Africana Studies Minor Requirements
2024 - 2025 Catalog
Africana Studies Minor
A minor in Africana studies requires completion of 21 credits. In meeting the requirements of this interdisciplinary minor, a student must use at least nine (9) credits not also used to meet the requirements of any other major or minor.
1. AFCA 130: Introduction to Africana Studies
2. Africa-focused course. One course chosen from among HIST 175, 176, 275, 276, 277, 377; POL 215, 249; and, when appropriate, AFCA 295, ECON 288, 295, 395; ENGL 296 (LJS 296), FREN 280; HIST 180, 269, 279; POL 288
3. African Diaspora-focused course. One course chosen from among AFCA 286: ARTH 130, 131, 230; ENGL 366; HIST 236, 259, 260, 261, 359; MUS 221; POL 250; 360; SOAN 228, 279; and, when appropriate, AFCA 295, ENGL 394, FREN 344, HIST 180, 269; THTR 290
4. Three additional courses from categories 2 and 3 above and the following courses: CBSC 269; ENGL 350; FILM 237S, 252S; HIST 131, 366; LACS 257; LIT 259; LJS 395; PHIL 242, 243 (POV 243), 253; and, when appropriate, ECON 280; ENGL 229, 293; FREN 397; LIT 295; POL 295
5. Capstone Experience: AFCA 403 or a relevant individual project, senior thesis, or honors thesis approved in advance by the Africana Studies program committee and supervised by a member of the program faculty, typically taken after completion of other minor requirements.
- Required:
- AFCA 130 - Introduction to Africana Studies
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This seminar, taught collaboratively in four discrete modules, introduces students to the issues, debates, and moments which have shaped and continue to shape the broad and complex field of Africana Studies and the multifaceted experiences and aspirations of peoples of African descent. Among other effects, students who take this class gain a broad appreciation of the historical and philosophical context necessary for understanding the specific identities and contributions to world cultures and civilizations of Africans, African Americans, and Africans in the greater Diaspora; and develop thinking, analytical, writing, and collaborative skills as students complete a major project with one or more of their classmates.
- Africa-focused course. Take one course from among the following:
- HIST 175 - History of Africa to 1800
FDR HU Credits 3 Examination of the history and historiography of Africa from the origins of humankind to the abolition of the trans- Atlantic slave trade. Topics include human evolution in Africa, development of agriculture and pastoralism, ancient civilizations of the Nile, African participation in the spread of Christianity and Islam, empires of West Africa, Swahili city-states, and African participation in the economic and biological exchanges that transformed the Atlantic world.
- HIST 176 - African History Since 1800
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Examination of the history and historiography of Africa from the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the present. Topics include precolonial states and societies, European colonial intrusions and African responses, development of modern political and social movements, decolonization, and the history of independent African nation-states during the Cold War and into the 21st century.
- HIST 275 - African Women in Comparative Perspective
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 In this course, we will widen our appreciation of African Women's experiences, including history, legal and socio-economic status, religious and political roles, productive and reproductive roles, and the impact of colonialism and post-independence development and representation issues. The course will move across time and space to examine the aforementioned in pre-colonial, colonial and 'post'-colonial Africa. We will begin with the question: What common beliefs/images about African women did/do Euro-Americans share?
- HIST 279 - Africa in the Western Imagination
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 From benefit concerts to AIDS charities to study abroad literature, Africa is everywhere. And yet it is frequently explained only in absence or in suffering. Rather than being a place that is defined by what it is, often Africa is viewed by what it is not, and the term 'Afro-pessimism' has been coined by some to criticize such solely negative depictions of a vast and varied continent. What, then, is 'Africa': a location on a map, a geographical boundary? Who are 'Africans'? What does the idea mean and how is it used? This course draws on literature and popular culture to discuss the very idea of 'Africa' and how the concept has been created, redefined, re-imagined, and (de)constructed in differing times and spaces.
- HIST 377 - Terrorism in Contemporary Africa
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Examines how this seemingly remote region became the inspiration for the first modern human rights campaign, the source of the uranium used to build the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, a hot spot in the Cold War, and the setting for a genocide that spilled over into an African World War fueled by intricate links between African resources and the global economy.
- POL 215 - International Development
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 3 A study of international development and human capability, with a focus on Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The course analyzes theories to explain development successes and failures, with a focus on the structures, institutions, and actors that shape human societies and social change. Key questions include measuring economic growth and poverty, discussing the roles of states and markets in development, and examining the role of industrialized countries in reducing global poverty. The course explores links between politics and other social sciences and humanities.
and, when appropriate,
- AFCA 295 - Seminar in Africana Studies
Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Students in this course study a group of African-American, African, or Afro-Caribbean works related by theme, culture, topic, genre, historical period, or critical approach. In the Spring Term version, the course involves field trips, film screenings, service learning, and/or other special projects, as appropriate, in addition to 8-10 hours per week of class meetings. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- ECON 288 - Supervised Study Abroad
Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent For advanced students, the course covers a topic of current interest for which foreign travel provides a unique opportunity for significantly greater understanding. Likely destinations are Europe, Latin America, Africa, or Asia. Emphasis and location changes from year to year and is announced each year, well in advance of registration. This course may not be repeated. Other prerequisites as specified by the instructor(s).
- ECON 295 - Special Topics in Economics
Credits 3-4 Prerequisite ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102 Course emphasis and prerequisites change from term to term and are announced prior to preregistration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of nine credits chosen from all special topics in economics courses may be used, with permission of the department head, toward requirements for the economics major. Prerequisites may vary with topic. Preference to ECON majors during the first round of registration. Other majors are encouraged to add to the waiting list after registration re-opens for all class years.
- ECON 395 - Special Topics in Economics
Credits 3-4 Prerequisite ECON 203 Course emphasis and prerequisites change from term to term and will be announced prior to preregistration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. A maximum of nine credits chosen from all special topics in economics courses may be used, with permission of the department head, toward requirements for the economics major. Prerequisite varies with topic. Prerequisite: ECON 203.
- ENGL 296 - Topics in Law and Literature
(LJS)
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite WRIT 100 A topical seminar in law and literature for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic is announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Satisfies requirements for creative writing or law, justice, and society minors and English major. May satisfy requirements in Africana studies or classics, when the topic is appropriate.
- FREN 280 - Civilisation et culture francophones
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite FREN 162, FREN 164, or FREN 200 placement A study of significant aspects of culture and civilization in francophone countries. Topics may include: contemporary Africa, pre-colonial Africa, West Indian history and culture, and Canadian contemporary issues. Readings, discussion and papers in French further development of communication skills.
- HIST 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-Year Seminar
- HIST 269 - Topics in United States, Latin American or Canadian History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 A course offered from time to time, depending on student interest and staff availability, on a selected topic or problem in United States, Latin American or Canadian history.
- POL 288 - Supervised Study Abroad
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 4 Prerequisite instructor consent This spring-term course covers a topic of current interest for which foreign travel provides a unique opportunity for significantly greater understanding.
- African Diaspora-focused course. Take one course chosen from among:
- AFCA 286 - Black Writers and the Allure of Paris
Credits 4 Same as ENGL 286. During two weeks on campus and two in Paris, students are immersed in the literary works of African American writers of the Harlem Renaissance through the mid-20th century, reading work by writers like Jessie Fauset, Gwendolyn Bennett, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and Chester Himes. In preparation for traveling to Paris, the site that represented new and promising possibilities for cultural exploration and artistic inspiration, we study how these literary texts examine the modern reality of racial identity. We also assess the significance of Paris as a site of cultural production and as a site of representation for early- to mid-20th century African American writers.
- ARTH 130 - African American Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 This course focuses on the creative production, contemporary reception, and critical interpretation of African American art from the colonial period to the present. While visual representations of and by African Americans provide the content for this course, the broader issues they raise are applicable to images, objects, and structures from a variety of cultures and civilizations. Indeed, this course will engage at least three general themes central to art historical and visual cultural studies generally: 1. Cultural encounters within colonial contexts; 2. Constructions of "race" and "blackness" within African American art; and 3. Conceptualizations of "blackness" as it underpins "Modernism" in 20th-21st century.
- ARTH 131 - Art of the African Diaspora
FDR HA Credits 3 This course offers a broad survey of the influence of African art on art around the world. Students will learn new modes of thought and variety of ideas pertaining to the dissemination of African people, culture, and art globally. Students will demonstrate historical and cultural understanding of representative visual arts related to the African and African American art. Students will analyze and interpret representative examples of visual arts, using discipline-specific terminology and methods.
- ARTH 230 - Harlem Renaissance Art
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 The Harlem Renaissance, also referred to as the New Negro Movement, stands as a towering and defining cultural moment in 20th-century American history. It was in some respects the period in which African American artists, writers, poets and others tabled bold new agendas for the ways in which they, as individuals, and as a nation-within-a-nation, might advance in what was to become the American century. This class will consider the multiple factors that gave rise to this astonishing and compelling cultural moment. The mixed results of the reconstruction era; the Great Migration, which saw very large numbers of African Americans move from the South to other parts of the country, namely the West coast and the great northern industrial centers; the defining contribution of Howard Professor Alain Locke, and so on. The class will also look at the variety of cultural expressions and artistic practices emerging out of the new epicenter of Black American life, Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance is of course something of a misnomer. It was not limited to Harlem, but in effect took place in many different parts of the US, from San Francisco to Chicago. Furthermore, it was perhaps a cultural birth, as much as it was a cultural rebirth, hence the important differentiation between the New Negro and the Old predecessor. Setting the Harlem Renaissance into a multiplicity of contexts, from African American art practices of the 19th century, to the reception African Americans received in European cities such as Paris, the class will be hugely informative, not just on what African American artists were doing in the early 20th century, but also the ways in which so many of today's debates and questions on race matters in the US can be traced back to what was happening in the country a century ago.
- ENGL 366 - African-American Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A focused engagement with the African-American literary tradition, from its beginnings in the late 18th century through its powerful assertions in the 21st. The focus of each term's offering may vary; different versions of the course might emphasize a genre, author, or period such as poetry, Ralph Ellison, or the Harlem Renaissance.
- HIST 236 - The Indigenous South
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course is about the history of Indigenous people and nations in the Southeast from the pre-contact period to the present. Comprised of diverse peoples, speaking different languages, and with a range of customs and beliefs, the people of the Native South nevertheless share common cultural traditions, social systems, and histories. In this course, we will cover the Mississippian mound building civilizations; Native southerners encounters with Europeans; the American Revolution, Civil War, and Jim Crow as experienced in the Native Southeast; and contemporary struggles over for Native sovereignty and identity. Students will be introduced to the methodologies used by archeologists, historians, ethnohistorians and those working in the discipline of Native American and Indigenous Studies, to recover Indigenous perspectives and history. Students will develop a research project of their choosing about the Native Southeast that examines issues of Indigenous sovereignty, representation, erasure, resistance, cultural adaptation, and resilience.
- HIST 259 - Introduction to African American History to 1877
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course is an introduction to African American history from the end of Reconstruction to the present day. Drawing on primary and secondary sources including, speeches, newspaper articles, legal cases, and more, students will learn how to engage in historical analysis. Key topics for consideration include Jim Crow, lynching, Black political participation, The Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and more. Of particular significance will be Black people's ongoing efforts to critique the limits of American democracy, claim their freedom, and exercise the rights of citizenship.
- HIST 260 - Introduction to African American History from 1877
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An intensive study of the African-American experience from 1877 to the present. Special emphasis is given to the development of black intellectual and cultural traditions, development of urban communities, emergence of the black middle class, black nationalism, the civil rights era, and the persistence of racism in American society.
- HIST 261 - Women and Slavery in the Black Atlantic
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 From the 16th century to the 19th century, over 12 million Africans were shipped to the New World. Of those who survived the Middle Passage, fewer than 500,000 arrived in the United States; the vast majority were dispersed throughout the Caribbean and South America. The experiences of enslaved women, as well as the relationships between free and enslaved women, are as diverse as the African diaspora. Given the broad geographical scope of Africans' arrivals in the New World, this course offers a comparative examination of women and slavery in the Black Atlantic. Topics for consideration include black women's gendered experiences of slavery, white women's roles in slave societies, and women abolitionists. Students also examine how African and European conceptions of gender shaped the institution of slavery in the New World. Particular attention is devoted to slavery in West Africa, Barbados, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States.
- HIST 359 - African American Intellectual History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Since their earliest arrivals in the New World, African Americans crafted liberatory ideas as they articulated a desire for equality, justice, and self-determination. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, black intellectual thought took shape against the backdrop of processes of enslavement, emancipation, racial violence, and state-sanctioned oppression. Indeed, the discursive spaces that black political thinkers created became major sites of knowledge production and provided momentum for black mobilization. Beginning with David Walker's Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World (1829), this course will probe landmark texts by and about African American thinkers including Maria Stewart, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Malcolm X., and Angela Davis. Students will evaluate historical perspectives on topics including racial uplift, feminism, black nationalism, and Pan-Africanism. They will also identify major debates that shaped the development of African American intellectual history.
- MUS 221 - History of Jazz
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3 A study of the development of jazz from its roots in turn-of-the-century New Orleans to contemporary styles. Strong emphasis is placed on listening and recognition of the performers and composers discussed.
- POL 250 - Race and Equality
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite POL 100, POL 111, or AFCA 130 A study of important black figures in American political thought. The course focuses on the intellectual history of black Americans but also considers contemporary social science and public policies dealing with race in America.
- POL 360 - Seminar: Lincoln's Statesmanship
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite POL 100 This seminar examines the political thought and practice of Abraham Lincoln. Emphasis is on his speeches and writings, supplemented by scholarly commentary on his life and career.
- SOAN 228 - Race and Ethnic Relations
FDR SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution Credits 3 An examination of why and how society creates and maintains racial and ethnic boundaries in the US. We discuss some of the crucial questions, which include: What conditions constitute a privileged group and an oppressed group? Why and how do racial/ethnic minority groups, the poor, and women experience discrimination, oppression, and exclusion in social life? Is there any racial discrimination against privileged racial/ethnic groups? How can ordinary people, policymakers, and social scientists contribute to improving race and ethnic relations among different social groups in the US?
- SOAN 279 - Conceptions of Race and Health: Black & White=Gray
FDR SS4 Social Science - Group 4 Distribution Credits 3 This seminar tackles the question of what is "race" and how does it affect health? In the United States, "race" is a concept frequently taken for granted. But what does "race" signify? Does race denote something inherently biological, cultural, or structural about one's ancestry, background, or lifestyle? Is race truly a stable "ascribed" characteristic that has predictive implications for peoples' everyday well-being? By specifically concentrating on the case study of health disparities for African-Americans in the United States, we explore the concept of "race", and how societal conceptions of race affect health policy, people's health outcomes, their access to healthcare, and their relationship to the medical establishment.
and, when appropriate,
- AFCA 295 - Seminar in Africana Studies
Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Students in this course study a group of African-American, African, or Afro-Caribbean works related by theme, culture, topic, genre, historical period, or critical approach. In the Spring Term version, the course involves field trips, film screenings, service learning, and/or other special projects, as appropriate, in addition to 8-10 hours per week of class meetings. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- ENGL 394 - Topics in Literature in English since 1900
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite an English course numbered between 201 and 295 and another English course numbered between 222 and 299 A seminar course on literature written in English since 1900 with special emphasis on research and discussion. Student suggestions for topics are welcome.
- FREN 344 - La Francophonie
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite 3 French courses numbered between 200 and 299 An analysis of styles, genres, and themes in relation to particular cultural contexts, as represented in literary works written in French by authors from countries other than France. Of particular interest is French language literature from Africa, the Caribbean, and Canada.
- HIST 180 - FS: First-Year Seminar
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite first-year student class standing First-Year Seminar
- HIST 269 - Topics in United States, Latin American or Canadian History
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3-4 A course offered from time to time, depending on student interest and staff availability, on a selected topic or problem in United States, Latin American or Canadian history.
- THTR 290 - Topics in Performing Arts
FDR HA Fine Arts Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite instructor consent Selected studies in theater, film or dance with a focus on history, criticism, performance or production. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different. Prerequisite may vary with topic.
- Three additional courses from categories 2 and 3 above and the following courses:
- FILM 237S - Field Documentary
FDR HA Credits 4 Prerequisite Instructor consent Experiential Learning. Taught by W&L faculty at the University of Cape Coast as part of the W&L in Ghana program. This course teaches students how to research, conceptualize and develop a non-fiction story idea into a film. Students receive instruction on effective research strategies, idea development, production planning, and proposal writing and pitching. They learn the theoretical, aesthetic, and technical principles of non-linear editing for documentary. Principally, students are taught how to: digitize and organize source material, create basic effects and titles, develop sequences, and organize and edit their raw materials into a polished final product. In addition to making films, we screen various documentaries, analyze the techniques, and put them to use in our own creation and editing.
- FILM 252S - Peoples and Culture of Ghana
Credits 4 Prerequisite Instructor consent Experiential Learning. Taught by W&L faculty at the University of Cape Coast as part of the W&L in Ghana program. An immersion in Ghanaian culture through field trips, field documentary, and field visits to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and development organizations. We visit eight different regions of Ghana on weekend field trips plus one longer week-long excursion to the Ghanaian North. Students are divided into teams that create travel documentaries, each taking on different roles with camera, sound, and logistics. Students also work on creating policy proposals for one of the NGOs or development organizations of their choice. The short travel documentaries and policy proposals are presented in the final month of the term.
- HIST 131 - Modern Latin America: Independence to Today
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 This course surveys Latin American history from the 1791 Haitian Revolution to the present. It covers important cultural, political, economic, and social developments in conversation with topics such as class, race, gender, sexuality, religion, and governance. We will examine an array of secondary and primary sources including podcasts, documentaries, and poetry/music lyrics to understand localized experiences within the context of regional historical developments such as the Cold War.
- HIST 366 - Seminar: Slavery in the Americas
FDR HU Credits 3 Prerequisite Junior or senior standing An intensive examination of slavery, abolition movements and emancipation in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. Emphasis is on the use of primary sources and class discussion of assigned readings.
- LACS 257 - Multiculturalism in Latin America: The Case of Brazil
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 4 This seminar studies Brazil as an example of a multicultural society. Students examine the meaning of multiculturalism and related concepts of identity, heterogeneity, and Eurocentrism, not only in regard to the Brazilian context, but also, comparatively, to that of US culture. The course focuses on the social dynamics that have engaged Brazilians of different backgrounds, marked by differences of gender, ethnicity, and class, and on how multiculturalism and the ensuing conflicts have continuously shaped and reshaped individual subjectivities and national identity. Some of the key issues to be addressed in class are: Brazil's ethnic formation; myths of national identity; class and racial relations; and women in Brazilian society. Readings for the class include novels, short stories, poetry, and testimonial/diary
- LIT 259 - The French Caribbean Novel
FDR HL Credits 3 Prerequisite Completion of FW requirement A stylistic and thematic study of identity acquisition through exile, marginalization, struggle, reintegration and cultural blending or any other sociologically significant phenomenon reflected in the literary works of the most important post-colonial French West Indian authors. Spawned largely by Aimé Césaire's book-length poem, Notebook of a Return to My Native Land , French Caribbean novels have proliferated since the end of World War II. After taking a brief look first at this seminal poem, the course then focuses analytically on novels written by authors such as Haitian Jacques Roumain, Guadeloupeans Simone Schwarz-Bart and Maryse Condé, and Martinicans Joseph Zobel, Raphaël Confiant, and Édouard Glissant. Several films based on, or pertaining to, Césaire's poem and to certain novels are also viewed.
- LJS 395 - Law, Justice, and Society Research Capstone
Credits 3 Prerequisite LJS 101, instructor consent, and declared as a LJS minor This capstone builds upon the foundations developed in LJS 101 and the courses taken as electives for the LJS minor, emphasizing interdisciplinary exchange and education. It incorporates peer-to-peer learning, including opportunities for students to educate each other on topics and issues from their selected research topics and major disciplines. The central element is a significant independent research project. This project is carried out with continual mentoring by a faculty member. Students document their research in a formal paper and in an oral presentation summarizing their research results.
- PHIL 242 - Social Inequality and Fair Opportunity
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 An exploration of the different range of opportunities available to various social groups, including racial, ethnic and sexual minorities, women, people with low incomes, and people facing poverty. Topics include how to define fair equality of opportunity; the social mechanisms that play a role in expanding and limiting opportunity; legal and group-initiated strategies aimed at effecting fair equality of opportunity and the theoretical foundations of these strategies; as well as an analysis of the concepts of equality, merit and citizenship, and their value to individuals and society.
- PHIL 243 - Martin Luther King Jr.: Poverty, Justice, and Love
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as POV 243. This course offers students the opportunity to examine the ethics and theology that informed the public arguments about poverty made by one of the 20th century's most important social justice theorists and activists, Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the competing views of his contemporaries, critics, forebears, and heirs. The course asks the following questions, among others: How do justice and love relate to one another and to poverty reduction? What role should religion play in public discussions and policies about poverty and justice? Are the dignity and the beloved community King championed the proper goal of anti-poverty efforts?
- POV 243 - Martin Luther King Jr.: Poverty, Justice, and Love
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 Same as PHIL 243. This course offers students the opportunity to examine the ethics and theology that informed the public arguments about poverty made by one of the 20th century's most important social justice theorists and activists, Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the competing views of his contemporaries, critics, forebears, and heirs. The course asks the following questions, among others: How do justice and love relate to one another and to poverty reduction? What role should religion play in public discussions and policies about poverty and justice? Are the dignity and the beloved community King championed the proper goal of anti-poverty efforts?
- PHIL 253 - Philosophy of Race
FDR HU Humanities Distribution Credits 3 In this course, students will explore philosophical questions about race and ethnicity. Possible topics include the experiences of racism targeting members of different racial groups, colonialism, the concept of "whiteness," the value of diversity, epistemic issues surrounding stereotypes and profiling, metaphysical questions about the nature of race, hate speech, and resistance to racial oppression.
and, when appropriate,
- ECON 280 - Development Economics
Credits 3 Prerequisite ECON 100, ECON 180, or ECON 180A; or both ECON 101 and ECON 102 A survey of the major issues of development economics. Economic structure of low-income countries and primary causes for their limited economic growth. Economic goals and policy alternatives. Role of developed countries in the development of poor countries. Selected case studies.
- ENGL 229 - Protest Poetry
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement What kind of work can poetry do in the world? Students in this class study Civil Rights Era poetry, poetry about environmental crisis, and other bodies of work that try to change minds and hearts, including protest poems, prayers and curses, and poetry in performance. Students also put poetry into action, first by collaboratively organizing a benefit event for the Rockbridge Area Relief Association, then by creating activist projects for causes of their own choosing.
- ENGL 293 - Topics in American Literature
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement Studies in American literature, supported by attention to historical contexts. Versions of this course may survey several periods or concentrate on a group of works from a short span of time. Students develop their analytical writing skills in a series of short papers.
- FREN 397 - Séminaire avancé
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3 Prerequisite 3 French courses numbered between 200 and 299 The in-depth study of a topic in French literature and/or civilization. Recent offerings include: La Littérature francophone du Maghreb; La littérature Beure; La France sous l'occupation; Les femmes et l'écriture au XVIIe siècle; Les écrivains du XXe siècle et la diversité culturelle; L'affaire Dreyfus. Students are encouraged to use this course for the development of a personal project. May be repeated for degree credit when the topics are different.
- LIT 295 - Special Topics in Literature in Translation
FDR HL Literature Distribution Credits 3-4 Prerequisite completion of FDR:FW requirement A selected topic focusing on a particular author, genre, motif or period in translation. The specific topic is determined by the interests of the individual instructor. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.
- POL 295 - Special Topics in American Politics
FDR SS2 Social Science - Group 2 Distribution Credits 3-4 A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level.
- Capstone Experience:
AFCA 403 or a relevant individual project, senior thesis, or honors thesis approved in advance by the Africana Studies program committee and supervised by a member of the program faculty, typically taken after completion of other minor requirements.