African, African American, Diaspora Studies
Coordinator: Jonathan David Walsh
As a field of inquiry, African, African American, diaspora studies examines the experiences of people of African descent in the United States, Africa and the Caribbean, as well as in Latin America, Europe and Asia. The program allows students and faculty to explore the range of interrelated cultures, histories, art and intellectual contributions of Africans and people of African descent throughout the diaspora. The faculty also views participation in co-curricular activities (student and faculty colloquia, guest lectures, campus projects) as vital to the development of students as responsible citizens of the college community and the world. The interdisciplinary program in African, African American, diaspora studies is an essential component of the college's mission to enable students to understand and participate in shaping the multicultural, interdependent world of which they are a part. It encourages students to complement classroom learning with study, research and internship opportunities abroad and in the United States.
Major
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The major in African, African American, diaspora studies consists of 10 courses. At least one course from each of the five areas listed below must be taken, along with two courses that focus on the continent of Africa and are marked with an asterisk. Afds 103, or Introduction to African, African American, diaspora studies, serves as the introductory course to the major and is a required course for the major that is offered in the fall semester. Three 300 level courses must be taken, one of which can be a capstone course or project. The final requirement is to complete a capstone project. Capstone projects may involve study abroad and/or independent study work. Please speak with the coordinator to discuss possible capstone projects.
Area A: Art History and Music
Arth 212 African Visual Cultures
Arth 263 African American Art
Arth 312 Contemporary African Arts
*Musc 212 World Music: Africa and the Americas
Musc 272 African American Originals I: Spirituals, Blues and All That Jazz
Musc 273 African American Originals II: Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Contemporary Jazz
Area B: Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology
*Anth 225 Peoples and Cultures of Africa
*Anth 255 Women in Africa
Psy 251 Multicultural Psychology
Soc 230 Race and Ethnicity
Wmst 315 Black Feminist Theory
Area C: Economics and Political Science
Econ 222 Economics of Race and Racism
Econ 252 Urban Economics
Econ 305 International Finance
Econ 306 International Trade
Pols 201 Contemporary Urban Politics
*Pols 203 African Politics
Pols 271 African American Politics
Pols 327 Black Political Thought
Area D: Literature, Film and Language
Clas 130 Egypt in the Greco-Roman World
Eng 209 African American Literature and Culture
Eng 235 Empire, Race and the Victorians
Eng 244 Contemporary Caribbean Literature in English
*Eng 245 African Literature
Eng 257 Race and Racism in U.S. Cinema
Eng 347 Contemporary African American Fiction
Fr 235 Introduction to Modern French Literature
Fr 331 Other Voices, Other Stories: Great Works by Women from France and the Francophone World
Area E: History
*Hist 143 Africans on Africa: A Survey
Hist 201 American Colonial History
Hist 209 African American History to 1877
Hist 210 African American History: 1877 to the Present
Hist 213 The History of the Civil Rights Movement
Hist 337 Power and Protest in the United States
Hist 339 Slavery in the Americas
*Courses that focus on the continent of Africa.
Minor
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The minor in African, African American, diaspora studies consists of five courses. Afds 103 (Introduction to African, African American, diaspora studies) is required along with one course that focuses on the continent of Africa. The remaining three courses may be taken from any of the five areas listed in the major requirements.
Courses
103. Introduction to African, African American, Diaspora Studies
An introduction to the study of Africa and its diaspora primarily in the Americas, but also Europe. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to a range of historical, literary, artistic, economic, and political questions crucial to the understanding of the experiences of people of African descent.
(Sara Mandel)