Course Descriptions


AFAS 101, 102 Beginning Arabic I, II (3, 3). Introduction to a language widely spoken in North Africa and the Middle East. Students are guided through the process of acquisition following an oral approach that stresses classroom participation in a cooperative atmosphere. The aim is to help students gain threshold oral fluency in the language and the ability to read simple text. Laboratory work is an integral part of the course. (go back)

AFAS 103, 104 Beginning Kiswahili I, II (3, 3). Introduction to a language widely spoken in East Africa and parts of Central Southern Africa. Students are guided through the process of acquisition following an oral approach that stresses classroom participation in a cooperative atmosphere. The aim is to help students gain threshold oral fluency in the language and the ability to read simple text. Laboratory work is an integral part of the course.  (go back)

AFAS 105, 106 Beginning Yoruba I, II (3, 3). Introduction to a West African language spoken in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Students are guided through the process of acquisition following an oral approach that stresses classroom participation in a cooperative atmosphere. The aim is to help students gain threshold oral fluency in the language and the ability to read simple text. Laboratory work is an integral part of the course. (go back)

AFAS 2010 Introduction to Africana Studies (3). A course which defines the subject matter, concepts, principles, scope, and goals of Africana Studies. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of Africana Studies, this course is a survey of the African world community, from the perspectives of the humanities and social sciences, science and technology, and the expressive arts. Course may be used to satisfy the University’s social science requirement. Required of all Africana Studies majors. (go back)

AFAS 300 African Male: Identity, Culture, and Expressions (3). Analysis of the situation of African males in the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. Particular attention is given to “rites of passage” and males’ socialization from birth to manhood in these societies. (go back)

AFAS 305 African Female: Identity, Socialization, and Status (3). A comparative study of the traditions, continuity, and changes affecting girls and women of African descent in the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. Course uses both literary works and social science studies to explore the portrayals of and historical contexts for the lives of females of African descent, focusing on concepts of girlhood, social status, and sexuality, as well as on discrimination experienced by these women.  (go back)

AFAS 310 Psychological Impact of Enslavement and Colonization (3). Critical examination of Enslavement and colonization on the minds and institutions of Africans throughout the world. Required of all Africana Studies majors. (go back)

AFAS 360 African Extended Family (3). Study in the extended family as a cultural form of social and political organization in Africa. Since the first form of the traditional family in Africa was the extended family, emphasis is placed on the values of communalism, collective work, cooperative economics, and community self-reliance. Attention is given to the family as the basic unit of social organization in African cultures. (go back)

AFAS 362 The African-American Family (3). An examination of the dynamics of the African-American family. The course studies the institution of marriage, customs, male/female relationships, and value orientation. Special attention is given to both the nuclear family and the extended family in the African-American community. (go back)

AFAS 365 The African-American Community (3). An examination of the dynamics of the African-American community. Attention is given to phenomena such as the family, religious institutions, political organizations, human rights organizations, economics, health care education, and social problems such as violence, drugs, and dysfunctional families. (go back)

AFAS 385 Caribbean Societies and Modernization (3). An examination of the historical significance of the Caribbean in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the connections between Africans born in the United States and Africans born in the Caribbean. Course also examines the nation-building efforts of these countries and development problems created by the world political economy in their domestic and foreign policies. (go back)

AFAS 390 Black Nationalism (3). A survey of the various Black Nationalist and Pan-African movements that emerged between 1850 and the present. Special attention is given to the movements of Martin Delaney, Edward Blyden, Marcus Garvey, the Nation of Islam, and other contemporary groups. Either this course or AFAS 395 is required of all Africana Studies majors. (go back)

AFAS 392 Post Independent Africa (3). A study of traditional African societies, the constraints of colonization on their development, and the transformation of the traditional societies through the processes of industrialization and modernization. Either this course or PISI 492 (Black Politics) is required of all Africana Studies majors. (go back)

AFAS 395 The Great Debate: Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X (3). A critical examination of the philosophies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X), and a synthesis of these two perspectives. The climax of the course is a debate in which the students argue important issues from these three perspectives. Traditional African ceremonies and cultural vignettes are an integral part of this debate. Either this course or AFAS 390 is required of all Africana Studies majors. (go back)

AFAS 400 Political Economy of African Nations (3). Concentration on the culture, human resources, natural resources, and political structures of African nations. Attention is given to the constraints of the world political economy on education, housing, transportation, medical and health care, food production, and industrial and technological development of African nations. Prerequisite: admission to upper level. (go back)

AFAS 407 Political Economy of the African-American Community (3). An examination of the unequal distribution of incomes, occupations, and education in the African-American community. Particular attention is given to poverty and unemployment rates, and how these variables have impact on the socio-economic status of African-Americans. Attention is also given to professionals and the dynamics of African-American businesses. Prerequisite: admission to upper level. (go back)

AFAS 410 Mentorship in Africana Studies (3). Mentorship with professor in a well defined area of practice, such as assisting in the teaching of a specific course, a research project, or a community development project. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: admission to upper level and permission of instructor.  (go back)

AFAS 412 Classical African Civilizations (3). See AFAS 445A for description...

AFAS 420 Media, Social Change, and Mass Empowerment (3). An examination of how the mass media are used as agents of oppression in world African communities. This analysis is followed by an exploration of the media’s potential to serve as an instrument of humane social change and mass empowerment. Prerequisites: AFAS 2010 and admission to upper level. (go back)

AFAS 432 Spiritual Empowerment and Transformation (3). An introduction to the spiritual core of African cosmology and civilization. Exploration of selected classical and contemporary African spiritual paradigms and their potential to empower and transform. Prerequisite: admission to upper level. (go back)

AFAS 440 Senior Seminar (3). As the capstone course in the department, a culmination of the knowledge, practical experiences, and solutions that students have acquired as a result of their matriculation in the curriculum. Prerequisite: admission to upper level. Required of all Africana Studies majors.  (go back)

AFAS 445A Classical African Civilizations (3). An advanced seminar to explore in depth some aspect of ancient civilizations of Africa. It concentrates on such topics as cosmology and primordial philosophy. Particular attention is given to Kemetic astronomy, mathematics, the solar calendar, and the writing system. (go back)

AFAS 445B Advertising and Marketing in African Communities (3). Emphasis on the principles and practices of African-centered advertising and marketing. Course focuses on market analysis and the design and implementation of culturally appropriate advertising and marketing strategies in African communities. The course may operate as an advertising and marketing firm, working with real clients in the African community. Course is taught from a liberal arts perspective. (go back)

AFAS 445C Business Opportunities in Africa (3). Students learn how to assess business opportunities in Africa. Emphasis is on meeting real needs of African people and on socially responsible business practices. Course includes an examination of cultural paradigms that undergird entrepreneurial philosophy and practice in Africa. Students draft comprehensive business opportunity reports. Course is taught from a liberal arts perspective. (go back)

AFAS 445H Honors Great Debate (3). Course examines the thoughts of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X). Students study how the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Mohandas K. Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, and Marcus Garbey influenced the epistemologies and paradigms of King and El-Shabazz. Enrollment is restricted to students in the University Honors Program. (go back)

AFAS 450W Research Methods in Africana Studies (3). Consideration of the methods of documenting and representing reality, including issues of cultural and political paradigms, aesthetics, and ethics. Both quantitative and qualitative designs are examined. A writing-intensive course. Prerequisites: AFAS 2010 and admission to upper level. Required of all Africana Studies majors. (go back)

AFAS 451 Africana Studies Internship (3-6). A practicum experience in which students are given the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained from course work in Africana Studies. Students are placed in agencies that are addressing concerns, issues, and problems in the African community. Empirical data from this experience are used for writing the senior project. Course may be repeated once for a maximum total of six hours of credit. Prerequisites: admission to upper level and permission of Department head. (go back)

AFAS 460 Independent Studies and Research (3-6). Course designed to allow students to work independently or in groups on significant topics and projects not covered in other courses. Students carry out their work through a preceptorial arrangement with instructor. May be repeated once for a maximum total of six hours of credit. Prerequisites: admission to upper level and permission of instructor. (go back)

AFAS 490 Senior Project: Theory, Practice, and Solutions (3). A scholarly and scientific project in which students bring to bear the knowledge and skills they have acquired in the Africana Studies major. Prerequisites: admission to upper level candidacy and AFAS 450. Required of all Africana Studies majors.