The African American and African Studies Program provides courses through which students learn about the history and culture of African Americans. The program is committed to providing students with a multi-disciplinary learning experience. Majors are required to take selected courses in other programs and departments that complement those offered within African American and African Studies. Majors and minors are also encouraged to take advantage of internship programs.
The Program. Students are encouraged to combine an examination of African American history and culture in the U.S.A. with African or diaspora studies. The emphasis in African American (U.S.A.) culture includes courses on the history, culture, arts, and literature of African Americans, the patterns of their socio-political and cultural movements, and the struggle with racism as a social and psychological problem. The emphasis in African Studies includes courses on the social organization, culture, and religion of West African societies. The diaspora emphasis includes courses on the African heritage in the Americas, Islam in Africa and the Americas, African religion in the diaspora and cinema studies. In addition, students may choose to do special research projects.
Career Alternatives. African American and African Studies majors are well prepared for employment opportunities in the Office of Education, human service units, county social service programs, and counseling services. African American and African Studies is also an appropriate background for work in community organizations like the Urban League, NAACP, Urban Affairs, and Office of Economic Opportunity. The major also provides a strong background for future study in graduate school.
| UNITS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preparatory Subject Matter | 36 | |
| African American and African Studies 10 | 4 | |
| Two courses from Anthropology 2; Economics 1A, 1B; Geography 2; Sociology 1; Political Science 1, 2; Psychology 1 | 8 | |
| Two courses from Chicana/o Studies 10; Native American Studies 1, 10; American Studies 45; Asian American Studies 1, 2 | 8 | |
| Two courses from History 17A, 17B, 17C | 8 | |
| Music 28 | 4 | |
| One course from Statistics 13, Sociology 46A, or Psychology 41 | 4 | |
| Depth Subject Matter | 36 | |
| A coordinated program of upper division courses, selected and approved in consultation with the major advisers to include:
African American and African Studies 101, 110, 133 |
12 | |
| Additional upper division units chosen to reflect the student's major emphasis | 24 | |
| Total Units for the Major | 72 | |
Major Program Emphases
The major program must be developed in consultation with an African American and African Studies faculty member, and approved by the Program's Major adviser. The following areas of emphasis are offered as guidelines for students in the African American and African Studies major. They are not the only areas students may choose for the major.
Culture of African American emphasis: African American and African Studies 107A, 107B, 153; Anthropology 140A, 140B; History 177A, 177B; Political Science 167.
African emphasis: African American and African Studies 110, 162, 171; Anthropology 140A, 140B; History 115A, 116; Political Science 134, 146.
Information regarding the areas of emphasis may be obtained from the African American and African Studies Office.
Major Adviser. P.A. Turner.
| UNITS | ||
|---|---|---|
| African American and African Studies | 24 | |
| Select one course from African American and African Studies 10, 15, or 80 | 4 | |
| Select five courses from African American and African Studies 100, 101, 107A, 110, 123, 133, 141, 145A, 145B, 151, 152, 153, 160, 162, 170 | 20 | |
American History and Institutions. This University requirement can be satisfied by completion of African American Studies 10, 100. (See also under University requirements.)
Related Upper Division Courses
The following courses are offered by faculty members in other disciplines and focus on African and African American people and their culture.
Anthropology 104, 139A, 139B, 140, 153; Art History 150; Community and Regional Development 151, 152, 153, 159A, 159B, 172; Dramatic Art 155; Education 150; English 179, 181; Geology 125A, 125B; History 102, 115A, 115B, 115C, 116, 177; Music 113B; Political Science 134, 138, 146, 151, 167, 176; Sociology 129, 130.
| Upper Division Courses |
*Course not offered this academic year.
General Education (GE) credit: ArtHum = Arts and Humanities; SciEng = Science and Engineering; SocSci = Social Sciences; Div = Social-Cultural Diversity; Wrt = Writing Experience. Select this link to information on the General Education requirement.
10. Introduction to Afro-American Culture and Society (4) I. Turner
Lecture--4 hours. Introduction to the contemporary Black American experience by critically examining historical, political and social and economic factors that have affected the development and status of Afro-American people.
12. Introduction to African Studies (4) II. Olupona
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. Introduction to African Studies which will focus on the various disciplinary perspectives through which African society and culture are generally studied. A survey of methods, resources and conceptual tools for the study of Africa. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
15. Introduction to African American Humanities (4) I. The Staff
Lecture--3 hours; discussion--1 hour. Introduction to the humanist tradition developed by writers, philosophers, and artists of African descent in the West. Attention given to African sources, as well as European, Caribbean, Latin-American, and North American variations on this tradition. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
50. Black Images in Popular Culture (4) III. Turner, Reid
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. A survey of the depictions of Blacks in popular culture (popular press, stage, radio, film, television, advertising) from the middle of the sixteenth century to the present. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
51. History of Afro-American Dance (4) III. Wynn-Bolden
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. Evolution of African American dance, tracing its history and development from West Africa through the Carribean and to the United States. Investigates the social relevance of African American dance and the artistic merits and contributions of African American choreographers and performers.
52. African Traditional Religion (4) II. Olupona
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. Introduction to the traditional religions of the sub-Saharan African peoples: emphasis on myths, rituals and symbols in West, East, Central and South African indigenous religions. Examines themes such as sacred kingship, divination system, women, prophecy, conversion and adaptation to Islam and Christianity. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
54. University Gospel Choir (2) I, II, III. Lymus, Stewart
Rehearsal--4 hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor; open to any student in the university. Rehearsal, study, and performance of Gospel music. May be repeated for credit. (Same course as Music 54.) (P/NP grading only.)
80. Introduction to Black Politics (4) III. Stanfield
Lecture--4 hours. Introduction to the analysis of Afro-American politics, using conceptual frameworks from political science and other social sciences. GE credit: SocSci, Div, Wrt.
99. Special Study for Undergraduates (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
100. Survey of Ethnicity in the U.S. (4) II. Turner
Lecture--4 hours. The history, culture, philosophy, and current problems of groups considered ethnic minorities in the United States as viewed by the groups themselves. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
101. Introduction to Research in the
Afro-American Community (4) III. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: course 10 or consent of instructor. Introductory survey of Afro-American Studies methods and techniques; problems and methodology in Afro-American Studies.
107A. African Descent Communities and Culture in the Caribbean and Latin America (4) I. Stewart
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Origin and development of African descent communities and culture in the Caribbean and Latin America: (a) the evidence for pre-Columbian arrivals; (b) the African slave trade and its aftermath; (c) the emergence of the African-creole cultures. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
107B. African Descent Communities and Culture in North America (4) I. Stewart
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Origin and development of African descent communities and culture in the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico from the African slave trade to contemporary urban society. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
107C. African Descent Communities and Culture in Europe and Asia (4) I. Stewart
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing. The study of early African kingdoms, their relationship with Europe and Asia, and the development of African descent communities and culture in Europe and Asia from the pre-Columbian to the post-colonial era. Offered in alternate years. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
110. West African Social Organization (4) II. Olupona
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: course 101 or consent of instructor. Ecology, population, social organization, and survival culture of West Africa in the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods. GE credit: SocSci, Div.
123. The Black Female Experience in Contemporary Society (4) III. Ray
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor. Black female social, intellectual, and psychological development. Black women's contributions in history, literature, and social science; life experiences of Black women and philosophical underpinnings of the feminist movement. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
130. Education in the African American Community (4) I. The Staff
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; fieldwork--3 hours. Prerequisite: course 10 or 100, and completion of the Subject A requirement. Examination of the history of the education of African Americans in the United States. Examination and critique of contemporary theories concerning the schooling of African Americans. (Former course 140.)
133. The Black Family in America (4) III. Ray
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor. Analysis of social science research to examine relationship between Black family structures, patterns of functioning, and political, economic, and social conditions. Examination of role differentiation within families by race and social class. GE credit: SocSci, Div.
141. Psychology of the African American Experience (3) III. Haggins
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour. Prerequisite: course 10 or consent of instructor. Introduction to the psychological issues faced by African Americans. Analysis of issues from European/Western and Afrocentric frame of reference. Emphasis on Optimal Theory, a psychological theory based on an Afrocentric world view.
145A. Black Social and Political Thought (4) III. Stanfield
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: course 10 or 80, or consent of instructor. Exploration and analysis of Black social and political thought in the Americas. GE credit: SocSci, Div.
145B. Black Intellectuals (4) III. Stanfield
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: course 10, 80, 145A, or consent of instructor. Exposition and critical analysis of selected theoretical writings of Black intellectuals, and especially political and social thinkers, in the Americas. GE credit: SocSci, Div.
*150A. The Afro-American Visual Arts Tradition: A Historical and Cultural Study (4) I. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Afro-American visual arts tradition, folk and formal, in historical and cultural context, from 1600 through Reconstruction. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
*150B. The Afro-American Visual Arts Tradition: A Historical and Cultural Study (4) II. The Staff
Lecture--4 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing. Afro-American visual arts tradition, folk and formal, in historical and cultural context, from Reconstruction to present. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
151. Afro-American Vernacular Music and Verbal Arts (4) III. Turner
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. Socio-political dimensions of Afro-American musical forms like spiritual, work song, minstrelsy blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, soul and contemporary pop, and related verbal arts like preaching, toasting, rapping.
152. Major Voices in Black World Literature (4) II. Stewart
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing, completion of course 15 or comparable course in literature or the humanities. The recurrence of cultural tropes in the works of major black world authors and formation of an African-oriented canon. Principal activities include critical reading and the discovery of literature as a cultural resource. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
153. African Religions in the Americas (4) I. Olupona
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--2 hours. Prerequisite: course 10 or 15. Comparative study of African religious heritage in the Americas: Jamaica, Trinidad, Cuba, U.S.A., Haiti and Brazil. Emphasis on the origins and development of Candomble, Santeria, Shango, Vodun and Rastafarianism in the New World. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
154. University Gospel Choir (2) I, II, III. Lymus, Stewart
Rehearsal--4 hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor; open to any student in the university. Rehearsal, study, and performance of Gospel music. May be repeated for credit. (Same course as Music 154.) (P/NP grading only.)
155A. African American Dance and Culture in the United States, Brazil and the Caribbean (4) II. Bolden
Lecture/discussion--4 hours. A comparative study of the African American dance forms in the U.S.A., Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad. Examination of ritual, folk, and popular dance forms and the socio/historical factors that have influenced these forms. (Same course as Dramatic Art 155A.)
160. African American Folklore (4) III. Turner
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; fieldwork--3 hours. Prerequisite: course 10. Theory and history of African American folklore and folklife, including music, material culture, oral narrative, proverbs, and humor. African and Caribbean cultural influences on New World folk genres will be probed. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
162. Islam in Africa and the Americas (4) III. Olupona
Lecture--3 hours; discussion--1 hour. Prerequisite: course in African American or Religious Studies, preferably course 12 or 110 or Religious Studies 60. A comparative and historical survey of Islam in the regional and cultural settings of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
170. African American Film and Video (4) II. The Staff
Lecture/discussion--2 hours; term paper; film viewing--2 hours. Prerequisite: one of courses 15, 50, or English 160, or 162. A comparative approach in the study of fictional film and video produced and directed by African Americans, drawing on the social sciences and black feminist theory to examine and discuss selected works. GE credit: ArtHum, Div, Wrt.
171. Black African and Black European Film and Video (4) III. The Staff
Lecture/discussion--2 hours; term paper; film viewing--2 hours. Prerequisite: one of courses 15, 50, or English 160 or 162. A comparative approach in the study of dramatic films and videos that treat black life in Africa and Europe. Critical attention will focus on the imaginative construction of ethnicity, race, nationality, gender, and sexuality in each particular work. GE credit: ArtHum, Div.
190. Topics in African and African-Diaspora Studies (4) III. The Staff
Lecture/discussion--3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: upper division standing in African American and African Studies or consent of instructor. Intensive treatment of a special topic or problem in African or African Diaspora Studies. May be repeated once for credit when topic differs.
192. Internship in African American and African Studies (1-8) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Internship--3-24 hours. Prerequisite: upper division standing, completion of 12 units of upper division study in African American and African Studies courses and consent of instructor. Enrollment limited to African American and African Studies majors and minors. Supervised internship in community, government, or private institutions, in all subject areas offered by the African American and African Studies Program. May be repeated for credit for a total of 12 units. (P/NP grading only.)
197T. Tutoring in Afro-American Studies (1-5)
I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Tutoring--1-5 hours. Prerequisite: consent of major committee; upper division standing with major in Afro-American Studies. Leading of small voluntary discussion groups affiliated with one of the department's regular courses. May be repeated for credit for a total of 6 units. (P/NP grading only.)
198. Directed Group Study (1-5) I, II, III.
The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
199. Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
UC Davis 1997-98 Online General Catalog. Posted August 1, 1997.
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Keitha Hunter and Barbara Anderson, Editors
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