IU Bulletins HomeBloomington Campusred
Indiana University

Search College of Arts and Sciences 2006-2008 Online Bulletin

Request College of Arts and Sciences 2006-2008 Application Packet

College of Arts and Sciences 2006-2008 Online Bulletin Table of Contents

 

Return to College of Arts and Sciences Departments and Programs
 

College of Arts
and Sciences (College)
2006-2008
Academic Bulletin

College Programs
College of Arts and Sciences (College) 
Kirkwood Hall 104 
130 S. Woodlawn 
Bloomington, IN 47405  
Local (812) 855-1821 
Fax (812) 855-2060 
Contact College
 

African American and African Diaspora Studies

Faculty
Introduction
Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies
Interdepartmental Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies and English
Interdepartmental Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies and History
Interdepartmental Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies and Religious Studies
Interdepartmental Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies and Sociology
Minor in African American and African Diaspora Studies
Departmental Honors Program
Course Descriptions

Faculty

Chair

Associate Professor Valerie Grim

Professors

A. B. Assensoh, Winona Fletcher (Emeritus), Eileen Julien (Comparative Literature, French and Italian), Phyllis Klotman (Emeritus), Michael Martin, John McCluskey, John H. Stanfield II, William Wiggins (Emeritus), Vernon Williams

Associate Professors

Valerie Grim, Matthew Guterl, Audrey McCluskey, Frederick McElroy, Iris Rosa

Assistant Professor

Trica Keaton

Adjunct Professors

Yvette Alex-Assensoh (Political Science), David Baker (Jacobs School of Music), Kevin Brown (Law School), Mellonee Burnim (Folklore and Ethnomusicology), Carolyn Calloway-Thomas (Communication and Culture), Claude Clegg (History), Margo Crawford (English), George Hutchinson (English), Grace Jackson-Brown (Library Science, Journalism), Onwuchekwa Jemie (Folklore and Ethnomusicology, African American and African Diaspora Studies), Monroe Little (African American Studies-IUPUI), James Madison (History), Portia Maultsby (Folklore and Ethnomusicology), Michael McGerr (History), Najjaf Modibo (African American Studies, Labor Studies-IUPUI), Frank Motley (Law), Charlie Nelms (School of Education), Samuel Obeng (Linguistics), Gary Sailes (Health, Physical Education and Recreation), Amos Sawyer (Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis), Charles Sykes (African American Arts Institute)

Visiting Professor

Alvin Chambliss

Director of Graduate Studies

A. B. Assensoh

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Fred McElroy

Academic Advising

Memorial East M21, (812) 855-3875 or 855-6270

Return to Top

Introduction

The Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies (AAAD) introduces students to a wide range of current research and scholarly opinion on the history, culture, and social status of black Americans and their African heritage. As an intellectual enterprise, the department provides an eclectic analysis of the African American and African Diasporic experience. As a humanistic discipline in the democratic tradition, African American and African Diaspora Studies seeks to dispel the myths and expose those attitudes that perpetuate racism in American life.

Students enrolled in any department or school may elect any course or sequence of courses in African American and African Diaspora Studies for which they are eligible. Many of the courses in the department may be used to satisfy distribution or culture studies requirements. A few courses may be used to fulfill intensive writing requirements.

For information on those requirements, consult appropriate sections of this bulletin.

Return to Top

Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies

Purpose

The major prepares students for a variety of professional careers or for graduate study. Students planning to enter the workforce immediately after graduation may wish to select a double major.

Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of undergraduate course work selected from the department's three concentration areas: (1) arts, (2) literature, and (3) history, culture, and social issues. Not more than 6 credit hours at the 100 level and not more than 9 credit hours at the 200 level can be counted toward the major. At the time of admission to the department, each student and the undergraduate advisor together plan an individualized program of study, including the selection of a major concentration area.

Majors must complete the following:

  1. A150.
  2. A355 or A356 (history) .
  3. A379 or A380 (literature).
  4. 12 credit hours in one African American and African Diaspora Studies concentration area (A355 or A356 and A379 or A380 may be included).
  5. 6 credit hours in each of the other two concentration areas (A355 or A356 and A379 or A380 may be included).
  6. A493 Senior Seminar in Afro-American Studies.

Students must also complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Recommendations

During the freshman and sophomore years, students should take African American and African Diaspora Studies A141, A142, and A150. A141 and A142 satisfy the English composition requirement and may count toward arts and humanities distribution credit. A150 also carries arts and humanities distribution credit. A141 and A142 do not count toward the major or minor in African American and African Diaspora Studies.

Students who plan to have a double major should make this decision as early as possible so that course selections in African American and African Diaspora Studies and the second major can be closely coordinated.

Majors in journalism, telecommunications, business, public and environmental affairs, pre-law, social work, education, and many other disciplines have found African American and African Diaspora Studies courses to be useful, interesting, and important to their chosen fields.

Return to Top

Interdepartmental Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies and English

Requirements

Students must meet the following course requirements for a minimum total of 40 credit hours.

African American and African Diaspora Studies

At least 18 credit hours of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including

  1. A150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans.
  2. A355 Afro-American History I or A356 Afro-American History II.
  3. A379 Early Black American Writing or A380 Contemporary Black American Writing.
  4. Three courses from among the following:
    A249 Afro-American Autobiography.
    A383 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre 1767-1945.
    A384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre 1945-Present.
    A479 Contemporary Black Poetry.
    A480 The Black Novel.
    A493 Senior Seminar in Afro-American Studies.

English

At least 18 credit hours at the 200 level or above, of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including:

  1. L202 Literary Interpretation.
  2. L371 Critical Practices.
  3. One 300-level course appropriate to each of four periods in the history of literatures in English-beginnings through the sixteenth century; sixteenth through eighteenth century; the nineteenth century; 1900 to the present.

Return to Top

Interdepartmental Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies and History

Requirements

Students must meet the following course requirements for a minimum total of 40 hours. No course counting toward completion of the upper-level hours requirement of the history concentration can also be counted toward completion of the upper-level hours requirement of the African American and African Diaspora Studies concentration.

African American and African Diaspora Studies

At least 18 credit hours at the 200 level or above, of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including:

  1. A150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans.
  2. A355 Afro-American History I or A356 Afro-American History II.
  3. A379 Early Black American Writing or A380 Contemporary Black American Writing.
  4. Nine additional credit hours from the History, Culture, and Social Issues Concentration. These 9 hours may include the Senior Seminar.

History

At least 18 credit hours of history courses, including:

  1. At least 15 hours of 300-400 level courses (a J200 may be substituted for 3 hours of 300-400 level courses; only one of A355 Afro-American History I or A356 Afro-American History II taken in either History or African American and African Diaspora Studies can be counted toward these 15 hours).
  2. At least one seminar chosen from J400, J450, or K392.
  3. Any two courses in non­U.S. History (i.e., Western European, Russia and East Europe, Ancient, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, or East Asia).
  4. At least 9 credit hours of these history courses must be completed in residence at the IU Bloomington campus.

Return to Top

Interdepartmental Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies and Religious Studies

Requirements

Students must meet the following course requirements for a minimum total of 42 credit hours.

African American and African Diaspora Studies

At least 21 credit hours of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including

  1. A150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans.
  2. A355 Afro-American History I or A356 Afro-American History II.
  3. A379 Early Black American Writing or A380 Contemporary Black American Writing.
  4. 9 additional credit hours taken from courses in any of the three (3) concentration areas: (1) arts, (2) literature, or (3) history, culture, and social issues. (Majors are strongly encouraged to take A363 Research on Contemporary Afro-American Problems I when it is taught.)
  5. Additional credit hours to reach the minimum of 21 credit hours to be chosen in consultation with advisor. These hours may include the Senior Seminar.

If a student chooses to take the Senior Honors Thesis of A499 or the course pair of R399/R499 in Religious Studies, the chosen topic may cross over African American and African Diaspora Studies and Religious Studies although minimum credit hours in each area must still be met. A faculty mentor of the student's choice will be assigned and graders from each department will read the final thesis. This requires an application and the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies before authorization is granted to begin the project.

Religious Studies

  1. At least 21 credit hours, with no more than one 100-level course counting toward the minimum and with at least 12 credit hours in courses at the 300-level or above.
  2. At least one course (above the 100-level) in each of the following areas:
    1. Western religious traditions
    2. Eastern religious traditions
    3. Critical Issues in Religious Studies.
  3. One course (3 credit hours) in Religious Studies at the 400-level other than R494, R495, R496, and R499.

If a student chooses to take the Senior Honors Thesis course pair of R399/R499, the chosen topic may cross over Religious Studies and African American and African Diaspora Studies, although minimum credit hours in each area must still be met. A faculty mentor of the student's choice will be assigned and graders from each department will read the final thesis. This requires an application and the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies before authorization is granted to begin the project.

Return to Top

Interdepartmental Major in African American and African Diaspora Studies and Sociology

Requirements

Students must meet the following course requirements for a minimum total of 40 credit hours.

African American and African Diaspora Studies

At least 18 credit hours of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including:

  1. A150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans.
  2. A355 Afro-American History I or A356 Afro-American History II.
  3. A379 Early Black American Writing or A380 Contemporary Black American Writing.
  4. 9 additional credit hours from our History, Culture, and Social Issues Concentration. These 9 credit hours must include the Senior Seminar. (Majors are strongly encouraged to take A363 Research on Contemporary Afro-American Problems I when it is taught.)

Sociology

At least 21 credit hours of which at least 12 credit hours must be at the 300 level or above, including:

  1. One course from the following:

    S100 Introduction to Sociology

    S210 The Economy, Organizations, and Work

    S215 Social Change

    S230 Society and the Individual

  2. S217 Social Inequality.
  3. S335 Race and Ethnic Relations.
  4. S110 Charts, Graphs, and Tables.
  5. 3 additional courses in Sociology at the 300-400 level.

Return to Top

Minor in African American and African Diaspora Studies

Requirements

Students must complete 15 College of Arts and Sciences credit hours in African American and African Diaspora studies, including:

  1. A355 or A356 (history).
  2. A379 or A380 (literature).
  3. At least one other course at the 300-400 level, which may count toward the 9 credit hours in a concentration area.

Students must take at least 9 credit hours in a single concentration area: (1) literature, (2) arts, or (3) history, culture, and social issues. Courses are selected in consultation with the academic advisor. At least 9 credit hours must be taken in residence at IU Bloomington.

Return to Top

Departmental Honors Program

African American and African Diaspora Studies majors with a minimum 3.300 cumulative grade point average and a 3.300 grade point average within the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies are eligible for the departmental honors program. Students must enroll in 9 credit hours of honors work consisting of 3 credit hours of supervised readings and 6 credit hours of supervised independent research. Independent research may take the form of research projects, field research, internships, or creative activities. Students should apply in the fall semester of their junior year. A copy of the student's transcript and a short letter of application describing the honors project in general terms will be required for admission.

Return to Top

Course Descriptions

Introductory Courses

Note: A141 and A142 do not count toward the major or minor in African American and African Diaspora Studies.

A141-A142 Introduction to Writing and the Study of Black Literature I-II (4-4 cr.) A & H P for A142: A141. Composition and literature courses that teach the skills of writing. Structuring of ideas through analysis and practice of various techniques of paragraph and essay development. Reading and discussion of representative Afro-American writings, including poetry, short stories, sermons, novels, and drama. A141-A142 fulfill fundamental skills requirement; do not count toward major.

A150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans (3 cr.) A & H, CSA, TFR The culture of blacks in America viewed from a broad interdisciplinary approach, employing resources from history, literature, folklore, religion, sociology, and political science. Required for the major.

Arts

Performance courses (A100, A104, A110, and A120) are marked with an asterisk (*). These are open to undergraduates only and may be repeated individually or in combination for a maximum of 12 ensemble credit hours.

African and Afro-American Art

A352 Afro-American Art II: Afro-American Artists (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A survey of the artistic traditions of the African in the New World, from the period of slavery in North and South America through contemporary Afro-American and expatriate black American artists.

Dance

*A100 African American Dance Company (2 cr.) P: Consent of instructor by audition. Emphasis on ethnic and jazz traditions, although other genres are regularly performed. Repertoire varies from semester to semester. Participation in on- and off-campus concerts, workshops, and lecture demonstrations required. Previous dance training desirable but not essential. May be repeated individually or in combination with A110 or A120 for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

A102 Introduction to Black Dance Styles (2 cr.) Jazz dance technique with an African American historical perspective. Instruction includes basic dance technique vocabulary and movements with syncopated rhythm patterns.

A221 Dance in the African Diaspora (3 cr.) Introduction to the history, culture, music, and body movements of dances in the African American and African Diaspora tradition with a focus on African-derived dances, primarily from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and America. Instruction through classroom lectures, discussions, videos, readings, and movement sessions.

A300 Jazz Dance Movement Styles (2 cr.) P: Minimum of two years of dance movement and consent of instructor. Advanced study in jazz dance technique. Emphasis on three jazz technique styles developed by well-known dance artists Matt Mattox, Luigi, and free style.

Film Studies

A277 Images of Blacks in Films: 1903-1950s (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Images of blacks in films, mainly American, from before The Birth of a Nation (1915) to the 1950s. Course will include segments as well as complete feature films (also "race films" when available), shorts, cartoons, and documentaries viewed in historical perspective.

A278 Contemporary Black Film (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Problems raised by proliferation of films acted, authored, directed and/or produced by blacks. Exploration of legitimacy of "black film aesthetic" and its reception by various segments of the black community.

A359 Ethnic/Racial Stereotypes in American Film (3 cr.) A & H A study in cross-cultural stereotyping as evidenced in the film medium. Analysis of native American, Asian, black, Hispanic, and Jewish groups. Features, shorts, and animations screened to illustrate the "classic" stereotypes of each group and to demonstrate their impact on American society.

A430 The Cinema of Africana Women (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Historical and critical overview of films produced by African American women from the 1940s to the present. The course emphasizes how black women filmmakers combine their creative abilities with a desire to capture dominant issues that affect black women's lives in America.

Music

*A110 African American Choral Ensemble (2 cr.) P: Consent of instructor by audition. Performance of music by and about blacks, including spirituals, gospel, art songs, and excerpts from operas and musicals. Repertoire varies from semester to semester. Participation in on- and off-campus concerts, workshops, and lecture demonstrations required. Ability to read music desirable but not essential. May be repeated individually or in combination with A100 or A120 for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

A112 Black Music of Two Worlds (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Comparative study of black music in West Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Emphasis on interrelationships between musical forms, performance practices, ritual traditions, and aesthetics.

*A120 Soul Revue (2 cr.) P: Consent of instructor by audition. Introduces the richness and depth of black popular tradition through authentic performance practices. Repertoire varies from semester to semester. Participation in on- and off-campus concerts, workshops, and lecture demonstrations required. Ability to read music desirable but not essential. May be repeated individually or in combination with A100 or A110 for a maximum of 12 credit hours.

A290 Sociocultural Perspective of Afro-American Music (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Survey of cultural, social, and political attitudes that influenced blacks in the development of and participation in blues, jazz, urban black popular music, and "classical" music.

A389 Motown (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A comprehensive survey of the development of Motown Record Corporation, with emphasis on its Detroit era, 1959-1972. The course will explore issues related to the people, music, creative processes, management practices, events, media, technology, and sociocultural factors that contributed to the identity of Motown as an artistic, commercial, and cultural phenomenon.

A393 (MUS M393/Z393) History of Jazz (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Periods, major performers and composers, trends, influences, stylistic features, and related materials. Credit not given for both A393 and M393.

A394 (MUS M394) Black Music in America (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A survey of black music from its African origin to the present with special emphasis on its social, economic, and political implications. Credit not given for both A394 and M394.

A395 (MUS M395/Z395) Contemporary Jazz and Soul Music (3 cr.) A & H, CSA P: Consent of instructor. A survey of contemporary jazz and soul (rhythm and blues) music and musicians in the United States. Credit not given for both A395 and M395.

A396 (MUS M396) Art Music of Black Composers (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A study of black music and musicians in the United States with emphasis on the black composer in contemporary music. Credit not given for both A396 and M396.

A397 (MUS M397) Popular Music of Black America (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A sociocultural and musical analysis of urban black popular music, its performers, producers, and composers from the 1940s to 1980: rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll, soul, ballads, funk, disco, and rap. Credit not given for both A397 and MUS M397.

A489 Rap Music (3 cr.) A & H, CSA P: Junior or senior standing. Examines rap music as an artistic and sociological phenomenon with emphasis on its historical and political contexts. Discussions include the appropriation of these forms by the music industry and the controversies resulting from their exploitation as an entertainment commodity for mass consumption.

A496 Black Religious Music (3 cr.) A & H, CSA An in-depth investigation of Negro spirituals and gospel music, with some treatment of the traditions of liningout and shapenote singing. Examination of genres will address and integrate both the musical and the sociocultural perspectives.

Theatre and Drama

*A104 Groups Theatre Workshop (2 cr.) Open to summer Groups Program students only. Through a musical/theatrical piece chosen for study and performance, students are encouraged to explore and develop their abilities and to experience growth and motivation that comes from participating in a unified and motivating group experience.

A383 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1767-1945 (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Images of blacks as reflected in American drama from 1767 to 1945. Selected dramas of both white and black playwrights, such as Isaac Bickerstaffe, William Wells Brown, Eugene O'Neill, and Richard Wright, who depicted blacks on the stage.

A384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1945-Present (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Images of blacks as reflected in American drama from 1945 to the present. Emphasis on the contributions of black playwrights such as Lorraine Hansberry, Langston Hughes, Imamu Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Ted Shine, and Ed Bullins.

A385 Seminar in Black Theatre (3 cr.) A & H, CSA P: T120; or one of A379, A380, A383, A384; or consent of instructor. Contributions of blacks to the theatre in America. Reading and discussion of selected dramas and critiques with opportunities for involvement in the oral interpretation of one or more of the plays.

A485 Lorraine Hansberry: Black Dramatist (3 cr.) A & H, CSA In-depth study of Lorraine Hansberry's life and works with emphasis on her dramas and her essays on the theatre and the society she knew.

Literature

A169 Introduction to Afro-American Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Representative Afro-American writings including poetry, short story, sermons, novel, and drama.

A249 Afro-American Autobiography (3 cr.) A & H, CSA A survey of autobiographies written by black Americans in the last two centuries. The course emphasizes how the autobiographers combine the grace of art and the power of argument to urge the creation of genuine freedom in America.

A354 Transnational Americas (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Comparative colloquium that explores the recent literature on racial connections between "the local" and "the global" in contemporary American experience. Through immersion in the new "transnational" critiques of the United States, students analyze texts that describe African, Asian, European, indigenous and Latino sensibilities about culture, homelands, belonging and exclusion.

A379 Early Black American Writing (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Afro-American writing before World War II, with emphasis on critical reactions and analyses. Includes slave narratives, autobiographies, rhetoric, fiction, and poetry.

A380 Contemporary Black American Writing (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: A379. The black experience in America as it has been reflected since World War II in the works of outstanding Afro-American writers: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

A383 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1767-1945 (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Images of blacks as reflected in American drama from 1767 to 1945. Selected dramas of both white and black playwrights, such as Isaac Bickerstaffe, William Wells Brown, Eugene O'Neill, and Richard Wright, who depicted blacks on the stage.

A384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1945-Present (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Images of blacks as reflected in American drama from 1945 to the present. Emphasis on the contributions of black playwrights such as Lorraine Hansberry, Langston Hughes, Imamu Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Ted Shine, and Ed Bullins.

A479 Contemporary Black Poetry (3 cr.) A & H An examination of black poetry from Dunbar to the present, emphasizing the emergence, growth, and development of black consciousness as a positive ethnic identification.

A480 The Black Novel (3 cr.) A & H, CSA R: A379 or A380. Analysis of the Afro-American novel from the Harlem Renaissance to the present: genesis, development, and current trends. Emphasis on traditions arising out of the black experience and on critical perspectives developed by black critics and scholars.

History, Culture, and Social Issues

A154 History of Race in the Americas (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Exploration of the development of racism and racial ideologies in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, and South Africa from colonial times to the present. Emphasizes the interaction among cultural, political, and economic factors in shaping patterns of conflict and collaboration, domination and resistance.

A156 Black Liberation Struggles against Jim Crow and Apartheid (3 cr.) S & H, CSA A comparative perspective on American race relations, specifically the similarities and differences of the struggles against Jim Crow in America and against apartheid in South Africa. In both places, the late twentieth century witnessed a revolt against the legal and philosophical framework of white supremacy.

A201 Introduction to African American and African Diaspora Studies (3 cr.) CSA Introduction to African American and African Diaspora Studies as a field of study: epistemological considerations, theories, and methods that have come to form what is called Africana studies.

A203 Studying Blacks of the New World: African Americans and Africans in the African Diaspora (3 cr.) S & H, CSA A comparative study of the cultural, historical, and socioeconomic life patterns of African Americans and diaspora-based Africans in the United States.

A205 Black Electoral Politics (3 cr.) S & H The course will explore black participation in the formal structures of American government and in the processes by which these structures are accessed. Black participation in local, state, and federal government arenas will be focused upon, and the political benefits to the black community of these involvements will be assessed.

A210 Black Women in the Diaspora (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Interdisciplinary examination of salient aspects of black women's history, identity, and experience, including policies, cultural assumptions, and knowledge systems that affect black women's lives. While the primary focus is North America, the lives of black women in other cultural settings within the African diaspora are also examined.

A250 U.S. Contemporary Minorities (3 cr.) S & H An interdisciplinary study of how members of four minority groups-native Americans, Asian Americans, blacks, and Hispanics-combine their struggle for social justice with their desire to maintain their own concepts of identity.

A255 The Black Church in America (3 cr.) S & H, CSA The church's role as a black social institution from slavery to the present, its religious attitudes as expressed in songs and sermons, and its political activities as exemplified in the minister-politician.

A263 Contemporary Social Issues in the Afro-American Community (3 cr.) S & H A seminar, primarily designed for sophomores and juniors, directed toward critical analysis of selected topics germane to the future socioeconomic and political position of Afro-Americans.

A264 History of Sport and the African American Experience (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Examination of the historical participation and contributions of African Americans in sport. Students study African American sports pioneers and the social conditions affecting their participation. Period studied includes pre-slavery to the civil rights era (1500 to 1960s).

A265 Modern Sports and the African American Experience (3 cr.) S & H, CSA The impact of Afro-American sports heroes, famous teams, and annual sporting events on the shaping of Afro-American culture and the combating of American racism.

A304 Black Paris (3 cr.) Exploration of Paris as a site of "expatriation" and immigration for African Americans. Issues will include how African Americans become integrated into a broader social narrative of immigrant-upward mobility, the different reception for Africans and those from the French Antilles, and the comparative understandings or conceptualizations of "race" and their legacies in the migratory process.

A350 Black Atlantic (3 cr.) A & H, CSA This course is an interdisciplinary and comparative study of historical, cultural, and political issues related to Africa and the African diaspora (the Americas and Europe). Emphasis will also be on team-teaching using IUB faculty. Course will be of interest to students in all university departments and schools.

A355 (HIST A355) Afro-American History I (3 cr.) S & H, CSA History of blacks in the United States. Slavery, abolitionism, Reconstruction, and post-Reconstruction to 1900. Credit given for only one of A355 or HIST A355.

A356 (HIST A356) Afro-American History II (3 cr.) S & H, CSA R: A355. 1900 to the present. Migration north, NAACP, Harlem Renaissance, postwar freedom movement. Credit given for only one of A356 or HIST A356.

A360 Slavery: Worldwide Perspective (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Examines several aspects of the classical, indigenous, and modern political/ social bondage.

A363 Research on Contemporary Afro-American Problems I (3 cr.) S & H A research seminar, primarily designed for juniors and seniors, directed toward critical analysis of selected topics germane to the future socioeconomic and political position of Afro-Americans. Reading and discussion of relevant texts, studies, and articles. Includes theory construction, research design, and data collection.

A382 Black Community, Law, and Social Change (3 cr.) S & H Legal evolution of civil rights and analysis of specific relevant legal decisions that stimulated social change (the role of slavery, racial segregation, inequality of educational opportunity, and voting laws).

A386 Black Feminist Perspectives (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Examination of the history, development, and manifestation of feminist consciousness among African American women. The course is particularly concerned with how black women's lived experience defines that consciousness, and the differing impact it has among various groups of black women, and in their larger social, political, and cultural communities.

A387 Black Migration (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Explores the process, patterns, and paradoxes of the incorporation of individuals and groups identified and/or perceived as "immigrants" from a comparative-interdisciplinary perspective. Focuses on persons from "sending" countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia to the United States. Also examines developments in other labor-importing, postindustrial countries such as France and England in relation to the people who settle there.

A391 Black Nationalism (3 cr.) S & H Consequences of the black diaspora in North America; shifting views of blacks toward their native continent; analysis of current geographic, economic, and political relationships.

A392 Afro-American Folklore (3 cr.) A & H, CSA Afro-American culture in the United States viewed in terms of history (antebellum to present) and social change (rural to urban). Use of oral traditions and life histories to explore aspects of black culture and history. Credit not given for both A392 and FOLK F354.

A405 Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, 1954­1974 (3 cr.) S & H Examines the fight for civil rights by protest organizations such as Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, and Congress on Racial Equality; the emergence of black leaders such as King, Farmer, and Malcolm X; the challenge posed by Black Power advocates in the Black Panthers and Black Muslims; and the changes in American society made by the black revolution.

A407 Afro-American and African Protest Strategies (3 cr.) S & H, CSA An examination of the historical roles, structures, the impact of black protest strategies and the origins of black movements to assess their impact on communities in Africa and in the diaspora.

A408 Race, Gender, and Class in Cross-Cultural Perspective (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Examination of the influence of race, gender, and class from a perspective of power and culture. Use of interdisciplinary sources, including essays, fiction, art, and social science research to examine how different social groups vie for representation, self-definition, and power in different social and cultural settings.

A415 The Political Impact of Black Religion (3 cr.) S & H The course will focus upon politically oriented Afro-American and African religious activity including protest movements, nationalist groups, and electoral involvements. Course goals include familiarizing students with important actors and events in black religious and political affairs and developing critical thinking by students about politics and religious involvement in politics.

A420 Transforming Divided Communities and Societies (3 cr.) S & H, CSA Histories, theories, policies, and citizen, state, corporate, nonprofit sector models of transforming past and present societies divided by race, ethnicity, gender, class, caste, tribe, and religion through restorative and distributive justice movements and policies such as civil rights, affirmative action, reparations, and reconciliation tribunals.

A425 The Black Family in Twentieth-Century Rural America, 1900­1970 (3 cr.) S & H Examines the economic, social, cultural, and political development of black families residing primarily in rural areas of the southern United States before 1970. Primary attention given to institutional development, race relations, population, and migration.

A447 Race, Crime, and Media (3 cr.) Focus on crime reporting in America, addressing the question of whether or not the media distort the picture of crime. In particular, this course explores the mass media treatment of African Americans in the coverage of crime.

A452 Historical Issues in Black Education (3 cr.) S & H Education of black Americans and its relationship to the African American experience. Trends and patterns in the education of black Americans as they relate to the notions of education "for whom and for what."

A481 Racism and the Law (3 cr.) S & H Contemporary racial problems in American society with regard to law and constitutional principles of basic freedoms and associated conflicts. Effects of societal norms and impact of racism.

Other Courses

A400 Topics in Afro-American Studies (3 cr.) Intensive study and analysis of selected Afro-American studies problems and issues of limited scope, approached within an interdisciplinary format. Varied topics that cut across departmental concentration areas. May be repeated for credit if topic differs.

A486 Internship in Afro-American Studies (3 cr.) P: Junior or senior status with 15 credit hours of Afro-American Studies credit, and project approved by instructor. Directed readings, field research, research papers. Certain internship experiences may require research skills. May be repeated once for a total of 6 credits.

A493 Senior Seminar in Afro-American Studies (3 cr.) P: Senior status as Afro-American Studies major. Lecture/discussions on Afro-American studies as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry and scholarship. Students will develop individual or group projects that synthesize their experiences as majors by demonstrating the interrelated nature of the department's concentration areas.

A495 Individual Readings in Afro-American Studies (3 cr.)

A495 must be taken for 3 credit hours. With prior approval, may be repeated for a maximum total of 6 credit hours.

Students who wish to enroll in A495 must: (1) secure the written consent of the instructor and the departmental chairperson, and (2) file with the departmental secretary an approved list of readings to be completed during the semester.

Topics may include:
Reading in African American Fiction
Reading in African American Film Studies
Reading in African American Folklore
Reading in African American History
Reading in African American Nonfiction
Reading in African American Poetry
Reading in African American Sacred Music
Reading in African American Secular Music
Reading in African American Social Issues
Reading in African American Theatre and Drama

A499 Honors Thesis (3 cr.) P: Approval of instructor and departmental honors advisor. Development, completion, and defense of honors thesis. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.

Related Courses

A student may choose one of the following courses or other approved courses to satisfy requirements for an African American and African Diaspora studies major with a concentration in:

Arts
A250 (Fine Arts) Introduction to African Art (3 cr.) A & H, CSA
A453 (Fine Arts) Art of Sub Saharan Africa I: Arts of Africa's Western Sudan (4 cr.) S & H, CSA
A454 (Fine Arts) Art of Sub-Saharan Africa II: Arts of the West African Coast (4 cr.) S & H, CSA
T120 (Theatre and Drama) Acting I: Fundamentals of Acting (3 cr.) A & H

Literature
C261 (Comparative Literature) Introduction to African Literature (3 cr.) A & H, CSA
C361 (Comparative Literature) African Literature and Other Arts (3 cr.) A & H, CSA
C464 (Comparative Literature) French Language Literature of Africa and the Americas (3 cr.) A & H, CSA

History, Culture, and Social Issues
A347 (History) American Urban History (3 cr.) S & H
E310 (Anthropology) Introduction to the Cultures of Africa (3 cr.) CSA
E331 (History) African History from Ancient Times to Empires and City States (3 cr.) S & H, CSA
E332 (History) African History from Colonial Rule to Independence (3 cr.) S & H, CSA
F301 (Folklore) African Folklore/Folklife/Folk Music (3 cr.) A & H, CSA
P425 (Criminal Justice) Women and the Criminal Justice System (3 cr.)
P457 (Psychology) Topics in Psychology (1-3 cr.) Topic: Women: A Cross-Cultural Psychological Perspective
P493 (Criminal Justice) Seminar in Criminal Justice (3 cr.) Topic: Minorities in Criminal Justice
R160 (Religious Studies) Religion and American Culture (3 cr.) A & H
R336 (Religious Studies) Religion in Modern America (3 cr.)
C238 (Communication and Culture) Communication in Black America (3 cr.) A & H, CSA
C427 (Communication and Culture) Cross-Cultural Communication (3 cr.)
Y338 (Political Science) African Politics (3 cr.) S & H, CSA

 


Indiana University
Office of Creative Services
Von Lee 319
517 East Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47408-4060

Last updated: 17 December 2024 23 19 07

Submit Questions or Comments
Copyright 2024 The Trustees of Indiana University