The Race Relations Project

THE RACE RELATIONS PROJECT (SOC 497A) is a paid internship that includes a weekly training seminar and project meeting. Undergraduate students who reach this level in the system have had extensive exposure to conversations about race relations and the study of group dialogue. Using the Socratic Method, these facilitators engage their peers across the university in small group conversations about race relations. The goal is not to teach or preach, but to provide the kind of environment where students can speak candidly to each other about their personal views and experiences. RRP facilitators are observed on a regular basis and participate in personal coaching sessions once a month to provide individualized and intensive training.

SOCIOLOGY 497E is a secondary training course for undergraduate students transitioning form the role of teaching assistant for SOCIOLOGY 119 to paid facilitator for the RACE RELATIONS PROJECT. This small class of 8-10 students is hand-selected to pursue further study of the dynamics of small group discussion in order to be eligible to audition for the RACE RELATIONS PROJECT. For the first half of the semester, students observe, evaluate and discuss the RACE RELATIONS PROJECT and are more directly trained to use the Socratic Method. During the second half of the semester, they audition to be a facilitator with the RACE RELATIONS PROJECT.

SOCIOLOGY 300 is the primary training class for students who have been selected to be undergraduate teaching assistants for SOCIOLOGY 119. Under the supervision of Dr. Laurie Mulvey, the teaching assistants participate in a weekly experiential training seminar while concurrently co-facilitating two weekly sections of SOC 119. During the seminar, the student facilitators explore group dynamics and facilitation techniques (such as the Socratic Method), as well as concerns, challenges and successes they are having with their own discussion groups. This forum creates a peer-to-peer learning dynamic for the teaching assistants which is meant to parallel and support their work in the SOC 119 discussion sections. Unlike SOC 119, SOC 300 shifts the focus from the understanding the sociology of race relations, to active engagement in the process of helping others to find their own voice in the dialogue.

SOCIOLOGY 119 is a four credit course in Race and Ethnic Relations, explores the historical patterns and current status of racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. This is a large, 500 student class with small, fifteen member discussion groups where students have an opportunity to voice their thoughts about the material from lecture. Taught by Dr. Sam Richards, SOC 119 has become one of the most popular classes at Penn State because of Sam's willingness to treat what are often taboo issues with frankness and openness, as well as his overall desire to bring all opinions into the mix.