Civil Rights and Social Justice Capstone – 6414

Spring 2017
Hari Osofsky

The United States has made significant progress in addressing de jure discrimination, but persistent de facto discrimination and inequality remain. This class focuses on the role of law in making progress against both subtle and overt forms of discrimination in a variety of spheres and settings based on race, ethnicity, class, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, and religion.  Topics may include the segregation of neighborhoods and schools by race and class; encounters with the police and criminal justice system; how poverty limits access to crucial social goods; the location of environmental hazards near low-income communities and communities of color; unequal pay and opportunities for advancement for women in the workplace; access to adequate child care for working parents; barriers to marriage; and treatment of migrants.