This class will serve as an introduction to the sociological study of minority groups. In order to systematically study minority groups in the United States, it is important to understand social stratification, inequality, bias, and privilege. As a class we will systematically discuss and analyze minority group status by considering: social norms, social interactions, social institutions, and social issues. We will consider core sociological concepts and minority groups by analyzing the interdependent relationships between the individual and society, the social construction of reality, the centrality of social inequality, as well as the simultaneously stable and changing nature of society. Throughout this course, we will sharpen and apply our critical thinking skills, expand our sociological imaginations, and hopefully broaden our perspectives and challenge commonly held assumptions, beliefs, and stereotypes—particularly in regard to minority groups. We will consider both our own life experiences and societal norms in relation to minority groups and core sociological concepts, in order to better see and understand how different pieces of society come together to influence our individual and collective experiences.