Courses in Afroamerican and African Studies (Division 311)

Introductory Courses

100. Introduction to Afro-American Studies. (4). (SS).
This course provides an interdisciplinary overview and introduction to the area of Afro-American Studies. Historical, political, sociocultural and behavioral perspectives are brought to bear on the analysis of the Black American experience. Specifically, the course intends to (1) Introduce students to the corpus of knowledge characteristic of the Afro-American Studies disciplinary perspective; (2) Consider salient issues, debates and critiques in the area; (3) Survey the Black American experience with emphasis on current social, political and economic developments; and (4) Encourage the development of greater insight into the Black American experience.

105. Introduction to African Studies. (4). (SS).
An interdisciplinary introduction to the history and cultures of Africa. The course surveys Africa's prehistoric past, the rise and development of early African states, and African achievements from the medieval period to the present. Throughout, attention is given to changing perspectives and approaches in the field of African Studies.

Historical Perspectives

230/Hist. 274. Survey of Afro-American History I. (3). (SS).
A survey of the events, patterns, ideologies and cosmologies in Black history from the sixteenth century in West Africa to the end of the American Civil War.

231/Hist. 275. Survey of Afro-American History, II. (3). (SS).
Continuation of CAAS 230. 1865 to present.

333. Perspectives in Afro-American History. (4). (Excl).
A seminar-like course emphasizing a theoretical approach to Black historical inquiry. An attempt is made to group the meaning and implications of various developments in Black history.

334/Hist. 365/Amer. Cult. 336. Popular Culture in Contemporary Black America. (3). (HU).
Through an examination of popular culture, this course critically reassesses the relationship between Black politics and cultural forms emerging from within African-American communities, the commodification of those forms, and representation of Black images in mass media. Beginning with post war jazz, we explore the African-American roots of rock and roll, the development of blaxploitation films, and the shifting, ideological meaning of hair and dress styles.

336/Hist. 336/WS 336. Black Women in America. (3). (SS).
This course examines the condition of Black women in America from an historical and contemporary perspective. The main theme of the course is the peculiarity of the social, economic, and political situation of Black women, in comparison to African American males and white American males and females.

446/Hist. 446. Africa to 1850. (3). (SS).
The course is an introduction to the peoples and cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa. It begins with a survey of the origins of man and early African civilizations and concludes with the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

448/Hist. 448. Africa Since 1850. (3). (SS). (R&E).
This is the second part of a two-course introduction to central themes in Sub-Saharan African history. It deals with the abolition of the slave trade, European imperialism, underdevelopment, nationalism and de-colonialization.

533/Amer. Cult. 533/Hist. 572. Black Civil Rights from 1900. (3). (Excl).
Afroamerican history as reflected in political, economic, cultural, religious, and civil rights protest movements from the 1890's to the 1960's, with a brief introductory review of the post-Reconstruction period beginning with 1877.

595/Hist. 595. Topics in African History. (3). (Excl).
This course is meant to examine an aspect, to be designated in the section title, of topics in African history.

Politics, Economics, and Development

203. Issues in Afro-American Development. (3). (SS).
An inter-disciplinary course concerned with issues currently critical to the development of the Black community along various dimensions, including the economic, political, social and educational aspects.

329. African American Leadership. (3). (Excl).
Focuses on the methods used to study African American leaders, the process which gives rise to leaders, the context in which they act, the nature of the followership, and the responses of the state.

408. African Economies: Social and Political Settings. (4). (Excl).
A study of factors which contribute to current economic conditions in Africa: the problems and the potential for change, traditionalism and modernism in African economics, colonial economics, colonial economic policies. Uses case studies of representative countries.

418/Poli. Sci. 419. Black Americans and the Political System. Two courses in political science. (3). (Excl).
Focuses on the status of Blacks in the American political system. Analyzes the capacity and the capability of the political system for negotiating the internal conflicts involving Black/white relationships.

425. Politics of Black Movements in America. (3). (Excl).
This course analyzes several Black protest movements. It concerns leaders of movements, political environments, and concepts of freedom and liberation. Relevant questions are: Who joined the movements, and why? What were the costs and benefits of the movements? What were the goals of the movements? What tactics and strategies were used to realize these goals?

426. Urban Redevelopment and Social Justice. (3). (SS).
An exploration of explicit and subtle connections between people, land, and power in cities. Stresses the effects of these linkages upon emerging (and ongoing) developmental efforts.

449/Poli. Sci. 459. African Politics. Prior or concurrent study of the Third World; Poli. Sci. 465 is recommended but not required. (3). (Excl).
A comparative survey of the African states and territories, with primary emphasis on the process of decolonization, the continued dependent status of African states, obstacles to change, and alternative strategies of development.

450. Law, Race, and the Historical Process, I. (3). (Excl).
This course studies the legal experience of Blacks in the U.S. from the period of colonial North America to the beginning of the modern Civil Rights era. It reviews such subjects as the law of slavery and the slave trade, the Constitution and the Black status in the antebellum period, Constitutional and legislative developments during Reconstruction and thereafter.

451. Law, Race, and the Historical Process, II. CAAS 450 recommended. (3). (Excl).
This course is a continuation of Law, Race and the Historical Process I (CAAS 450). It covers the period of time from the beginnings of the modern Civil Rights movement to the present.

453. Culture, Class, and Conflict in Southern Africa. (3). (Excl).
A broad overview and detailed exploration of society, economy, and polity in Southern Africa. The major focus of the class is on conflict: its roots, its forms, and its impact. This cross-disciplinary course is concerned with both the historical background and the contemporary situation.

457/Econ. 476. Political Economy of Black America. Econ. 101. (3). (Excl).
Focuses on the economic life of African Americans in the U.S., including the role of economics in the social construction of race, and the relationship between the evolution of the U.S. economy and the changing status of African Americans.

479/Poli. Sci. 479. Political Development and Economy of Africa. (3). (SS).
A survey of the relations of African states with each other and with the Middle East, Western Europe, the Socialist States, North America, the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean, and other developing areas. Examines the participation of African states in international economic and political organizations. Problems of dependency and decolonization are also discussed.

Literature and the Arts

108/Hist. of Art 108. Introduction to African Art. (4). (HU).
Building on a concept developed by Rubin in his ART AS TECHNOLOGY, (ed. by Zana Pearlstone) the study seeks to demonstrate the relationship between art production, on the one hand, and environmental and cultural factors, on the other hand.

204. Cultural History of Afro-America. (3). (Excl).
A survey course on the cultural traditions of the Black experience in America. The course treats Black literature, religion, philosophy, music, theatre, and art as well as the social psychology behind these expressions as they emerge out of the Black response to American conditions.

214/Hist. of Art 214. Introduction to African-American Art. (3). (Excl).
Serves as a support course for students in American art and culture studies and as a foundation course for studies in African American and Africana studies. Lecture course, using traditional methodology of the discipline, and includes class discussion and slides to survey art by African Americans, covering the mid-19th century to the present.

274/English 274. Introduction to Afro-American Literature. (3). (HU).
By surveying poetry, narratives - fictive and autobiographical - prose essays, and drama produced by Black writers over the course of their presence in America, we attempt to investigate the nature of these authors' imaginative responses to Afro-American peoples' situation in a society simultaneously both hostile to and keenly dependent upon their presence.

338/English 320. Literature in Afro-American Culture. (3). (HU).
This course is designed to examine the various ways in which literature and culture have interacted in the Afro-American experience of the New World. Shifting emphases shed light on a variety of issues: slave autobiography, frontier and colonial cultures, women's issues, and contemporary or popular narratives.

340/Amer. Cult. 340. A History of Blacks in American Film. (3). (Excl). Laboratory fee ($15) required.
A history of the portrayal of Blacks in American films between 1915 and 1970, with special emphasis on the relationship of Black and American popular culture.

341/Theatre 222. Introduction to Black Theatre. (3). (HU).
A beginning course in Black theatre, acquainting students with origins, developments, current trends and the significant contributions of African-Americans to the theatre of Western civilization and to the theatre of Black America.

342/Theatre 233. Acting and the Black Experience. Permission of instructor (brief interview). (3). (HU).
An introductory acting course approached from a consideration of African-American dramatic themes and topics, using primarily texts from African-American playwrights.

348/Dance 358. Dance in Culture: Origins of Jazz Dance. (3). (Excl).
An exploration of jazz dance through movement, as it relates to African-American vernacular dance, the African diaspora, and American culture as a whole.

360. Afro-American Art. (3). (HU).
A description and analysis of the origins, nature, and legitimacy of Black American art. Discussion of relationship of Black art to other aspects of Black cultures. Attention is given to African origins, transition to America, the impact of slavery, and the Harlem Renaissance as background to understanding contemporary American art.

361. Comparative Black Art. CAAS 360. (3). (Excl).
Black American art compared to its parent African art and to other art forms in the African diaspora. Attention is given in particular to the art of Brazil and Haiti.

370/Hist. of Art 350. Special Topics in African American Art. CAAS 108 and 214. (3). (Excl).
Lecture course focus on a theme, topic, media, or subject. Artists, aesthetics, cultural contexts, style are reviewed and discussed.

380/Hist. of Art 360. Special Topics in African Art. CAAS 108 or 214. (3). (Excl).
This course is designed to address in-depth, narrow-focused or comparative treatments of topics that are corollary to the regular African Art courses.

384/Engl. 384/Amer. Cult. 406. Topics in Caribbean Literature. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
The course considers a range of topics in the study of Caribbean literature. It raises questions concerning the canon of texts to be studied, the cultural construction of Caribbean literature, race, and ethnicity.

385/Engl. 385. Topics in African Literature. (3). (HU). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
This course considers a range of topics in the study of African literature. It raises questions concerning the canon of texts studied, the cultural construction of African literature, race and ethnicity.

400/MHM 457. The Musics of African Americans. Musical background preferred. Undergraduates only. (3). (HU).
An explication of the development of the Afro-American musical traditions from African and Afro-American folk origins to Black American music in the twentieth century. Topics include blues, jazz, contemporary popular music, and art music.

404/Hist. of Art 404. The Art of Africa. (3). (Excl).
A broad introduction which deals with African art - masks, figures, etc. - in the context of African society.

435/Hist. of Art 425. 20th Century African-American Art. CAAS 214 or Hist. of Art 272. (3). (Excl).
Upper level art history lecture course examines monuments, artists, technique and works of art, symbolism within a chronological and regional framework. Various media examined in relation to American culture and history.

440/Film-Video 440. African Cinema. (3). (Excl). Laboratory fee ($35) required.
A critical and interdisciplinary look at the development of African cinema from its inception in the 1960s, at the height of the sociopolitical upheavals experienced by many nations in the transition from colonialism to independence, to the recent phase of introspection and diversification.

442/Film-Video 442. Third World Cinema. (3). (Excl). Laboratory fee ($35) required.
The interrelationships and disruptions between dominant cinema practices and Third World and marginal cinema on the level of aesthetics, production, economic, social and cultural history. Cinema as ideological practice; the formulation of new approaches to film practice sympathetic to the cultural specifications of the producing nations.

464/MHM 464. Music of the Caribbean. (3). (HU).
This course introduces the Caribbean as an area comprising many distinct cultures. The major body of the course proceeds by areas zoned musically for our purposes, and by musical type. We search for social, legislative, and economic factors that operate in favor of musical appropriation and against the continuity of individual traditional styles. Reggae, calypso, soca, pan, ritual, and European music are analyzed through their political and social implications. Theories on the aesthetics of Black music, formulated by Roger Abrahams, Henry Louis Gates and Paule Marshall form the core of the analyses.

465. Dynamics of Afro-American Music. Junior standing. (3). (Excl).
Examines the dynamics of change in Afroamerican music, focusing on new directions in music aesthetics within their social and political contexts.

470/Film-Video 470. Cultural Issues in Cinema. (3). (HU). Laboratory fee ($35) required.
An exploration of developments in the cross-cultural use of media - from Hollywood feature films to ethnographic documentaries, from Caribbean liberationist literature to African allegories of Colonialism, from indigenous use of film and video to Black Diasporan "oppositional" film practice.

475/Engl. 477. Early Afro-American Literature. Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
A study of the literature of Afro-Americans from 1773 to the 1930s with particular emphasis on the post-Reconstruction writings of Dunbar, Chesnutt, DuBois, and Johnson and on such writers of the Harlem Renaissance as McKay, Turner, Cullen, Hughes, and Thurman.

476/Engl. 478. Contemporary Afro-American Literature. Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
A study of literature written by Afro-Americans from World War II to the present. Wright, Yerby, Baldwin, Brooks, Hayden, Jones, Lee, and Cleaver are among the writers discussed.

489/English 479. Topics in Afro-American Literature. CAAS 274 and/or 338 strongly recommended. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
Following a sequence of introductory and mid-level classes, students may elect this advanced-level seminar in Afro-American Literature. From year to year topics may include the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts movement or the Slave Narrative as well as thematic, or generic approaches.

562/Hist. of Art 560. African Art and Archaeology. CAAS 108 or 404. (3). (Excl).
This course examines the content and significance of works of art from selected archaeological sites. It reevaluates their potential as sources of historical evidence while offering critical insights into current interpretations given to their discoveries.

Individual Behavior, Cultural Systems, and Social Organization

241/WS 231. Women of Color and Feminism. (3). (Excl).
Provides an exposure to the main feminist issues confronting women of color by comparing women of color communities and their feminisms.

303/Soc. 303. Race and Ethnic Relations. An introductory course in sociology or CAAS. (4). (SS). (R&E).
This course examines the history and problems that racial minorities have faced in the U.S. by surveying the experiences of groups such as African Americans, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Native Americans, and Asians. The social history of the groups is discussed as well as the social problems confronting it.

326. The Black American Family. (3). (SS).
This course examines the historical and contemporary structure and functioning of Black families in America. Emphasis is placed on understanding and the survival mechanisms which developed and persisted in adverse circumstances.

327/Psych. 315. Psychological Aspects of the Black Experience. One course in psychology or Afroamerican and African Studies. (3). (SS).
An examination of the unique and consistent patterns in attitudes of Black Americans toward themselves and the external community. Emphasis is placed on age-sex-status differences and on temporal changes. Attention is directed toward causes and consequences for individuals and for the larger group.

331/Psych. 316. The World of the Black Child. One course in psychology or Afroamerican and African Studies. (3). (Excl).
An analysis of the socio-cultural and institutional forces which influence the socialization and development of Black children; examines the child's perception of these forces and implications for the educational experience.

335/Rel. 310. Religion in the Afro-American Experience. (3). (HU).
This course studies religion as a major force in the life of the Black community. Religion has not only provided a sense of direction and a positive hope for Black people, it has also provided a philosophical basis for much of the social action of the community.

339/Ling. 339. African American Languages and Dialects. (3). (Excl).
This course is an introduction to the languages and dialects of people of African ancestry living in the New World. Special attention is paid to the historical origins of these languages, their present day diversity, and the social and political factors related to their current status.

403. Education and Development in Africa. (3). (Excl).
Interdisciplinary course surveying the role of education and social change. Introduces the student to the key elements of the educational system and examines the impact of education on economic and political development. Tradition and reform in African education and cultural values in transition are explored.

420/Anthro. 347. Race and Ethnicity. Junior standing. (3). (SS).
A comparative analysis of race and ethnicity as social and political phenomena with emphasis on the current theoretical literature; criteria by which different peoples classify races and ethnic groups; the implications of these classifications for intergroup relations; and the study of how attitudes and values surrounding race and ethnicity have shaped contemporary world events.

422/Anthro. 411. African Culture. Junior standing. (3). (Excl).
A survey of the processes and patterns of socio-cultural, political, and economic development in Africa before the period of European colonial rule.

427/Anthro. 427/WS 427. African Women. One course in African Studies, anthropology, or women's studies. (3). (SS).
The active roles African women play in their communities as these have changed from pre-colonial to contemporary times are discussed critically through the themes of autonomy and control of resources, esp. land, labor, income, education, and political authority.

430. Education and Cultures of the Black World. (3). (SS). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
A comparative survey of education and culture of Black peoples of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. It provides a systematic view of the dynamics and interplay of education and culture in independent nation-states as well as among minorities in multiethnic states.

431. Topics in Black Education. CAAS 430 recommended. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
This course deals with special topics in Black education. It emphasizes the bases, skills, theories, and resources need to achieving educational goals in the Black world. The specific focus is determined by the instructor and listed in the current Time Schedule.

434/Soc. 434. Social Organization of Black Communities. (3). (Excl).
Course analyses and interprets Black communities in the U.S. Specifically the origins and development, competing theories, unique characteristics and institutions, and contemporary problems of Black communities are to be examined.

439/Ling. 449. Creole Languages and Caribbean Identities. (3). (Excl).
Explorations of linguistic creolization from an historical/comparative perspective, tracing Caribbean creoles to African and European ancestors. Survey of hypotheses about Creole genesis. Examination of sociocultural ramifications of creolization. Issues of identities, misidentifications; creole speakers' attitudes toward race and the African and European components of their cultures. Comparison with African- American society.

444/Anthro. 414. Introduction to Caribbean Societies and Cultures, I. Junior standing. (3). (Excl).
A survey of the peoples and cultures of the Caribbean with emphasis on Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Guyana. Analysis of class, race relations, cultural pluralism, ethnicity, population movements, and economic development.

452. Education of the Black Child. (3). (Excl).
Deals with crucial questions in the education of Black children in the United States. Emphasis is laid on theoretical frameworks of growth and on the analysis of the social, cultural, political and economic forces which act to influence the learning experiences of Black children.

454/Anthro. 453. African-American Culture. One introductory course in the social sciences. (3). (Excl).
This course examines the Afro-American as one example of how humans live. It places distinctive Black behavior within its social context and its history.

459/Anthro. 451. African-American Religion. One introductory course in the social sciences. (3). (Excl).
This course examines the nature of religion in the lives of humans, within the framework of culture, and as a pervasive social institution. Focus on character of religion in the history and lives of Afro-Americans.

478/LACS 400/Hist. 578. Ethnicity and Culture in Latin America. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
This course explores various aspects of ethnicity and culture in Latin America and the Caribbean from historical and anthropological perspectives.

521/Soc. 521. African American Intellectual Thought. Senior standing. (3). (Excl).
This seminar explores the research and policy debates constructed by African American scholars on the "Negro Problem." The objective is to ascertain how these social analyses and intellectual arguments framed definitions of and solutions for the social condition of the African American community throughout the twentieth century.

Independent Study and Special Topics

103. First Year Social Science Seminar. Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (3). (SS).
This seminar introduces first-year students to the intellectual community of social scientists working in the field of Afroamerican and African studies. The topic of the seminar varies term to term.

104. First Year Humanities Seminar. Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (3). (HU).
This seminar introduces first-year students to the intellectual community of humanities scholars working in the field of Afroamerican and African studies. The topic of the seminar varies term to term.

200. Issues in Afro-Caribbean Studies. CAAS 100 recommended. (3). (Excl).
An introductory course focusing on key issues in Afro-Caribbean studies. The specific topic is determined by the instructor.

206. Issues in African Studies. (3). (Excl).
An introductory course focusing on key issues in African Studies. The specific topic is determined by the instructor.

358. Topics in Black World Studies. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
Selected topics in Black World Studies which focus on introduction to Africa, to the Caribbean, to North America, and to South America. Specific focus is determined by instructor and indicated in the current Time Schedule.

410. Supervised Reading and Research. Permission of instructor. (1-6). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for credit with permission of the concentration advisor.
Arrangements may be made for adequately prepared students to undertake individual study under the direction of a departmental staff member. Students are provided with the proper section number by the staff member with whom the work has been arranged. Permission of the concentration advisor is required to repeat the course for credit.

455. Seminar on Project and Research Planning. Upperclass standing. (3). (Excl).
This seminar is concerned with the design and implementation of research projects on topics relating to the African diaspora. Highly recommended for Honors students in AAS.

458. Issues in Black World Studies. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
A generally comparative study of the nature, evolution, and implications of the Black experience in Africa, North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. Specific focus is determined by instructor and indicated in current Time Schedule.

490. Special Topics in Black World Studies. Junior standing. (1-2). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
A mini-course seminar on specialized topics in Afroamerican, African, and/or Caribbean studies.

510. Supervised Research. Graduate standing or permission of instructor. (1-6). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for credit with permission of the concentration advisor.
Arrangements may be made for adequately prepared students to undertake individual study under the direction of a departmental staff member. Students are provided with the proper section number by the staff member with whom the work has been arranged. Permission of the concentration advisor is required to repeat the course for credit.

558. Seminar in Black World Studies. Graduate standing or permission of instructor. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
An "interrogation of knowledge systems" approach to selected problem areas in the study of the Black experience in North America, Caribbean and Latin America, and in Africa. Specific area and issue are determined by instructor and indicated in current Time Schedule.

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