Course Catalog 2008-2009
Director: Associate Professor Toni King, Joint Appointment with Women's Studies
Associate Professor John L. Jackson (Black Studies and Religion)
Lauren Araiza (History), Suzanne Condray (Communication), Susan Diduk (Sociology/Anthropology), Joanna Grabski (Art), John Jackson (Black Studies), Toni King (Black Studies and Women's Studies), Linda Krumholz (English), Jeffrey Kurtz (Communication), Veerendra Lele (Sociology/Anthropology), Anita Mannur (English), Frank Proctor (History), Erika Molloseau Pryor (Communication), Donald Schilling (History), Mitchell Snay (History), Anita Waters (Sociology/Anthropology), Raymond Wise (Music); Academic Secretary Donna Ellis
The Black Studies Program invites students to investigate the Black experience as it manifests itself in Africa, North America, the Caribbean, and in other parts of the African diaspora. While the Program's primary focus is the study of the Black experience in North America, fundamental to this enterprise is a recognition of the triangular relationship between Africa, the Caribbean and the United States.
The Program seeks to serve the general needs of the college by providing course offerings across the full range of academic divisions. At the same time, it is designed to meet the specialized interests of students through an interdisciplinary major and minor. Therefore, many appropriate courses are found under the rubric of other departments.
The Black Studies curriculum is administered by a faculty committee and the director of the Center for Black Studies. This committee reviews and approves the educational plans developed by majors in consultation with the director of the Center for Black Studies. Students wishing to major or minor in Black Studies should contact the director of the program.
A Black Studies major requires a minimum of 32 credit hours and the completion of a senior research project. The senior research project should be designed in consultation with the director of Black Studies. Field research or field experience may comprise a portion of the senior research project. A wide range of field opportunities in local Black communities is available to students through the Center for Black Studies.
There are three core courses in Black Studies, required of a major in the area:
- Black Studies 235, Introduction to Black Studies;
- English 255, Ethnic Literature; and
- History 225, The History of Blacks in America.
In addition to the core courses and the senior research project, the Black Studies major requires the completion of at least one course in Women's Studies. While any Women's Studies course may be used to fulfill this requirement, students ideally should choose a course that includes a discussion of topics about Black women. Appropriate courses may be selected in consultation with the director of Black Studies.
Other requirements include the completion of one course whose primary subject matter is Africa or the Caribbean and Latin America. This requirement is designed to encourage students to confront, in a substantial manner, the triangular relationship between the Black experience in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, and North America.
The minor in Black Studies requires a minimum of 24 credit hours. Students wishing to be awarded a minor in Black Studies must complete the three core courses (Black Studies 235, English 255, and History 225). Students also are required to complete at least one Women's Studies course. Courses which satisfy this requirement may be selected in consultation with the director of Black Studies.
Additionally, students are required to complete one Black Studies course whose primary subject matter is Africa or the Caribbean and Latin America, plus a senior research project in the form of a directed study which seeks to correlate Black Studies with some aspect of the student's major field. Although it is not required, students are encouraged to include a field experience component in the directed study. The directed study should be taken in the senior year.
Black Women's Lives: Autobiography As Protest (BLST-102). This course explores autobiographies and personal narratives of Black women as a form of individual and collective liberation and protest. Because black women embody a dual outsider status in the society, narratives offer an opportunity to examine black women's resistance to race, class, and gender oppression. We will work with the multiple genres of autobiography such as poetry, essay, short narrative, memoir and major autobiographical works. These autobiographical texts will be paired with select readings from black studies and women's studies to provide Afrocentric, womanist and black feminist frameworks. Using these analytical tools we will examine Black women's narratives for themes of personal, social and political liberation. As a final project, students will write their own narrative of resistance and critique the ways their texts intersect strategies of resistance employed by Black women. 4
Gospel Choir (Ensemble) (BLST-133). 1
African Art and Visual Culture (BLST-154). This course examines the diverse arts and visual culture of Africa. The scope of this course ranges from pre-colonial to contemporary times, considering a selection of objects, concepts and practices from across the continent. The course is designed to provide you with an introduction to these art forms and the various socio-cultural, historical, critical and aesthetic platforms from which they operate. In addition, we will explore some of the key theoretical issues in the portrayal and interpretation of art and visual culture from this world area. 4
Gender, Imperialisms, and Colonialisms in African History (BLST-165). Beginning with "classic" theoretical readings on Gender and Imperialism, this seminar will provide a forum to "explore" the gendered nature of imperialism and colonialism with a particular focus on key imperial nations of the 19th century, namely Britain, France, Belgium, and Portugal. Often projected as a male endeavor, the success (and failure) of European imperial projects in Africa had as much to do with women as ithad to do with men. The readings and our own research into the subject matter will help us "discover" this historical reality. We will read a wide variety of primary and secondary source material , including travelogues, novels, films, photographs, newspapers, and histories of imperialism and colonialism. Each student will pick a research topic of her or his choice; this will afford each one a wonderful opportunity to hone research, writing, and presentation skills. 4
The History of Africa to 1880 (BLST-171). This survey course will introduce students to the history of Africa from the earliest times to 1880 - also known as pre-colonial African history. Though the focus is on Africa south of the Sahara, North Africa will feature from time to time. Topics include the earliest human settlements in Africa, empires and kingdoms in East, West, and Southern Africa, Islam and Christianity in Africa, slavery, and the partitioning of the continent by powers in the mid 1800s. (Not offered 2008-2009) 4
The History of Africa Since 1880 (BLST-172). This course examines myths about Africa, the history of colonialism on the continent in the 19th and 20th centuries, the rise of primary resistances to colonialism in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and how this fed the secondary and tertiary resistance movements from the 1930s through to the 1990s when the apartheid regime collapsed in South Africa. Through close readings of the historiography, students will grapple with the history of colonialism and the postcolonial era in Sub Saharan Africa. (Not offered 2008-2009) 4
Elementary Topics in Black Studies (BLST-199). A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit. 1-4
Race and Ethnicity (BLST-212). An introduction to the sociocultural analysis of race and ethnic group membership and identity, in its various historical and geographical contexts, including that of the contemporary United States. The range of topics implicated in issues of race and ethnicity include: the reasons that group membership has remained an important factor in social life and the conditions under which such membership forms the basis of social and political mobilization; anthropological and sociological research on and arguments about `race' and human biodiversity; issues such as affirmative action, immigration policy and multiculturalism and concepts such as assimilation, neo-colonialism, and split labor market are critically evaluated with attention to their ideological bases, explanatory power and policy implications; and comparative global formations of race and ethnicity in various parts of the world. This course has no prerequisite. This course can satisfy the Social Sciences requirement or the Interdisciplinary/World Issues requirement. 4
World Music (BLST-219). This course includes in-depth studies of several representative genres of music from around the world, including their social or political contexts. Traditional and popular musics of the world can play important roles in religion, identity formation (gender, race, sexuality), tradition, education, agriculture, history preservation, political resistance and domination, protest, symbolism and entertainment. Students will learn to identify, classify, and describe musical examples from several cultures by discerning musical styles, instrumental or vocal timbre, form and texture. 4
African-American History (BLST-225). This course will examine the history of African-Americans in the United States from 1619 to the present with an emphasis on the processes by which African-Americans adjusted to and resisted their conditions. Topics will include African heritage, slavery, Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow, wartime experiences, the shift to urban life, the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, the rise of Hip Hop, and contemporary issues . (Fall Semester) 4
Rebellion, Resistance and Black Religion (BLST-228). This course examines the cultural continuities between African traditional religions and Black religion in the United States. It also explores the connection between politics and religion among Black Americans and the role religion plays in the African-American quest for liberation. The course examines theological and ethical issues, such as the color of God and the moral justifiability of violent revolution. Students will be given an opportunity to study contemporary religious movements, such as Rastafarianism and the Nation of Islam, along with more traditional African sectarian practices such as vodoo and Santeria. (Only offered Spring 2009) 4
Mediating Gender and Sexuality (BLST-229). In this class we will examine and evaluate the cultural construction and representation of gender and sexuality in contemporary American mass media, and trace their development throughout the 20th century. We will focus on a variety of mass-produced commercial media texts, surveying television, magazines, advertising, and popular music. Although gender is the primary identity construction examined in this course, we will also pay close attention to other aspects of identity that define American women, such as ethnicity, class, and sexuality. We will investigate representational issues in relation to their political repercussions, and draw from a broad range of academic literature, including feminist television criticism, film theory, cultural studies, communication theory, and popular music criticism. 4
History of Gospel Music (BLST-234). This course will explore the historical development of African-American gospel music in the 20th Century. The course will begin an examination of the pre-gospel era (pre-1900s-ca. 1920), move on to gospel music's beginnings (ca. 1920s), and continue unto the present. The course will explore the musical, sociological, political, and religious influences that contributed to the development of the various gospel music eras and styles. Through class lectures, demonstrations, music listening, reading and writing assignments, students will learn about the significant musical and non-musical contributions of African American gospel artists and the historical development of African American gospel music. Students will also strive to gain an understanding of the African American musical aesthetic and to determine how it is retained and expressed with African American gospel music and other musical genres. The class is open to students, staff, and faculty of all levels. 4
Introduction to Black Studies (BLST-235). An introductory study of the Black experience in America, this course will survey the field by examining in series, the various social institutions that comprise Black American life. Students will be introduced to fundamental contemporary issues in the study of Black religion, politics, economics and the family. Additionally, this course will serve as an introduction to Afrocentricity, "the emerging paradigm in Black Studies," and to the new scholarship on Blacks in America. 4
Global Heath and Local Wellbeing (BLST-237). The course examines the sociocultural bases of both Western and non-Western medical and psychiatric systems. It focuses especially on different cultural assumptions about the nature and causes of illness and the institutional arrangements for the care of patients. The course will consider a variety of social scientific theoretical perspectives on the relationship between illness, medicine, and society. It will assess the degree to which non-Western medical systems may be compatible with and/or of benefit to Western medicine and psychiatry. This course has no prerequisite. This course satisfies the Social Sciences requirement. (Not offered 2008-2009) 4
Racialized Perspectives of Media (BLST-239). This course critically examines the forms that racial and ethnic representations have taken in American media. The course will attempt to chart changes in public perception of racial and ethnic difference in the context of cultural and social transformations, as well as adjustments in the U.S. media industry. We will first establish a foundational knowledge of media criticism and explore theories and perspectives on how ethnicity is experienced in American culture. We will then focus on the topic of the representation of ethnicity in American media, surveying it historically, in relation to specific ethnic groups, at particular moments, and in a variety of genres. 4
Special Intermediate Topics in Black Studies (BLST-246). This course provides a venue in which to explore chosen topics in Black Studies at the intermediate level. Topics vary according to the interests of students and faculty. In some cases, the course may be repeated for credit. This course may be cross-listed based on the topic and disciplines that inform it. 4
Ethnic Literature (BLST-255). A study of the literature of various ethnic, racial and regional groups of the United States. This course explores cultural heritages, historical struggles, artistic achievements and contemporary relations of groups in American society. 4
Oral Tradition and Folk Imagination (BLST-259). An inquiry into the methodology of folklore study and an examination of the folk idiom in the American experience. 4
Black Women and Organizational Leadership (BLST-265). This class explores Black women's leadership orientations in organizations. Afrocentric and womanist frameworks are used to inquire about Black women's leadership in the context of their lives. In this course we explore and theorize Black women's use of communal and generative leadership orientations as well as their application of a multiple and oppositional consciousness. Organizational dilemmas stemming from their race, class, and gender, as well as the unique challenges Black women leaders face in creating a supportive life structure are examined. Students will critique the omission of Black women's leadership styles in the mainstream theories about leadership, as well as explore the implications of Black women's leadership for expanding mainstream theory. 4
Representing Africa on Film (BLST-295). An examination of ethnographic/documentary film dealing with Africa as well as contemporary cinema produced by African filmmakers. This class accords particular attention to the perspectives of African filmmakers as agents in the representation of cultures, social realities and histories in Africa. 4
Power and Politics in African Art (BLST-297). This course examines the diverse arts of Africa from the perspectives of politics and power. The scope of this course ranges from precolonial to postcolonial times, considering a selection of Africa's great historical kingdoms and politically informed art in Africa today. 4
Arts of Post-Colonial Africa (BLST-298). This course examines selected issues and debates related to the production, interpretation and collection of visual arts in post-colonial Africa. By way of a series of case studies, we will consider both the individual voices of artists and perspectives from art world information brokers. 4
Contemporary African Peoples in Historical Perspective (BLST-320). This course is an examination of the historical, ethnic and socio-cultural diversity of sub-Saharan Africa societies. Central to this overview is an emphasis on the pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial eras. It considers questions of economic development, urbanization, agricultural production and the relationship of the contemporary African state to rural communities. This course also explores symbolic systems in the context of rituals, witchcraft, indigenous churches, and new forms of Christianity currently spreading in Africa. Prerequisite: S/A 100 or by consent. 4
African-American Women's Literature (BLST-325). Historical and contemporary African-American women's literature grounds an inquiry into black women's literary and intellectual traditions within the matrix of race, gender, class, and sexual relations in the United States. 4
History of Southern Africa (BLST-326). In the early 21st century, the people of Southern Africa are searching for solutions to past and present conflicts in order to create a more hopeful future, but the burden of a history marked by domination, exploitation, and conflict, weighs heavily on the present. Can South Africa move beyond apartheid? Can peace and stability replace civil war in Angola and Mozambique? Can the countries of the region work together to achieve a higher level of material well-being for the people? This course will pursue these questions through an historical analysis of the development of South Africa and its neighbors and their interaction, especially in the last two centuries. (Not offered 2008-2009) 4
Composition Theory and Pedagogy (BLST-335). An introduction to theory and practice in composition and an opportunity to apply theories in Denison's Writing Center or nearby classrooms. Students may concentrate on applying theory to any context, tailoring the practicum to their areas of interest. 4
Cross-Cultural Study of Art (BLST-336). The course focuses on expressive culture in a variety of socio-cultural settings across the globe. We examine sociological and anthropological theories used to study the relationship between art and society. In particular, the course examines the complex relationships between non-Western art and European art contexts. The role that the producer, dealer, consumer and the global market play in these relationships will receive special attention. The appropriation and assimilation of art across national and cultural boundaries raise fascinating questions concerning "authenticity," "value," and meaning. The course also examines the role of museums and art exhibitions in representing the art of non-Western societies and diasporic communities. Prerequisite: S/A 100 or by consent. 4
Culture, Identity and Politics in Caribbean Society (BLST-339). This course focuses on the social, cultural and political life of the Caribbean area, especially the English- and French-speaking areas. A fragmented group of nations decidedly on the periphery of the global economy, the Caribbean was once one of the richest areas of the world. Its riches then depended on the labor of enslaved Africans; the fruits of the plantation economy were enjoyed mainly by European planters. What is the legacy of such a history? We review the variety of Caribbean policies, from the strong democratic traditions of Jamaica to the autocratic rulers of Haiti, and explore how the Caribbean's unique combination of cultural influences affect the political processes, ways of life, class divisions and ethnic stratification evident in the Caribbean today. Prerequisite: 100 or consent. 4
Social Movements (BLST-340). In this course we explore social movements as a primary means of social change. We attempt to understand the conditions which precede, accompany and follow collective action. Particular case studies for analysis will be drawn from the United States and cross-cultural contexts to illustrate that social movements are human products that have both intended and unintended consequences. This course is sometimes taught with a special subtitle: "Social Justice Movements in Communities of Color," cross-listed with the Black Studies Program. Prerequisite: 100 or consent. 4
Topics in Black Studies (BLST-345). 4
Special Problems (BLST-346). Special problems which are offered at an advanced level in topics not covered in regular courses. Examples of topics covered are Culture, Identity and Politics in Caribbean Society, and Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Course normally listed as SA 346. 4
The Harlem Renaissance (BLST-355). An analysis of the interrelationship between the cultural phenomenon and the literature of the Harlem Renaissance, particularly the way in which the social, economic and political conditions of the era helped to shape the literary art of the 1920s. 4
The Narrative of Black America (BLST-356). A study of representative samples of Black literature ranging from slave narratives to contemporary Black fiction. 4
Postcolonial Literature and Criticism (BLST-357). Readings in literature and criticism from Asia, Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean, in response to the experience of colonialism. 4
Directed Study (BLST-361). 1-4
Directed Study (BLST-362). 1-4
Independent Study (BLST-363). 1-4
Independent Study (BLST-364). 1-4
Studies in 16th- and Early 17th- Century British Literature (BLST-365). A study of selected works of poetry, prose and drama from 1500-1660. 4
Studies in Early American Literature (BLST-369). Selected topics in the writings of colonial and early national America. 4
Adv Topics Black Studies (BLST-370). 4