Race, Gender, and Real Estate [Module 1]

This course examines historical and contemporary real estate practices that have negatively affected racial minorities and women in the United States and internationally. The course reviews the history of land ownership and housing in the United States as shaped by the legacy of slavery and subsequent discriminatory practices such as deed restrictions, restrictive covenants, redlining, predatory lending, and steering. These practices have disproportionately affected trajectories of intergenerational wealth as well as social outcomes in public health, education, and political power. The course will also look at the participation of underrepresented minorities and women in today’s real estate profession. Specifically highlighting discrimination and biases that have contributed to the uneven representation of racial minorities and women within the real estate industry, students will further understand these barriers to entry and explore the current climate of efforts towards greater inclusion. While the course principally focuses on race, gender, and real estate in the United States, it also looks at race, gender, and real estate in the international context alongside class, ethnicity, indigeneity, and religion. Classes include lectures, guest presentations, and student presentations. Students will be evaluated on their participation in class, presentation on a case study, and a final paper.