Teaching
Assistants
Mr. Andre
Fleche, Corcoran Department of History
Ms. Asiya Malik,
Department of Anthropology
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
This team-taught course builds upon and expands
on the subjects and themes developed in AAS 101: Introduction
to African-American Studies and African Studies. With a temporal
focus on the 20th century, we will critically explore and analyze
the links and disjunctions in the cultural, economic, political,
and intellectual practices and experiences of people of African
descent throughout the African diaspora. This course features an
interdisciplinary approach in developing conceptual, theoretical,
and analytical frameworks for understanding the depth and range
of experiences of people of African descent in the Americas, Caribbean,
Europe, and Africa. Beginning with an overview of the history, theoretical
orientations, and methodological approaches of African American
Studies, the course is divided into three units that examine African
diasporic social and political thought and expression; identity
formation and comparative racial classification; and literary, cultural,
and aesthetic currents in the African diaspora.
back
up
REQUIRED
TEXTS
Aime
Cesaire, Discourse on Colonialism. Translated by
Joan Pinkham. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2000.
W.E.B.
Du Bois. The Souls of Black Folk. Edited with an
Introduction by David W. Blight and Robert Gooding-Williams. Boston:
Bedford Books, 1997, originally 1903.
Thomas
C. Holt. The Problem of Race in the 21st Century.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000.
Wahneema Lubiano, ed. The House That Race
Built: Black Americans, US Terrain. New York: Knopf, 1997.
Kate
Turibian, John Grossman, and Alice Bennett. A Manual for
Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Sixth
Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1996.
Cornel
West. Prophesy Deliverance: An Afro-American Revolutionary
Christianity. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1982.
Other
readings are available through the Toolkit
Materials page for the course.
back
up
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS
Course Expectations: Regular, punctual
attendance, active participation, and critical engagement of course
readings are all necessary in order for students to successfully
complete this course. Thus, each student is expected to dutifully
prepare for each class and section meeting, attend all course lectures
and discussion sections, and actively participate section meetings.
All assigned readings must be brought to class meetings
and to discussion section meetings.
Critical
Response Papers: Each student will prepare a one to two
page response paper on the weekly readings and lectures. This and
all papers in the course must follow a prescribed format and will
be graded on form, grammar, and content. Papers will be turned in
to the Teaching Assistants at the beginning of class on the dates
indicated in the syllabus. Late papers (papers not physically
handed in to the Teaching Assistants at the beginning of the class
on the select day) will be penalized one letter grade for each day
after the due date. ALL written assignments must be physically handed
to the Teaching Assistants. NO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS.
Journal
Article Reviews: Each student will complete and turn in
a three to five page critical review of a scholarly article from
an academic journal at the end of each unit. The review should carefully
summarize the major idea(s) of the selected article and critically
analyze the idea(s) advanced in the article taking into consideration
material discussed in the lectures and readings from the respective
unit. Papers will be turned in to the Teaching Assistants at the
beginning of class on the dates indicated in the syllabus. Late
papers (papers not physically handed in to the Teaching Assistants
at the beginning of the class on the select day) will be penalized
one letter grade for each day after the due date. ALL written assignments
must be physically handed to the Teaching Assistants. NO ELECTRONIC
SUBMISSIONS.
Final
Paper: Each student will complete and turn in a five to
seven page critical essay exploring a selected theme, argument,
or question related to the areas covered in the course. As a part
of the final paper, students will submit a one page abstract of
the final paper on April 8, 2004. The paper should reflect the student’sability
to clearly articulate and logically develop an argument or idea
and reference relevant scholarly literature to support the main
thesis of the essay. Students must adhere to proper standards of
scholarly citation as well as correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Grading:
Class and Section Participation 20%
Critical Response Papers (6) 30%
Journal Article Reviews (3) 25%
Final Paper (including abstract) 25%
