2023-2024 Course Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of African American Studies. Consideration of key dimensions of African American experiences, including institutional contexts for African American cultural expression and responses to oppression. History of the field, exploration of subfields, and consideration of research methods. Emphasis on the interplay of African American Studies scholarship and activism.
Introduction to the interdisciplinary study of Africa and Africas place in the world. Consideration of history, politics, economics, arts, and culture of African societies. Exploration of representations and treatments of Africa in global context. Discussion of scholar-activism in the study of Africa.
Contributions of U.S. Black theatre artists; intersectional identities; performances spaces and society; critical race theory; dramatic storytelling; cultural behaviors; racial discrimination.
Overview of some of the language varieties used by African Americans, including African American English, Black American Sign Language, Gullah, Louisiana Creole, and Afro-Latino varieties of Spanish and English. Focus on historical, contemporary, sociopolitical and linguistic factors impacting language practices at the individual and community level. Examination of African American language styles used in expressive forms of art and politics, but also how language ideologies shape responses to African American language in educational, political, and judicial settings. Uses lens of African American Language to explore key linguistic concepts like phonology, morphosyntax, prosody, language acquisition, language contact, and language change.
The role of religious (or belief) systems in African society, especially the three predominantly religious traditions in Africa: the so-called African traditional religions, Islam, & Christianity; the universe of religious systems and religious experiences and processes of Africa, in particular Sub-Saharan Africa; critical examination of the mythic stature of Africas religions within Western cultural (and scholarly) world views and institutions.
Influence of race and gender on religion and culture. Overview of approaches to categories of diversity, particularly race and gender, in religious and cultural traditions. Utilization of humanistic and social scientific approaches to investigate geographically variable historical and/or contemporary case studies.
Focuses on how race, class, gender, and sexualities form interlocking systems of privilege and oppression at individual and institutional levels. Emphasizes race, class, gender, and sexualities as changing social constructions and interactive systems that shape social institutions and organizations, meanings, and identities.
2275: African continent through Civil War. Examines trajectory of slavery as well as its global impacts and legacy, the development of racial thought, slave resistance and rebellions, the fight for Emancipation, and African American contributions to culture, economics and society of United States. 2276: Reconstruction through present. Examines impact and legacy of Reconstruction, the fight against Jim Crow segregation, and the social, cultural, political and economic contributions of African Americans in the nineteenth and twentieth century United States. Exploration of the global implications of race relations in the United States.
2275: African continent through Civil War. Examines trajectory of slavery as well as its global impacts and legacy, the development of racial thought, slave resistance and rebellions, the fight for Emancipation, and African American contributions to culture, economics and society of United States. 2276: Reconstruction through present. Examines impact and legacy of Reconstruction, the fight against Jim Crow segregation, and the social, cultural, political and economic contributions of African Americans in the nineteenth and twentieth century United States. Exploration of the global implications of race relations in the United States.
Examines the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. Both non-violent and violent resistance will be examined, as well as strategies used in organizing mass boycotts, sit-ins, and marches. Special attention will be paid to how the movement shaped civil rights legislation on the federal level. The course also examines how the Movement influenced student protest on college campuses.
Examines theories of race and racism specifically as they relate to African Americans. We will explain conservative, neo-conservative, liberal, and progressive ideologies concerning race in past and recent United States contexts and how such theories emerged and continue to emerge in recent times. Though the majority of the course focuses on race and racism within the U.S., comparative analyses will be made with Brazil and South Africa.
An introduction to the principal themes, genres, and historical contexts of African-American literature. Formal elements of both the vernacular and written traditions. Impact of historical and social contexts. Ethical questions raised in the literature.
The emerging womanist perspective of interstructured oppression, (i.e., the simultaneous effects of racism, sexism, and classism) as relevant to the contributions of Black women in the U.S.; views of Black women from African backgrounds, the Atlantic slave trade, and the progressive rise of womanist/feminist liberation movements in Black culture; contributions of Black women in the U.S. and globally.
Sports as a paradigm of the African-American experience. The forms of racism and the periodic significant social advances of the African-American community in the U.S. will be examined from the vantage point of African-American sports. Attention will also be paid to the continuing impact of sports on African-American culture. Sports heroes, successful teams and annual sporting events will be noted and analyzed.
A definition of those qualities of black American arts which distinguish it from traditional U.S. arts through an analysis of theme, form, and technique as they appear in a representative sample of works by black creative artists.
Explores race and representations of African American images in film, from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Focuses on the social, political, economic, and historical milieu in which black film emerged and evolved. Examines gender issues in filmmaking. Reviews different genres, including race films, colorblind representations, and black exploitation films, and the appropriation of black representation and black images in film in the United States and elsewhere. Includes methods of film analysis, such as historical, master narrative structure, and archival research.
This course will utilize the three major paradigmatic assumptions in Black Studies (centeredness, critical analysis, and empowerment) to examine historical and contemporary African American leadership concepts and styles and their impact on social change.
Examines the history of western development and humanitarian projects in Africa, considering western and African perspectives in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Discussion of slavery and abolition, the civilizing mission, modernization and development theory, the impact of humanitarian projects, and international volunteerism. Provides a foundation for students interested in international service learning or careers with NGOs or international aid agencies. No prior knowledge of African history required.
A variable topics course examining the lives and circumstances of people of African descent. Students may repeat the course with a different topic for up to 6 credits. Pre: Junior Standing.
An in-depth study of Black Theatre in America. It will explore the history and development of Black Theatre - both commercial and non-commercial. The course will also stimulate critical thinking pertaining to racial issues, differences in aesthetics and cultures.
An examination of the performing arts as a paradigm of the African-American experience. Forms of U.S. racism and the periodic significant social advances of the U.S.s African-American community will be examined in this course from the vantage points of blacks in theatre, film, dance, and music. Emphasis will be placed on the continuing impact of performing arts on African-American culture. Performers, heroes, historical works and performing arts events will be analyzed.
Examination of the two dominant paradigms in Africana Studies and their corresponding research methods. Topic areas include: purpose of research, the role of the researcher, the role of theory, methods used for data collection, and valid evidence for both paradigmatic approaches. Graduate standing required.
Focuses on theories of the relationships between race, gender, class, culture, social structure, and power as they impact the lives of Africana people. Critical examination of five major theoretical approaches: critical race theory, social isolation, internal colonialism, racial formation, black feminist. Graduate standing.
Racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States. Contributions of social factors to inequality in medical care and health for minorities. Current and potential impacts of health care policies on health disparities. Pre: Graduate standing.
Theories of African American identity across multiple disciplinary and interdisciplinary traditions, including Africana Studies, psychology, sociology, literary theory, and cultural studies. The role of identity in definitions of group and individual interests, social movement appeal and participation, and responses to discrimination and racism.
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