to write a paper on a topic of their choosing. This paper may be a research proposal, a literature review or a research study. The course will be offered every other year. It may serve as an elective in Sociology and the Dual-Title Graduate Degree Program in Demography as a core seminar on demographic processes.