Racial Inequality across the Lifespan

Imagine two children, one Black and one White, born on the same day and in the same country. By adulthood, these two will likely have had two remarkably different social experiences (e.g., the Black child will have received less education, income, health, and years to live). Why? Students in this course will tackle this complicated question from a psychological perspective. Together, we will examine how thinking, feeling, and behaving in ways that perpetuate stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination contribute to racial inequality across the lifespan. The course will be conducted as a seminar, such that much of what you learn will be through group discussions, activities, and readings. A critical component of this class will be to practice writing about psychological research and social issues for the general audience. That is, students will write weekly opinion pieces that address and explain a particular area of inequality to a non-scientific audience.