Designed and taught at Portland State University, this course curriculum focuses on the history of racialization in Oregon and specifically in the urbanization of Portland from the Great Migration, to the flooding of Vanport, as well as the ongoing police killings of Black residents both with and without mental illness. This course centered on the knowledge that lives in the city to contextualize the ongoing settler-colonial project of gentrification.
Environmental Sociology
Survey and analysis of the types of social forces which frame the nature of environmental problems concerning natural resource use and distribution as they emerge in public consciousness within the United States and globally. Examination of the social forces which lead to the consideration and implementation of mechanisms to solve these issues once they have emerged.
The earth has entered a new geological epoch – the Anthropocene. While scholars are still in debate regarding the specifics of this new age (even the name is being debated), it is clear that the geological foundations of the Holocene (the period of warming following the last ice age) are changing. These changes can be seen in disruptions to various environmental cycles, including the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, and phosphorus cycle. The disruption to each of these cycles can be traced to specific patterns in human activity over the past several centuries – most notably the mass migration of humans into urban centers. In this course, we explore the origins of various environmental problems and try to understand how humans shape these issues and are shaped by them.
Racial capitalism is a theory and conceptual tool that has become increasingly prevalent in academic discourse. Generally, racial capitalism refers to the inherent racial character of modern capitalism, which developed through the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, European colonialism, as well as white supremacist imperialism. The concept was popularized by Cedric Robinson in his work Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition in the 1980s and has seen a resurgence since Robinson’s death in 2016. In this class we explore the underlying theoretical assumptions of racial capitalism, tracing its genealogy and assessing its present-day uses. We will read the work of scholars that were the most influential to Cedric Robinson when he was developing his theory, and explore how the concept has evolved over the last several decades.
Urbanization and Community
This course explores the historical impact that urbanization has had on people and the ecosystems the city relies on. As an introduction to the study of urban sociology and the urban spaces in the United States, we focus on postwar urban developments. We study suburbanization, segregation, urban development, urban growth and change, and urban growth boundaries, gentrification and displacement. Throughout the term we will use the lens of political economy, highlighting the impact of political and economic institutions at multiple levels of state control on the lives of neighborhood residents.
Advanced Theory
This graduate-level seminar, we explore a variety of contemporary social theories and their impacts on sociological thought. Students are encouraged to assess how each new theory expands on, and intersects with foundational theories within sociology. Our goal is not be to develop a comprehensive understanding of any specific theory, rather, we explore the usefulness of each theory to illuminate contemporary thought. The theories explored in this course include; Neo-Marxism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism, and symbolic interactionism.
What students say
“It has been an absolute honor to study under Dr. McGee. His passion and radical approaches to teaching have helped me unlearn the toxic practices and ideologies that enable/further oppression. I’m a better critical thinker because of the knowledge he’s passed down to me.”
“He is a wealth of knowledge and compassion. He got me interested in subjects I never thought I would be because of his critical and intersectional lens that puts race and anti-black racism in conversation with areas of study like Environmental Sociology and the history of Portland, Oregon.”
“He ‘s so open and generous with his time and mentorship, and makes me feel welcomed in the department. His perspective is also so interesting and such an asset to the department.”