Course Description
U.S. laws prohibit sex and race discrimination in the workplace, but American society and the legal system are still working out exactly what that means. While people generally agree that conscious and blatant sexism and racism in employment decisions is unacceptable, many employment situations exist where less blatant distinctions are made between men and women, as well as between races. These more subtle, often unconscious, discriminations occur for a variety of reasons, such as social expectations, stereotypes, habits, and traditions. This interdisciplinary seminar considers how subtle sexism and subtle racism operate in the workplace (including the legal profession), what the practical implications of these practices are, how the law treats them, and what employers and individuals can constructively do about them.