African American Studies (AFAM) < Virginia Commonwealth University Academic Catalog

AFAM 104. Sociology of Racism. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. The course will explore the direct and indirect ways in which racial attitudes are acquired, their effect on individuals and society, and the institutional and ideological manifestations of racism as a "faith system," as exploitation and as a form of human conflict. The central focus of interest will be on black-white relationships. Crosslisted as: SOCY 104.

AFAM 105. Survey of African History. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A survey of African civilizations from prehistory to the present, emphasizing the events, ideas and institutions that have shaped, influenced and defined Africa's place in the world. First semester: to 1800. Second semester: 1800 to the present. Crosslisted as: HIST 105.

AFAM 106. Survey of African History. 3 Hours.

AFAM 111. Introduction to Africana Studies. 3 Hours. Play Video Play course video for Introduction to Africana Studies

Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this course will familiarize students with important events developments, personalities and other phenomena that help facilitate the study and understanding of peoples of African descent dispersed throughout the world from their early continental African past to their present existence.

AFAM 121. Tap Technique I. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 1 lecture and 2 studio hours. 2 credits. Beginning study and training in the principles of tap technique with emphasis upon style, body alignment, spatial patterning, flexibility, strength and kinesthetic awareness to move the body in the style required for tap dancing. Crosslisted as: DANC 121.

AFAM 122. Tap Technique I. 2 Hours.

AFAM 126. African-Caribbean Dance I. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 1 lecture and 2 studio hours. 2 credits. Dance based on the movements and rhythms of Africa and the Caribbean. Crosslisted as: DANC 126.

AFAM 127. African-Caribbean Dance I. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 1 lecture and 2 studio hours. 2 credits. Dance based on the movements and rhythms of Africa and the Caribbean. Crosslisted as: DANC 127.

AFAM 151. Jazz Dance Technique I. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 1 lecture and 2 studio hours. 2 credits. Prerequisite: DANC 102 or permission of instructor. Study and training in the principles and concepts of jazz technique. Emphasis on body alignment, flexibility, balance, rhythmic awareness and mastery of isolated movements of body parts. The course includes the exploration of the relationship between jazz music and jazz dance. Crosslisted as: DANC 151.

AFAM 152. Jazz Dance Technique I. 2 Hours.

AFAM 200. Introduction to African Societies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. This course introduces the student to the African continent, its peoples and cultures. It covers such general characteristics as the physical and geographical features, climate, topography, traditional economies, languages, religions, social systems and other cultural features that are traditional to its people. Crosslisted as: ANTH 200/INTL 200.

AFAM 201. Theories and Foundations of Africana Studies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Explores the origins of African American studies in the civil rights and Black Power movements. Examines critical issues and perspectives in the discipline from its inception to the present day. Possible topics include black nationalism, neo-colonialism, Kawaida theory, black women's studies, Afrocentrism, Egyptology, black queer studies, critical race theory, diaspora theory and community engagement.

AFAM 204. Africa in Transition. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: AFAM/ANTH/INTL 200 or permission of instructor. The impact of modern social change upon the traditional aspects of African life. Various aspects of social change as it applies to Africa today will be explored.

AFAM 211. Africana Social and Political Thought. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Guides students in identifying and mapping the continuities and discontinuities in political and social thought of the African world. Through an exploration of the various works of scholars, activists and artists, this course will expose students to nondominant narratives in an effort to expand the breadth and depth of interdependence in Africana contributions to ideas such as, but not limited to, the arts, justice, equality and human emancipation.

AFAM 291. Topics in African American Studies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of nine credits. A study of specialized areas of African American studies.

AFAM 302. Politics of the Civil Rights Movement. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. The main objectives of the course are to introduce and examine the personalities and activities of the modern Civil Rights Movement. The course provides the historical background leading up to the peak years of the struggle for racial equality in America. It has special focus on the events of the 1960s and particularly their implication for the current state of U.S. Civil Rights. Crosslisted as: POLI 302.

AFAM 303. Black Theatre. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of the major developments in the evolution of black theatre through readings and studio performances in black-related and black theatre dramaturgy. Crosslisted as: THEA 303.

AFAM 305. Oppression, Resilience and the Black Family. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Explores the historical and contemporary experiences of Black families, with a central focus on the resilience and contributions of Black families in the U.S. Engages in intersectional analysis of systems of oppression and the full range of Black family structures. Centers Black liberation and Black joy. Crosslisted as: GSWS 305/SOCY 305.

AFAM 307. Black Religion. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An analysis of the role of religion in the lives of blacks with an emphasis on African religions and philosophies, the black church in America, and the roles of the various faiths, sects and cults. Crosslisted as: RELS 307/INTL 307.

AFAM 309. Gender and Global Health. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Examines how health policies produce and regulate gendered bodies and sexualities. Topics may include how colonial medicine and health policies of detection, diagnosis, surveillance, quarantine and confinement were implemented as methods of social control. Analyzes continuities between colonial medicine and more contemporary interventions that in the name of individual and communal health attempt to shape proper sexualities and gendering. Crosslisted as: ANTH 309/INTL 309/GSWS 309.

AFAM 310. Black Health Matters: Social Determinants of Health in the African American Community. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Examines health inequalities and health inequities in the U.S. Explores the primary health concerns and issues relating to the African American community. Focuses on social determinants of infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, AIDS, violence and cancer, as well as the impact these determinants have on the overall health status of African Americans.

AFAM 311. African Diaspora Experiences. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Traces the geography and history of dispersed African peoples from their motherland to all parts of the world and reveals the cultural, social, political and economic developments of peoples of African descent worldwide. Surveys the evolution and implication of the trans-Atlantic, trans-Saharan, and trans-Indian Ocean slave trade, in particular the dimensions of experiences of African-descended peoples with emphasis not only on North and South America but also the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Papua New Guinea and Australia.

AFAM 318. Politics of Race, Class and Gender. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of the racial, class and gender influences on the history and development of political values, conflicts, processes, structures and public policy in the United States. Crosslisted as: POLI 318/GSWS 318.

AFAM 322. Personality and Behavior of the African American. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: PSYC 101. A study of personality factors such as motivation, ego-functioning and the socialization processes, with special emphasis on living conditions of African-Americans. Crosslisted as: PSYC 322.

AFAM 330. Blackness and Media: Representations of Race, Gender and Culture. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: UNIV 200 or HONR 200. Explores (re)imaginings of Black social life across a variety of media and forms of popular culture. Examines global representations of Blackness in economic, political and cultural contexts. Possible areas of focus include fashion, TV/film, music, new media, social media, visual art, sports and museum space.

AFAM 333. Geography of Africa. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of the land forms, climate, peoples, livelihoods, settlement patterns and cultural groupings of sub-Saharan Africa. Crosslisted as: URSP 333/INTL 333.

AFAM 338. Ferguson, USA: The Criminalization of Race in Historical Perspective. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: UNIV 200 or HONR 200. Examines African American encounters with the criminal justice system from the era of emancipation to the present day. Possible topics include constructions of race; the science of criminality; extra-legal violence; the civil rights movement and black power; prison politics; mass incarceration; the school-to-prison pipeline; Black Lives Matter.

AFAM 342. African-American Art. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of the art forms produced by Americans of African origin from the 17th century to the present with an emphasis on contemporary trends in black art. Crosslisted as: ARTH 342.

AFAM 343. Black Political Thought. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An historical and sociological perspective on the political and social ideas of black thinkers from David Walker to the present. Crosslisted as: POLI 343.

AFAM 345. African-American Politics. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. In this course, students will discuss and analyze the dynamics of the black experience in the American political system. The status of African-Americans in the United States and the struggle for racial equality will be examined, as will the manner in which American institutions have responded to these phenomena. Students will examine the race/class metric in African-American politics, particularly policies of Affirmative Action as a black progress strategy. Crosslisted as: POLI 345.

AFAM 346. Mental Health Across the African Diaspora. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Surveys theory and research on the interaction of culture and mental illness focusing primarily on populations of African descent in a seminar format. Topics to be addressed, through the lens of the Africana world, include epidemiological and ethnographic research on major psychiatric disorders, culture-bound syndromes and idioms of distress, mental health of immigrants and refugees, and cross-cultural competence in clinical practice.

AFAM 347. African American Children and Families. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Reviews cultural variations in the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of African American children. Addresses historical and contemporary frameworks of child development and highlights the strengths and limitations of extant research paradigms in the study of African American children. Considers integrity-based approaches that explain the developmental competencies of African American children in response to environmental risks that exceed normative expectations.

AFAM 350. Studies in the Music of the African Continent and Diaspora. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 243 or MHIS/AFAM 250. An in-depth examination of selected topics and issues in African-derived musical and cultural traditions. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester. Crosslisted as: MHIS 350/INTL 370.

AFAM 356. African Government and Politics. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. This course will introduce students to the basic outlines of government and politics in Africa. The course will consider such topics as colonialism, elitism, and nationalism and modernization strategies. Using the comparative approach, the course will primarily focus on West, East and Central Africa. Crosslisted as: POLI 356/INTL 356.

AFAM 357. Politics of Southern Africa. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An examination of racial and political developments in the southern tip of Africa. While South Africa will be the primary focus of analysis, other countries in the region such as Zimbabwe, Angola and Mozambique will be studied. Crosslisted as: POLI 357/INTL 357.

AFAM 358. African Art and Architecture. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of African art and architecture from prehistoric times to the present. Special emphasis is placed on form, content, function and meaning, as well as the impact of African art on modern and African-American art. Crosslisted as: ARTH 358.

AFAM 361. Americans from Africa. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of the history and culture of blacks in the United States, designed to analyze some of the most important aspects of black life and the attitudes of the dominant society within which blacks lived. The second semester emphasizes the changing status, expectations and ideologies of black Americans in the 20th century. First semester: to 1877. Second semester: since 1877. Crosslisted as: HIST 361.

AFAM 362. Americans from Africa. 3 Hours.

AFAM 363. African Literature. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ENGL 201, ENGL 202, ENGL 203, ENGL 204, ENGL 205, ENGL 206, ENGL 211, ENGL 215, ENGL 217, ENGL 236, ENGL 250, ENGL 291, ENGL 295 or NEXT 240. A study of regional and/or cultural traditions of African literature with special attention paid to socio-political perspectives. Crosslisted as: ENGL 363/INTL 366.

AFAM 365. Caribbean Literature. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ENGL 201, ENGL 202, ENGL 203, ENGL 204, ENGL 205, ENGL 206, ENGL 211, ENGL 215, ENGL 217, ENGL 236, ENGL 250, ENGL 291, ENGL 295 or NEXT 240. A survey of West Indian writings. Attention will be given to African, European and Amerindian influences, as well as to the emergence of a West Indian literary tradition. Crosslisted as: ENGL 365/INTL 367.

AFAM 379. African-American Literature: Beginnings Through the Harlem Renaissance. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ENGL 201, ENGL 202, ENGL 203, ENGL 204, ENGL 205, ENGL 206, ENGL 211, ENGL 215, ENGL 217, ENGL 236, ENGL 250, ENGL 291, ENGL 295 or NEXT 240. An examination of the culture and literature of African Americans from their roots in Africa and the African Diaspora to the Harlem Renaissance. Authors may include Wheatley, Douglass, DuBois, Hurston, Hughes and Cullen. Crosslisted as: ENGL 379.

AFAM 382. African-American Literature: Realism to the Present. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ENGL 201, ENGL 202, ENGL 203, ENGL 204, ENGL 205, ENGL 206, ENGL 211, ENGL 215, ENGL 217, ENGL 236, ENGL 250, ENGL 291, ENGL 295 or NEXT 240. An examination of the culture and literature of African-Americans from the Harlem Renaissance to the present day. Authors may include Wright, Ellison, Hayden, Brooks, Walker and Morrison. Crosslisted as: ENGL 382.

AFAM 387. History of West Africa to 1800. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of the transformation of West African societies from early times to 1800, with emphasis on the rise of states and empires, the introduction, spread and impact of Islam, the Atlantic slave trade and its effects, and colonialism. Crosslisted as: HIST 381.

AFAM 388. Africa: Social, Cultural and Economic History. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of economic, social and cultural developments in Africa from the beginning of the 19th century to the present, with emphasis on agricultural and industrial development, trade, Africa's involvement in the world economy, changes in labor systems, racial dominance, African initiatives and resistance, religion and social evolution, and Africa in world affairs. Crosslisted as: HIST 384.

AFAM 389. Southern Africa Since 1600. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of the history and culture of the peoples of southern Africa. Deals with the areas that presently are the Republic of South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Emphasizes the interaction among the various communities and ethnolinguistic groups in southern Africa. Crosslisted as: HIST 383.

AFAM 390. Forced and Coerced Labor in Africa and the Americas. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Examines a broad range of forced and coerced labor in Africa and selected parts of the Americas, including the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, from around the 17th century to the 20th century. The role that gender and race played in slavery and coerced labor will be given particular attention. Crosslisted as: GSWS 390/HIST 380.

AFAM 391. Topics in African American Studies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of nine credits. A focused study of specialized areas of African American studies.

AFAM 392. Caribbean History to 1838. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An exploration of changes in the structure of Caribbean society from the late 15th century to 1838, with emphasis on the development of plantation slavery, social stratification, race, slave resistance, the Haitian Revolution, African cultural patterns and abolition. Crosslisted as: HIST 376.

AFAM 393. Akhenaten to Cleopatra. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A survey of Egyptian history from the period of the Empire (New Kingdom, c. 1570 B.C.) through the Ptolemaic Age of Cleopatra (c. 30 B.C.). Particular areas of concentration will include the Amarna Period of Akhenaten and various aspects of Egyptian daily life.

AFAM 394. Service-learning in African American Health. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: AFAM 310. Open to African-American studies majors only. Provides an overview of critical public health issues and intervention strategies that may influence life chances and disease susceptibility among African-Americans through a service-learning format.

AFAM 399. Interdisciplinary Research Methods. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Introduces students to the interdisciplinary processes whereby those working in the field develop their arguments and interpretations concerning the black experience. Students will develop increased skills in library research and an awareness of the importance of such methodologies as archaeology, oral history, case studies, participant observations, experiments and surveys. Students will be introduced to the need for critical analysis, the role of biases and frames of references and the reason why scholars working in the field often reach different conclusions with reference to issues of fact, interpretation and significance.

AFAM 411. Applied Concepts in Africana Studies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: AFAM 111 with a minimum grade of C. Pre- or corequisite: AFAM 399. Explores the processes and challenges involved in studying the experiences of African-descended peoples, with a focus on the development of an idea or observation into a finished and well-executed research product. Investigates how these processes unfold in the works of specific black studies researchers, as they capture the varied consciousnesses, histories and social forces surrounding black life in America, Africa and throughout the diaspora.

AFAM 416. The Origin and Evolution of the Idea of Race. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ANTH/INTL 103 or AFAM 103 or permission of instructor. This course is an exploration of the origins and social history of the "idea" of race from the Middle Ages to the end of the 20th century. Using both historical and anthropological scholarship, the course presents an analytical framework for race as a sociocultural phenomenon. Crosslisted as: ANTH 416.

AFAM 420. Women of Africa. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ANTH/INTL 103 or AFAM 103. This course looks at the traditional roles of women in African societies and examines how women have coped in different environments. It focuses on the institutionalized aspects of similarities and differences in women's lives in pastoral and horticultural societies and those with mixed economies, and will contrast these with women's roles in large state societies of Africa and in the modern urbanized context. Crosslisted as: ANTH 420/INTL 420.

AFAM 440. Modern and Contemporary Art and Architecture of Africa. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: ARTH 292 with a minimum grade of C or permission of instructor. A study of the impact on African art and architecture of Colonialism, urbanization and modernization. Special emphasis is placed on the search for a new identity by contemporary African artists. Crosslisted as: ARTH 440.

AFAM 451. Religion, Racism and Social Justice. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: RELS 340/INTL 341, WRLD 210 or WRLD 220; UNIV 200 or HONR 200. Explores the complex history and contemporary relationships between religion, racism and social justice. Crosslisted as: INTL 451/RELS 451.

AFAM 491. Topics in African-American Studies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. May be repeated with different topics for a maximum of 9 credits; 3 credits may be applied to the African-American studies minor. An in-depth study of specialized areas of African-American studies.

AFAM 492. Independent Study. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; variable hours. Variable credit. Maximum 4 credits per semester. Maximum total of 4 credits in all independent study courses. Prerequisites: completion of 12 credits in African-American studies courses; junior or senior standing.

AFAM 493. Internship in Africana Studies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 field experience hours. 3 credits (minimum of 50 work hours per credit). Prerequisites: AFAM 201, AFAM 211 and AFAM 311. Enrollment is restricted to African American studies majors of junior or senior standing; permission from the department chair or internship coordinator is also required. Students will be placed in internships that provide real-life experience working with populations of African descent with the goal of defining, improving, affirming and/or validating black experiences in the African diaspora. Graded as pass/fail.

AFAM 494. Internship in African American Health. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 150 clock hours in appropriate organization. 3 credits. Prerequisites: AFAM 310, either AFAM/ANTH/INTL/WMNS/GSWS 309 or AFAM/PSYC 322, and AFAM 394. Applicants must be approved by the internship coordinator. Open to African-American studies majors of senior standing only. Students are placed in organizations that offer supervised work or research experience in a health setting appropriate to their interests. A final report must be submitted upon completion of the internship.

AFAM 499. Capstone Seminar in Africana Studies. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: AFAM 111, AFAM 211, AFAM 311 and AFAM 399. Enrollment is restricted to African American studies majors of senior standing. Involves the planning and execution of a research project grounded in the methodology of African American studies.