College of Arts & Sciences

Criteria for Africana Studies Courses

In furtherance of the mission of the Africana Studies Program, it is required that at least one of the listed criteria be met.

• Provide an interdisciplinary program of study on the experiences of those in continental Africa and its Diaspora; Such courses may involve team-teaching by faculty from different disciplines or the coverage of different disciplinary perspectives on course subject matter even if covered by a single faculty member.
• Provide a single-issue or comparative focus on the historical, social, cultural, political, philosophical, religious and/or economic experiences of populations within the Diaspora
• Engage students with segments of the Diaspora by imparting the knowledge, skills, and opportunities for just participation in service learning activities in communities, agencies, or schools largely inhabited by or servicing one or more populations in the Diaspora 
• Students to investigate the ethnic, gender, and class diversity among populations within continental Africa and its Diaspora and their impact on intra- and inter-group relationships
• Develop students’ abilities to perform high-level critical analysis of texts and other media [e.g. film, artwork, music] created by or about those in the Diaspora
• Invite students to explore the religious diversity among those in the Diaspora; Courses in the Islamic faith, African and Caribbean Religions, Black Liberation Theology, and Black Spirituality are all examples of acceptable courses
• Invite students to explore the contributions of and challenges faced by Africans and those of African descent in historical and/or contemporary contexts
• Invite students to explore the contributions of and challenges faced by continental Africans and others in the Diaspora in historical and/or contemporary contexts 
• Engage students in an analysis of the social construction of race and identity formation, the process of institutionalizing racism, and the relationship between racial prejudice, discrimination and the social, political, economic, and health outcomes of those in the Diaspora
• Invite students to examine the roles of allies outside of the Diaspora on the historical and contemporary status of those in the Diaspora in our increasingly diverse global community; These courses could include a focus on multiracial coalitions that have worked against racism and oppression generally and for those in the Diaspora and/or entities that have worked to counter these injustices in US society or elsewhere

The Minor

To fulfill the minor, students must complete six courses.  In light of the program’s interdisciplinary nature, no more than three courses may be taken in any discipline, and at least three disciplines must be represented.  As course offerings are updated, students should consult with the director in order to obtain approval for courses not listed below, unless the course is expressly listed under a particular semester’s approved Africana Studies courses.  Course offerings per semester may be viewed on the registrar’s website under the “Special Interests” link on the class schedule page and can be found on the Africana Studies website under  the Courses by Semester link .
ART 294   Non-Western World Cinemas

Economics
ECN 460 African Economies

English
ENG 205 Cultural Diversity [with a focus on African American, African, or Caribbean Literature]
ENG 444 Writing Through Race, Class, and Gender
ENG 415 Postcolonial Studies
ENG 482 Literature and Culture of South Africa

French
FRE 461 Caribbean Francophone Literature

Literature in Translation
LTT 150 Language, Culture, Identity
LTT 462 The Franco-Afro-Caribbean Story

Sociology
SOC 363 Philadelphia: In Black and White
SOC 205 Ethnic and Minority Relations
SOC 330 Urban Sociology
SOC 334 The African-American Experience
SOC 335 Classes and Power in the US
SOC 253 Race and Social Justice<
SOC 355 Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice
SOC 365 Crime and Urban Communities
SOC 378 Urban and Public Policy

Religious Studies
REL 241 Islam
REL 271 African and Caribbean Religions
REL 342 Women in Muslim Tradition
REL 341 The Quran and Its Interpreters