Courses & Programs of Study

African and African-American Studies

Program of Study

The B.A. program in African and African-American Studies provides a context in which College students might examine African and African-American cultures and communities from a rigorous, interdisciplinary perspective. Its intellectual justification lies in the direction taken by African and African-American studies over the past few years, which has been characterized by a growing insistence on the integrity and coherence of links (historical, sociocultural, and experiential) between Africa and its diasporas.

Students in other fields of study may also complete a minor in African and African-American Studies. Information follows the description of the major.

Program Requirements

It is expected that the general education requirements in the social sciences have been met before a student enters the program. A student who has not done so should meet them during the first year of the program.

The major requires a B.A. thesis and ten courses distributed according to the following guidelines:

Five basic courses dealing with African and African-American materials. These must include: (1) African Civilization (SOSC 22500-22600) or African Civilization in Africa (SOSC 26600-26700), and (2) a combination of three courses in African or African-American subjects approved by the Program Coordinating Committee. Because the African civilization sequence is used to meet a requirement in the major, students should take another civilization sequence to meet their general education requirement.

Three courses in the social sciences and/or the humanities relevant to African and African-American studies. The courses require approval by the Program Coordinating Committee and should contribute to the overall coherence and integrity of a student's program of study. Courses in a language such as Arabic, French, Portuguese, or Swahili may be used to meet this requirement. Students may also learn an African language such as Zulu under the auspices of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, through which the necessary arrangements can be made. The College's language competency requirement must still be met.

Two reading courses, taken during the student's final year, to prepare a B.A. thesis. Students are required to write the B.A. thesis under the supervision of a faculty member approved by the Program Coordinating Committee. The committee must approve the proposed paper topic by the end of Autumn Quarter of the student's year of graduation.

This program may accept a B.A. paper or project used to satisfy the same requirement in another major if certain conditions are met and with the consent of the other program chair. Approval from both program chairs is required. Students should consult with the chairs by the earliest B.A. proposal deadline (or by the end of third year, when neither program publishes a deadline). A consent form, to be signed by both chairs, is available from the College adviser. It must be completed and returned to the College adviser by the end of Autumn Quarter of the student's year of graduation.

Each student in the program has an adviser who is a member of the program faculty, listed below, or a lecturer appointed for his or her special knowledge of African or African-American subjects.

Summary of Requirements

2 ANTH 20701-20702 (African Civilization) or

SOSC 26600-26700 (African Civilization

in Africa)

3 approved African or African-American courses

3 relevant courses in the social sciences and/or humanities

1 reading course (AFAM 29700)

1 B.A. thesis (AFAM 29900)

Grading. All courses must be taken for a quality grade.

Honors. The B.A. with honors is awarded to all students who meet the following requirements: a GPA of at least 3.0 overall and 3.25 in the major, and a grade of A- or above on the thesis.

Minor Program in

African and African-American Studies

The minor in African and African-American Studies consists of five to seven courses, depending on whether two quarters of African Civilization are used to meet the general education requirement in civilization studies or to meet the minor program. If used in general education, the minor will consist of five courses related to African and African-American Studies from the list below (excluding AFAM 29900). If African Civilization has not been taken to meet the general education requirement, two quarters must be included in the minor for a total of seven courses.

Students choose courses in consultation with the program adviser. Credit toward the minor for courses taken in the ACM Tanzania program or at any other institution must be discussed with the program adviser in advance of registration.

Students must receive the program adviser's approval of the minor program on a form obtained from their College adviser. This form must then be returned to their College adviser by the end of Spring Quarter of their third year.

Courses in the minor program may not be (1) double counted with the student's major(s) or with other minors or (2) counted toward general education requirements. Courses in the minor must be taken for quality grades, and more than half of the requirements for the minor must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers. Courses taken to complete a minor are counted toward electives.

Faculty

R. Austen, L. Berlant, C. Cohen, J. Cole, J. Comaroff, J. L. Comaroff, K. Fikes, J. Goldsby,
J. A. Goldsmith, G. Gragg, M. Harris-Lacewell, T. Holt, D. Hutchinson, L. Kruger,
D. N. Levine, O. McRoberts, S. Mufwene, D. G. Norton, S. Palmie, J. Saville, J. Stewart,
M.-R. Trouillot, R. von Hallberg, K. Warren

Courses

The following courses meet the requirements for a major or minor in African and African-American Studies. Specific configurations of these courses, as well as the possible substitution of others, must be approved by the program adviser. For additional course offerings, consult the quarterly Time Schedules, or see the Program Coordinating Committee or program adviser.

An asterisk (*) denotes general courses with more than half the content directly devoted to African and/or African-American materials.

For additional courses with substantial content related to race and ethnicity, please see the listing of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at http://csrpc.uchicago.edu/resources_courses.shtml.

African and African-American Studies

AFAM 20102. The Mande World of West Africa: An Intensive Study of a Culture through History, Literature, and Ethnography. (=ANTH 21220/30604, ISHU 20600/30600) R. Austen. Not offered 2005-06; will be offered 2006-07.

AFAM 21900. Cinema in Africa. PQ: At least one college-level course in either African studies or film studies. L. Kruger. Spring.

AFAM 23100. Jazz. (=MUSI 23100-33100) PQ: Any 10000-level music course or ability to read music. T. Jackson. Spring.

AFAM 24500. Dialect Voices in Literature. (=ENGL 14600/34600, LING 24500/34500) S. Mufwene. Winter.

AFAM 25103. When and Where They Entered: Black Women Writers of the 1940s and 1950s. (=ENGL 25103, GNDR 24702) J. Goldsby. Autumn.

AFAM 25800. The American Novel and the Death of Jim Crow. (=ENGL 25800) K. Warren. Winter.

AFAM 27901. (Re)Defining African-American Cinema. (=CMST 21000/31000, COVA 27901, ENGL 27901) J. Stewart. Autumn.

AFAM 29700. Readings in African and African-American Studies. PQ: Consent of instructor and program adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

AFAM 29900. B.A. Thesis Preparation. PQ: AFAM 29700. Consent of instructor and program adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Must be taken for a quality grade. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Anthropology

ANTH 20701-20702. African Civilization. (=HIST 10101-10102, HUDV 21401, SOSC 22500-22600) R. Austen, J. Cole. Autumn, Winter.

ANTH 21201. Intensive Study of a Culture: Chicago Blues. M. Dietler. Winter.

ANTH 21217. Intensive Study of a Culture: The Luo of Kenya. M. Dietler. Not offered 2005-06; will be offered 2006-07.

ANTH 21246. Intensive Study of a Culture: Haiti. G. Beckett. Spring.

ANTH 21305/45300. Modern Readings in Anthropology: Explorations in Oral Narrative (The Folk Tale). J. Fernandez. Spring.

Economics

ECON 22100/32100. Colonization, Servitude, and Slavery: The Early American Experience. PQ: ECON 20000. D. Galenson. Winter.

ECON 25600. Problems of Economic Policy in Developing Countries. (=PBPL 28600, PPHA 37500) PQ: ECON 20100 and 20200, or consent of instructor. L. Sjaastad. Spring.

ECON 27000. Introduction to International Economics. (=PBPL 27000) PQ: ECON 20100 and 20200, or consent of instructor. L. Sjaastad. Autumn.

English

ENGL 14600/34600. Dialect Voices in Literature. (=AFAM 24500, LING 24500/34500) S. Mufwene. Autumn.

ENGL 25103. When and Where They Entered: Black Women Writers of the 1940s and 1950s. (=AFAM 25103, GNDR 24702) J. Goldsby. Autumn.

ENGL 25800. The American Novel and the Death of Jim Crow. K. Warren. Winter.

ENGL 27600. Cinema in Africa. (=AFAM 21900) L. Kruger. Spring.

ENGL 27901. Re(Defining) African-American Cinema. J. Stewart. Autumn.

History

HIST 20200/30200. Modern Africa. (=AFAM 20200) R. Austen. Winter.

HIST 27200/37200. African-American History I: 1600 to 1877. (=LLSO 26901) J. Saville. Winter.

HIST 27300/37300. African-American History II: Since 1877. (=LLSO 26902) J. Saville. Spring.

HIST 27400/37400. Race and Racism in American History. T. Holt. Winter.

HIST 27403/37403. African-American Lives and Times. T. Holt. Winter.

HIST 29001. Slavery and the Atlantic World to 1848. (=LLSO 26811) J. Saville. Winter.

Law, Letters, and Society

LLSO 24300. American Law and the Rhetoric of Race. (=LAWS 59800, PLSC 22300) D. Hutchinson. Spring.

Music

MUSI 23100/33100. Jazz. (=AFAM 23100) PQ: Any 10000-level music course or the ability to read music. T. Jackson. Spring.