Class
Assignment:
In
three to five pages write a paper about racism seen in Mathabane's
Kaffir Boy. You are to use Henslin on "Social Stratification
in Global Perspective" and "Inequalities of
Race and Ethnicity" to analyze the inequality of race
that is evidenced in the book. If you choose, you may also use
outside sources on apartheid in South Africa.You may use the
following questions to structure your paper or you may choose
your format. Be sure to footnote all ideas not your own and watch
for spelling, sentence structure, and grammar. You will be graded
for clarity, writing style, interest and sociological
analysis.
- Define
and explain racism (Henslin, p. 212). Discuss how racism directly
impacted Johannes' life? What is your reaction to his life and
the experiences that he had? What was your reaction to his visit
and talk?
- Using
Henslin's criterion (p. 214), why would blacks in South Africa
still have been considered a minority group under apartheid even
though they are the majority?
- Use
some of Henslin's theories of prejudice (pp. 220-223) to explain
why the whites in Mathabane's book might act as they do.
- What
patterns of intergroup relations excited between whites and blacks
are evidenced in this book (Henslin, pp. 223-227).
- Compare
and contrast the experience of blacks in South Africa to conditions
in the US (Henslin, pp. 229-232). Are there similarities historically?
How about conditions today?
Remember
to be critical sociological thinkers and to engage with the ideas
about the nature of prejudice and discrimination. Think also
about the nature of racial patterns in the United States. Please
write a coherent and well-argued paper. Enjoy yourselves, this
is a great book and I think you will learn a lot.
Elaine
Mark
Mathabane speaks to students at Ithaca College, November 2000.
Photo: Eskil Sivertsen