Discussion Post: Senior Seminar in Sociology
I. In the Nineteenth Century, Andrew Jackson claimed that his soldiers were "advancing civilization" and that "their violence was an instrument of progress." He insisted that he wanted to be "just" and "humane"; however, he justified Indian removal by explaining that because "efforts to civilize Indians had failed" he had to protect them from the "mercenary influence of white men." He also stated that if "these children" refused to accept his advice, they would be responsible for the consequences.
For this question, consider the following: How have American Indians been imagined in the master narrative? What does this master narrative ignore? What does the master narrative justify in the treatment of the American Indians, past and present?
II. Sociologists view race as a social construction. Discuss in terms of what you have learned about the history of racial classifications used in the US Census. Use specific examples to explain how race is an inherently unstable classification system.
Course Textbook Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America (REV), 1st Edition By: Takaki, Ronald ISBN: 978-0-316-02236-1.
The response must include a reference list. Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.