Colleges and universities are
increasingly interested in taking into account the social characteristics and
human diversity of American and world societies. While this interest is in part
a function of major structural changes occurring in American society and the
world, the interest is prompted too by the increasing complexity of knowledge
resulting from a consideration of race and ethnicity, gender, and social class
issues in society. It is clear that multiculturalism is a goal at many colleges
and universities today. However, most projects have focused either on race and
ethnicity or on gender, rarely on social equality.
While increasingly projects are
beginning to promote a dual focus on race/ethnicity and gender, these efforts
are still relatively limited. Fewer still have included a significant focus on
social class. To date, there is not a single Race, Gender and Class Project for
research and teaching on the intersection of the three factors. To understand
the roots of racism, sexism and classism, a Race, Gender and Class Project will
indeed build bridges between these issues.
Race, Gender and Class
Project is an interdisciplinary and multicultural center on
race, gender and class studies housed in the Department of Sociology. Our
goal is to develop a forum that will attract "organic intellectuals"
within and outside academia for the study and resolution of racial, ethnic,
gender and social class issues. The author believe that the creation of the RGC
Project is the best location to become a local, national and
international vehicle for the struggle for social justice for all.
The RGC Project is non-partisan. However, its humanistic
goal is to emphasize the ideal of social equality between and within racial,
ethnic, gender and social class groups. Explicit in the statement is a social egalitarian position. In human societies, social
inequality predominates the social and economic relations between racial,
ethnic, gender and social class. Therefore, it is important to emphasize the
ideal of social equality for those who suffer most from the social injustice
generated by the global capitalist economy of today: the multiracial working
class women and men all over the world.
What questions, after all, have the study of human society
attempted to address? Why does social inequality exist among humans? Where do
the causes lie? Can it be reduced and even abolished all together? Or do we have
to accept social inequality between race, gender and class as a necessary
element in the structure of human society? Historically, these were the first
questions posed by social reformers.
The purpose of Race, Gender & Class is to promote
collaboration among scholars, students and practitioners in every field,
including, but not limited to, education, biology, economics, history, law,
philosophy, psychology, media, sociology, sciences, labor, and the arts.
Together these professionals, community activists, faculty, students and elected
officials will focus on race, gender and class issues in the United States and
the world. The emphasis will be on, but not limited to, the multicultural
working class women and men who suffer most from the intersection of racism,
sexism and classism. Race, Gender & Class is committed to a philosophy of social
justice in the struggle against racism, sexism and classism
