Department of African and African-American Studies
Overview
Founded in 1970, the Department of African and African-American Studies (AAAS) provides an interdisciplinary space at the University of Kansas for studying historical and contemporary relationships among African and African-descended people. As a community of scholars and teachers, AAAS offers learning experiences for students to enrich their knowledge of African people on the Continent, as well as people of African descent in the Americas. Our academic wings span the humanities, the social sciences, and some professional fields. The Department’s areas of emphasis include art and culture; religion and rhetoric; families, gender and sexuality; and political economy. AAAS boasts concentrations in African Studies, African-American Studies, Arabic and Islamic Studies, and Haitian/Caribbean Studies at the B.A., B.G.S., and M.A. levels.
In addition to our Undergraduate Major and Master’s Program, AAAS has an Undergraduate Minor and two Graduate Certificates. As part of our mission of developing students’ cultural literacy from pan-Africanist, African-centered and Diasporic perspectives, the Department coordinates several languages: Amharic, Arabic, Kiswahili, Haitian Creole, Hausa, Somali, and Wolof, supported by Study Abroad opportunities. The Department also draws strength and vitality from two allied centers and an institute: the Kansas African Studies Center, the Langston Hughes Center, and the Institute of Haitian Studies.
Through scholarship, teaching, campus and community service, and public programming, the Department reflects intellectual and pedagogical practices that recognize the complexity and multiplicity of human experiences; promote critical thinking and creative problem-solving; and expand our understandings of citizenship in a rapidly changing multiracial, global society. Our core courses include “Introduction to African History,” “Introduction to African-American Studies,” “Islamic Literature,” “The Black Experience in the Americas,” “African Traditional Religion and Thought,” “Language and Culture in Arabic-Speaking Communities,” and “Field Experience.” AAAS elective courses include “The Civil Rights Movement,” “African Theatre and Drama,” “Women and Islam,” “African-American Culture,” “Migration and Development in Africa,” “An Island Divided: Haiti and the Dominican Republic,” “Race, Sports, and Society,” “Unveiling the Veil,” “The Rhetoric of Black Americans,” and “Black Leadership.”
Given the breadth and depth of all that we offer, and the fact that we function genuinely as both an African and African-American studies unit, AAAS is the only department of its kind at a public or private university in Kansas and among the Big XII institutions. We demonstrate that a robust racial/ethnic and area studies presence attracts and retains a diverse faculty and student body, creates inclusive learning environments for the campus, produces lifelong learners, and supports KU’s leadership in delivering a dynamic, forward-looking Liberal Arts education that (1) encourages an appreciation of different ways of knowing; and (2) prepares informed and productive citizens in Kansas, the region, the nation, and the globalizing community of the twenty-first century.
Undergraduate Programs
The undergraduate academic program focuses mainly on Africa, Afro-America, and Arabic, but due attention is paid to the Caribbean and Latin America. The program deepens the knowledge and enriches understanding of the history and culture of African peoples in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas as a necessary and desirable end in itself but also as a useful background for professionals whose careers may involve them in these geographical and cultural areas. Essentially interdisciplinary, the major gives students a basis for interpreting the historical and contemporary experiences of African peoples in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, both broadly and in relation to a particular region, historical period, or cultural manifestation. The major, with its flexibility and opportunity for fieldwork, encourages students to engage in independent study, if possible in a relevant community. Most undergraduate courses are also open to nonmajors.
Graduate Programs
The objective of the graduate program in African and African-American Studies at the University of Kansas is to produce scholars, teachers, administrators, and other professionals who have the intellectual and scholarly capacity and skills to make ongoing contributions to the world in which they live. Our graduate program encourages students to adapt a critical perspective, requiring an integrative approach to the study of history, politics, economics, the arts, languages, culture, anthropology, and geography that does not abstract them from their political and social contexts, but rather relocates them within the social and political contexts from which they developed. Students are required to focus not only on the experiences of Africans and African-Americans, but also on the links of those experiences to the cultural, political, and economic forces of the larger world to which Africans and African-Americans have been, and are, inextricably connected.
The Department of African and African-American Studies offers interdisciplinary substantive and language courses leading to the Master of Arts degree in two areas of concentration: (1) African, and (2) African-American studies. The master's degree in African and African-American Studies has two related objectives: (1) it fulfills the educational needs of persons who seek positions with organizations in both the public and private sectors, and (2) it prepares persons who desire to pursue the terminal degrees in their field. The program emphasizes broader concepts in the humanities and the social sciences, but provides an option for concentration in either African or African-American Studies.
The Department of African and African-American Studies also offers two graduate certificates, one in African Studies and another in African-American Studies. The Graduate Certificate programs enable graduate students to formally claim expertise in an area of the fields of African Studies or African-American Studies through completion of 12 hours of graduate coursework.
Kansas African Studies Center
The Kansas African Studies Center coordinates and develops the interdisciplinary interests of Africanists across the University of Kansas, and promotes the understanding and study of Africa in the university, the state, and the region. Its mission includes the enhancement of curriculum, the sponsorship of research, the organization of conferences, the promotion of special projects, the acquisition of library and related sources, the conduct of outreach programs, the seeking and acquisition of grants and special funding to make these activities possible and to assist the university in their realization.
Langston Hughes Center
The Langston Hughes Center (formerly the Langston Hughes Resource Center, founded in 1998) is an academic research and educational center that builds upon the legacy and creative and intellectual insight of African American author, poet, playwright, folklorist, and social critic, Langston Hughes. The center coordinates, strengthens, and develops teaching, research, and outreach activities in African American studies, and the study of race and culture in American society at the University of Kansas and throughout the region. The center is a hub of critical examination of black culture, history, literature, politics, and social relations. In addition, like Hughes himself, the center has a Diasporic focus, promoting research and discussions on Africans in the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa. Toward these ends, the Langston Hughes Center regularly sponsors conferences, lectures, seminars, and forums on a variety of topics; coordinating activities with, among other groups, the Kansas African Studies Center and the Center of Latin American Studies and Caribbean Studies at KU.
Institute of Haitian Studies
The Institute of Haitian Studies has as its main goal supporting and promoting Haitian Studies and Haitian culture through teaching, research, invited speakers, conferences, symposia and community engagement activities. The center’s mission includes examining Haiti’s importance in the Americas as the first Black republic as well as its historical, geopolitical and cultural connections with the United States. The center also promotes the Haitian Creole language, the largest type of Creole spoken by Creole communities around the world through the teaching and dissemination of Haitian Creole. Through Kansas University’s Scholar Works, the center has made a number of materials in Haitian Creole available for the public’s use. The Center is affiliated with the Kansas African Studies Center and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Courses
An introduction to the study of Islam and the Arabic language in relation to Islamic cultures in Africa, the Mediterranean region, and beyond. Topics covered include the historical origins of Islam in relation to the Arabic language and its cultures of origin. This course is interdisciplinary, including attention to the topic from the perspectives of historical unfolding of both the language and religion, geographic and cultural perspectives, political and economic concerns, and aesthetic perspectives, including literature and the arts.
An introduction to the interdisciplinary study of African cultures and societies focusing on contemporary life on the continent. Topics to be covered include the geography, history, politics, and economics of the continent, as well as the religion, languages and literatures, music, and the arts. The interdisciplinary perspective will provide students with a sound basis for understanding contemporary African societies.
Interdisciplinary introduction to the basic concepts and literature in the disciplines covered in African American Studies. Includes the social sciences, and humanities (including history, religion, and literature) as well as conceptual framework for investigation and analysis of Black history and culture and society.
An introduction to important historical developments in Africa. Topics include empires, kingdoms, the slave trade, European colonialism, liberation movements, national identities, and a return to independence. (Same as HIST 104.)
An interdisciplinary study of the history of the African peoples of the New World, relating their cultures and institutions to the African background and to their peculiar New World experiences up to and including the nineteenth century. While the main emphasis is on the U.S.A., attention is also paid to the Caribbean and Latin America. Approaches include demography, economics, social and political developments, literature, and music. (Same as HIST 109.)
This course treats West African history through the first part of the twentieth century. The student is provided with a perspective on the major historical patterns that gave rise to West Africa's development as an integral part of world history. Special attention is paid to anthropological, geographical, and technological developments that influenced West African political and socioeconomic changes. (Same as HIST 160.)
A limited-enrollment, seminar course for first-time freshmen, addressing current issues in African & African-American Studies. Course is designed to meet the critical thinking learning outcome of the KU Core. First-Year Seminar topics are coordinated and approved by the Office of Academic Programs and Experiential Learning. Prerequisite: Open to Freshmen only (less than 30 hours).
This course is designed for the study of special topics related to Africana at the freshman/sophomore level. It prepares students for continued practice in cultural reading and writing and for the academic rigor that awaits them at the upper levels. Prerequisite: Consent of department.
This course offers a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to understandings of health, well-being, and disease within and across cultures. It draws upon the subfields of anthropology, as well as the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. This course should be of special interest to premedical students and majors in the allied health professions. (Same as GEOG 201 and GIST 210.)
Honors version of AAAS 203, GEOG 201 and GIST 210. This course offers a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to understandings of health, well-being, and disease within and across cultures. It draws upon the subfields of anthropology, as well as the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. This course should be of special interest to premedical students and majors in the allied health professions. (Same as GEOG 202 and GIST 211.)
This course provides an introduction to the concepts of applied translation as well as an overview of translation theory. Translation is a severely misunderstood activity and profession, and mechanical translation has been justifiably downgraded in communicative foreign language teaching. This course is intended for students of any foreign language (classical or modern) who are interested in the field and profession of literary and non-literary translation. The course focuses on written translation and does not treat (oral) interpretation in detail. (Same as GERM 240, LING 250, SLAV 250 and SPAN 202.) Prerequisite: Study of a foreign language, minimum two semesters of the same language.
A study of African traditional religious beliefs, systems and practices and how these have conditioned spiritual, moral and social values, attitudes, social relationships and institutions, art, literature and music. Topics covered include the African world-view, concepts of birth, life, marriage, death and reincarnation; the concurrent practice or monotheism, polytheism and the cult of the ancestors; and the extent of relevance to Black societies in the New World. Prerequisite: AAAS 103 or AAAS 105 or AAAS 106 or consent of instructor.
This course examines Haiti's identity and culture through historical, social, political, economic, linguistic and religious lenses. Through the study of texts, films and articles, it analyzes Haiti's place and influence in history as the first Black Republic and the second independent nation in the Western hemisphere. It also highlights Haiti's connections to the United States as well as other Latin American countries. No knowledge of Haitian or French required. Students may not receive credit for both HAIT 200 and AAAS 301.
Detailed analysis of recent Haitian history. The focus will include interactions between religion, social structure, politics, economics and international relations. Prerequisite: AAAS 301/HAIT 200, or consent of instructor.
This course familiarizes students with the peoples and cultures of North Africa and the Middle East. It examines the cultural, demographic, and religious diversity of the region, as well as the development of the early Islamic community and the formation of Islamic institutions. Issues such as religion and politics, inter-religious relations, nation-building, Islamic response to colonialism, Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Islamic resurgence, secularism, democratization, and gender, are also explored. (Same as ANTH 303 and REL 303.)
A survey of social, political, and economic developments during the colonial era and independence struggles. Themes may include resistance, liberation, nationalism, gender issues, agriculture, genocide, and human rights. (Same as HIST 300.)
An interdisciplinary study of the history and culture of Black people in America from Reconstruction to the present. Topics covered include an analysis of Reconstruction, Black leaders, organizations and movements, the Harlem Renaissance, migration, and race relations. Demographic variables covered include socio-economic class, education, political persuasion, and influence by avant-garde cultural changes. (Same as AMS 306 and HIST 359.)
An intensive version of HIST 300. A survey of social, political, and economic developments during the colonial era and independence struggles. Themes may include resistance, liberation, nationalism, gender issues, agriculture, genocide, and human rights. (Same as HIST 307.) Prerequisite: Open only to students admitted to the University Honors Program, or by consent of the instructor.
This course examines the educational experiences of African American children from Emancipation through more contemporary periods today. The class explores topics including intersectionality, schools and inequality, hip-hop education, post-Reconstruction, and race. The course centers education studies, children and youth studies, gender, history, social sciences, Black studies, policy, and law. The class is interdisciplinary and supports different fields of study across multiple degree programs.
This course covers the “visible” church, the “invisible” church, and the Black church as an “invisible institution,” and shows how agency is ascribed through the Black church. The course covers the history, heritage, roles, social and spiritual theology and dynamics of the Black church and situates the Black church within the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, with Africa as the beginning site for understanding the Black church and its transmigration from its African roots to the present. The class shows how the Black church developed through spiritual/sacred and hegemonic encounters, prompting the rhetorical question posed by a prominent Black church scholar: “What is African American religion?” Because of the dominant American hegemony encountered by the Black church, it must be understood as part of a larger freedom-seeking agendum that allowed its members to assert power over competing images to shape the meaning of theological allegiance, as well as the treatment of black bodies, through theology, rituals, rites, ceremonies and other religious practices. Topics covered in the course include identity through the Black church, the black conversion experience, worship styles, Black preaching, Black music, gender roles, sexuality, liberation theology, health practices, and the impact of COVID-19 on the Black church. (Same as REL 314.)
This course examines the history and diversity of African American religious expression from slavery until the present, emphasizing both mainstream and alternative faiths. It covers the religious world views of enslaved Africans, and examines faiths inside and outside of Christianity. Topics may include: independent black churches, magical practices, the Holiness and Pentecostal movements, black Islam, religious freemasonry, and esoteric faiths. The class emphasizes the influence of gender, class, race, migration, and urbanization on black religion. (Same as AMS 316 and HIST 316.)
Lecture and discussion course in African area of current interest. May be repeated for credit toward the major.
This course examines civil issues in African-American communities and populations, and their legal ramifications. Topics such as the penal system, court sentencing, death penalty, cultural norms, law enforcement and civil liberties are critically examined within social and humanistic theories. (Same as REL 322.)
Lecture and discussion course in African-American area of current interest. May be repeated for credit toward the major.
This is a comparative study of popular music produced in Africa, and the African Diaspora. The praxis, theories, histories, forms, artists and audiences are discussed.
This course deals with popular creative forms and critical commentaries (re)produced or/and circulated by ordinary people - as opposed to the social and political elites - in the context of social media in Africa. Social media in Africa stages an unprecedented explosion of new popular forms, and digital genres circulate the perspectives of everyday people. With the understanding that popular culture is an arena in which non-elite subjects in different African countries create aesthetic forms, we will examine in this course the implications of literary and cultural expressions from different regions of Africa that are born-digital and remediated modes of subverting power and the normative culture. Students will explore how forms of popular culture-including Nollywood films, and other expressive forms on YouTube and other social media-serve as a running commentary both on contemporary Africa as well as on historical processes and changes in the continent.
This course defines African American culture and seeks to identify ways in which it is distinct, both in terms of its roots and ongoing evolution.
The course focuses on the concept of leadership and on Black leadership in the United States. An in-depth analysis of selected case studies of Black leaders both historical and contemporary. Some attention will be given to the dispersion of Africans into the Americas and the leadership that emerged, conditioned both by environmental factors and the psychology engendered by the system of slavery. Selected successful Black leaders will be invited to visit the class from time to time. (Same as AMS 340.)
Reading, analysis, and discussion of contemporary fiction, poetry, and drama from sub-Saharan Africa. Brief attention is paid to historical development and to traditional literature. (Same as ENGL 326.) Prerequisite: Prior completion of the Core 34: English (SGE) requirement. Recommended: Prior completion of one 200-level English course.
Reading, analysis, and discussion of fiction, poetry, and drama from the Caribbean, including a small selection of Spanish, French, and Dutch Antillean works in translation. (Same as ENGL 339.) Prerequisite: Prior completion of the Core 34: English (SGE) requirement. Recommended: Prior completion of one 200-level English course.
An introduction to the general techniques of non-verbal theatrical conventions in African cultures. Practical training in movement vocabulary will be supplemented by lectures on the "text" of performance. (Same as THR 334.)
A critical study of issues and questions raised about women in contemporary African literature and implications for the larger society through the analysis of theme, language, characterization, roles and functions of women in selected works.
This course will study the critical discourse produced by black female intellectuals, writers, and activists about their race, gender, sexual, and class identities. Students will explore black women's distinct positionality through an examination of their theory as well as their praxis from the nineteenth century to the contemporary moment. By tracing the evolution of black feminist thought, the class will explore black women's initiation of and engagement with political, social, and artistic conversations in various fields of scholarly inquiry including-but not limited to-literature, history, sociology, political science, and the law. (Same as WGSS 344.) Prerequisite: WGSS 101, AAAS 104, or prior completion of one 200-level English course.
An introduction to historical, cultural, social, political, and economic issues in Africa from a geographic perspective. The course begins with the historical geography of humanity in Africa, from ancient times through to the present. Other topics include cultural dynamics, demography, health, rural development, urbanization, gender issues, and political geography. Case studies from Eastern and Southern Africa will be used to illustrate major themes. (Same as GEOG 351.)
This course will examine representations of love and romance in African American literature and culture. In addition to the romance novel genre, the course studies different kinds of cultural texts, such as art, film, and music. It explores romantic relationships among black people, including related topics such as sex, desire, marriage, and singleness, and how these interpersonal relationships build families, communities, and collective bonds. The class will consider both the content and aesthetics of diverse texts in order to think about how black people connect intimately as well as how various social and cultural politics underline the nature of those intimacies. (Same as WGSS 350.)
In this course, we examine the development of artistic modernisms in Africa in historical context. We also study the content, production, patronage, and display of modern and contemporary African art. In doing so, we consider African artists' engagement with modernity, globalization, and contemporary issues, as well as interrogate influential myths and assumptions regarding African artists and the work they produce. Course themes include the workshop as a critical site, independence movements and the creation of national art forms, art as global commodity, and art in resistance, remembrance, and revolution. (Same as HA 353.)
A study of the origin and development of continental African theatre and its affinity to the Levant. Traditional, colonial and contemporary dramatic theories and experiments will be examined in play selections. (Same as THR 326.)
A historical study of Black Theatre in the U.S.A. from its African genesis to its contemporary Americanness. Epochs in African-American dramaturgy will be critically examined. (Same as THR 327.)
A survey of politics in Africa, focused on the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The course includes a historical discussion of precolonial Africa, colonization and the creation of contemporary states, and the politics of independence, before examining contemporary political systems and the forces influencing patterns of politics on the continent. Formerly known as POLS 665. This course is offered at the 300 and 600 level with additional assignments at the 600 level. Not open to students with credit in AAAS 600 or POLS 665. (Same as POLS 365.) Prerequisite: POLS 150 or AAAS 105 or AAAS 305 or consent of instructor.
A survey of the indigenous languages of Africa from a linguistic perspective, covering the main language families and their geographic distribution, and focusing on the features and structure of the more widely spoken and representative languages in each family (e.g., Fula, Hausa, Maninka, Swahili, Yoruba). (Same as LING 370.)
This course examines theories of religion, discourse, power, gender and sexuality in their application to Arab societies. The course introduces different aspects of Arab cultures. Through canonical works, we study political domination, tribal social organization, honor, tribe, shame, social loyalty, ritual initiations and discuss how these issues speak generally to anthropological inquiry. Regionally specific works are then framed by an additional set of readings drawn from anthropological, linguistics, and social theories. (Same as ANTH 372 and REL 358.)
How does the rich relationship between art and gender provide an organizing metaphor for African artists across space and time? How do artists shape understandings of gender? In this course, we will examine gender in artistic practice alongside cultural binaries and consider how gender historically operated to define distinct roles for artists. We will study how formulations of gender and race intersected to impact artistic production and classification during the colonial and postcolonial periods. We will analyze materiality and the metaphor of childbirth, gender and Islamic textiles, and the concept of "craft." This course is offered at the 300 and 700 level with additional assignments at the 700 level. Not open to students with credit in AAAS 780/HA 780. (Same as HA 360 and WGSS 380.)
An interdisciplinary study of the role of Black women in our society, from the African background through the plantation experience to the present. Prerequisite: One course in the social sciences and/or humanities or consent of instructor.
Investigation of a subject selected by a student in consultation with a departmental adviser and conducted under supervision. Individual reports and conferences. Open only to students who have completed at least six credit hours in African and African-American studies. Cannot be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Addresses the widely-held stereotype of Muslim women as pawns in a patriarchal socio-religious context. Investigating the Muslim cultures of certain regions, the course will examine the manner in which indigenous culture was influenced by the introduction of Islam and the historical impact of Islam on women's social roles. Focusing principally on social change in the 20th century, the course will consider how socio-political change affects religious roles where religion is integrally involved in daily life. To what extent is individualism valued, and how are the pressures of late 20th century life mediated? The course will draw on texts from history, sociology, and literature. Prerequisite: REL 107 or AAAS 349/REL 350 or consent of instructor.
The course develops an understanding of the postcolonial concept and its different manifestations in theatre and drama across nations and cultures. It approaches postcolonialism as a way of reading theatre, and as a genre within theatre by exploring how the "colonial project" has reconfigured the concept, content, and context of theatre in both colonized and colonizing cultures. In addition to the study of postcolonial playwrights and their works, the course is also an introduction to postcolonial theory and its critics. (Same as THR 429.)
This course introduces students to twentieth-century works in French by sub-Saharan African, North African, and Afro-Caribbean authors. In the course, students will compare how these thinkers articulated varying notions of Africanness, especially in relation to Frenchness, and what it meant for them to be faithful to their African roots. Through discussions of novels, poetry, cinema, and non-fiction writing, students will reflect on how national, regional, and continental identities have been constructed in contexts of colonialism, nation-building, and migration to and from the African continent. Major topics of the course include Négritude, Pan-Africanism, Islam, and women’s liberation. Classes will be conducted in English. Students may read the texts in French or in translation. (Same as FREN 432.) Prerequisite: ENGL 102 and a 200-level English course.
This course focuses on literature that reflects Islamic culture from its inception to contemporary times. Beginning with attention to the importance of the spoken word in the establishment of Islam, course readings and lectures follow the place of literary works in confirming Islamic perspectives. Readings include selections from the Qur'an, classical works of poetry and narrative, and contemporary autobiography. Authors are from Africa and the region of the Golden Age of Islam, including the best known: al-Ghazali (d.1111 C.E.), Attar (d. circa 1193-1235), Ibn Arabi (d. 1240 C.E,), Rumi (d. 1273), Saadi (d.1291), Hafiz (d. 1389 C.E.), and Shah (contemporary), as well as readings by and about less well known Muslim women scholars and Sufis in all historical periods. Readings are all in English translations.
This course examines the realities of Muslim women's experiences as conveyed in their own voices. Works are drawn from all over the world, from Africa and the Middle East to Europe and the U.S. and cover the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
This course uses written and visual materials to examine race, ethnicity, and nationalism around the world. Emphasis is on ways in which social forces, gender roles, sexual practices, cultural patterns, and political organization work together to construct and reinforce ethnic, racial, and national identities, boundaries, movements, and conflicts. Historical and contemporary comparisons are made between the U.S. and countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East. (Same as AMS 437 and SOC 437.)
In this course, students will examine, in detail, four historical eras in which the American people struggled over anti-Black racial injustice in the United States. While the role and efficacy of social change movements and grass-roots activism in that struggle will be analyzed, the course will emphasize political, policy, and institutional responses and remedies to the problem of American racism. In particular, discussions, readings, and assignments will evaluate the successes and failures of specific legislative, judicial, administrative, and organizational interventions. How and why these responses developed and fared as they did-as well as the debates over their efficacy-will be the focal point of this course. (Same as HIST 442.)
A study of pop songs, television, comics, and other idioms of popular culture from different parts of the Muslim world, with attention to Muslims' sense of humor, tragedy, aesthetics, and pertinent issues of the day. (Same as REL 450.)
Individual investigation of special topics in African and African-American studies. May not be repeated for credit toward the major. Prerequisite: Six hours in African and African-American studies or consent of instructor.
Examines issues and problems associated with language use in sub-Saharan Africa from a sociological perspective. Topics covered include an overview of the types of languages spoken on the continent: indigenous languages, colonial languages, pidgins and creoles, and Arabic as a religious language; problems associated with the politics of literacy and language planning; writing and standardization of indigenous languages; and the cultural and ideological dilemmas of language choice. (Same as LING 470.) Prerequisite: AAAS 103, AAAS 305, or LING 106; or consent of instructor.
A supervised placement in practical situations where students actively participate in organized work within the community, to be completed with an acceptable paper. The course may be taken in the United States, Caribbean, or Africa to meet the B.A. degree requirement in African and African-American Studies. Open only to junior and senior majors or by consent of the department.
Study of an African language at Elementary I and Elementary II levels under individual supervision and with the aid of self-instructional material. Open to juniors and seniors in good standing and graduate students only and with permission of the department. May be repeated for up to 10 credit hours. Cannot be used to fulfill BA foreign language requirement.
Study of an African language at Intermediate I and Intermediate II levels under individual supervision and with the aid of self-instructional material. Open to juniors and seniors in good standing and graduate students only and with permission of the department. May be repeated for up to 6 credit hours. Cannot be used to fulfill BA foreign language requirement.
Study of an African language at Advanced I and Advanced II levels under individual supervision and with the aid of self-instructional material. Open only to juniors and seniors in good standing, graduate students and with permission of the department. May be repeated for up to 6 credit hours. Cannot be used to fulfill BA language requirement.
Designed for native and near native speakers, this course involves reading of materials published in an African language intended for conversation, oral presentation, and writing by native speakers. May be repeated for up to 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: Native or near native speaker proficiency or consent of instructor.
An examination of the Civil Rights Movement in American History. Emphasis is placed on the activities of major Civil Rights organizations, Civil Rights legislation and its impact on American life, and conflicts between integrationist and separatist forces in politics, economics, education, culture and race relations in the United States. (Same as HIST 514.)
This is an upper level course designed to analyze the experiences that define the African American relationship to the American economy. The course begins with the slave trade and ends in the present. It explores and explains how African American economic development intimately intertwined with the movement for freedom. Students will learn how African Americans addressed issues around slavery, housing, banking, capitalism/socialism, underground economy, and gentrification. This course is chronological in nature with thematic elements. Lectures will provide brief histories and conceptual framework for readings. This background will help students understand and explore how black identity, culture, and politics interact with economy. However, the bulk of the course will operate as a seminar. By the end of the course, students will be able to summarize African American past experiences with capitalism and its relevance to contemporary economic issues affecting African American people today. (Same as AMS 518 and HIST 518.) Prerequisite: Any American Studies or History courses on American History.
Upper level lecture and discussion courses in African area of current interest and/or taking advantage of faculty resources in topics relevant to the major. May be repeated for credit toward the major. Prerequisite: Junior/Senior in good standing.
Upper level lecture and discussion courses in African-American area of current interest and/or taking advantage of faculty resources in topics relevant to the major. May be repeated for credit toward the major. Prerequisite: Junior/Senior in good standing.
Study of Islamic art and architecture in various cultural and geographical settings, from the first mosques of North African and the Swahili coast to contemporary Islamized masquerades in West Africa. We consider art objects and architectural sites in terms of religious practice, trade and commerce, ritual and political power, and contemporary expression. (Same as HA 536.) Prerequisite: AAAS 102, AAAS 103, HA 100, or HA 150; or permission of instructor.
The course examines the links between language structure, patterns of use, language choice, and language attitudes in the diglossic and bi-lingual Arabic-speaking communities. It also explores language as a reflector and creator of Arab culture (e.g. linguistic encoding of politeness, the Quranic text as the spoken and written word, the role of tropes in Arabic rhetoric). The topics for discussion range from the micro-level language choice to the macro-level issues of national language policies and planning within the domain of government and education across the Arab world. (Same as LING 543.)
Small discussion groups, each designed to consider a specific, clearly defined topic, using an interdisciplinary approach and requiring the demonstration of a comprehensive knowledge of the fundamentals in the field as appropriate to the topic. Class discussion based on student presentations. Prerequisite: Senior majors; special departmental permission for other seniors.
Acquaints students with the values and social parameters of African agricultural and pastoral practice. Topics include customary land rights, African perspectives on the natural world, gender issues in African agriculture, and the urbanization of African cultures. The course also contrasts African views with those of Western development practitioners and donor agencies. Case studies from different countries are used to highlight the continent's regional differences. (Same as GEOG 553.)
The course examines health and nutrition in African communities, using the methods of biological and medical anthropology. Fundamental to the approach taken in the course is the understanding that the health of human groups depends on interactions between biological and cultural phenomena in a particular ecological context. One topic will be selected per semester to examine in detail the full array of epidemiological factors contributing to patterns of specific diseases. AIDS, childhood diseases, and reproductive health of African women are among possible topics. Course material will be selected from scholarly and medical publications, as well as coverage in the popular media. The use of a variety of sources will enhance understanding of the biological and cultural issues involved, and will help students identify possible bias and misinformation in popular coverage of events such as famine or epidemic in African settings. (Same as ANTH 545.) Prerequisite: An introductory course in either Anthropology or African Studies.
A critical study of Africa and its peoples as depicted in films. The aesthetic, cultural, economic, political, historical, and ideological aspects of African films are examined. (Same as FMS 544.)
This course examines struggles for freedom in southern Africa and the consequences of political, economic, and social changes in the region. The end of colonial rule, the demise of white-settler domination, and the fall of the apartheid regime is discussed. As a major political event of the twentieth century, the liberation of southern Africa had both local and global consequences. The course analyzes transnational issues of liberation and resistance to consider broader regional and international perspectives. Course themes pay particular attention to gender and ethnicity and include a focus on democratization and contemporary meanings of liberation. Prior coursework in African Studies is strongly recommended, but not required. (Same as HIST 561 and POLS 561.)
Slavery, slave culture, and the slave trade in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean will be examined comparatively. Attention will also be given to African cultures, the effects of the slave trade on Africa, and the effects of African cultures on institutions in the New World. (Same as HIST 574.)
This course introduces students to key concepts in global migration and its implications on development in migrant sending states particularly those on the African continent. It will explore the various migration patterns from Africa (e.g. migration between North Africa and Europe in the aftermath of the Arab Spring), South-South migration, the 'brain drain' of skilled professionals and its implications for development, and the role of diasporas in development. The course will also assess the integration of migrants in major migrant destination regions. Finally, the course will provide students with an opportunity to critically examine the relationship between migration and development in a particular national context of their choice. (Same as GEOG 583.) Prerequisite: GEOG 102 or consent of instructor.
A study of the literature written by Black Americans from the pre-Civil War period to the present. Emphasis upon specific historical periods in the development of Black literature as well as on a critical analysis of major autobiographical, poetic, and fictional works.
An examination of the history of sexuality and gender in Africa with a focus on the 19th and 20th centuries. Major issues and methods in the historical scholarship on gender and sexuality will be covered. Topics of historical analysis include life histories, rites of passage, courtship, marriage, reproduction, education, masculinities, homosexuality, colonial control, and changing gender relations. Prior course work in African history is suggested. Graduate students will complete an additional project in consultation with the instructor. (Same as HIST 598 and WGSS 598.)
A survey of politics in Africa, focused on the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The course includes a historical discussion of precolonial Africa, colonization and the creation of contemporary states, and the politics of independence, before examining contemporary political systems and the forces influencing patterns of politics on the continent. This course is offered at the 300 and 600 level with additional assignments at the 600 level. Not open to students with credit in AAAS 365/POLS 365. Prerequisite: POLS 150 or AAAS 105 or AAAS 305 or consent of instructor.
Examines the Black Power Movement in its many manifestations, beginning with a discussion of its political and cultural background: the transition from Civil Rights to Black Power in the African American Freedom Movement of the 1960s; the impact on African Americans of African decolonization and the spread of anti-colonial and anti-imperialist movements throughout other parts of the globe. The course also examines the Black Arts Movement and its influence on the Black Power Movement and vise versa. Therefore, some attention will also be paid to the music, literature, theater, and the graphic arts of the period, and the aesthetic and political critiques of these artistic forms. Prerequisite: AAAS 511 not required but recommended.
A critical examination of W. E. B. Du Bois, paramount black scholar and activist whose massive body of scholarly work spans the period from late 19th through the mid-20th centuries. Course covers the major works of Du Bois. Topics include Du Bois as sociologist, historian, propagandist, and creative writer. Moreover, the course deals with Du Bois as an intellectual in conversation with other black thinkers, including individuals such as, Booker T. Washington, Alexander Crummell, Anna Julia Copper, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Marcus Garvey, E. Franklin Frazier, Walter White and Thurgood Marshall.
Focusing on issues of gender, this course follows major religious developments in the Islamic tradition. Also examines how Muslim women have impacted those developments. (Not open to students who have taken REL 357.) (Same as REL 657.) Prerequisite: AAAS 349/REL 350, graduate standing, or permission of instructor.
This course is designed to explore the field of gender and African politics. We begin by paying particular attention to African women's political roles during the pre-colonial and colonial society. Next, we examine the impetus, methods, and path of liberation struggles and how gender roles were shaped, shifted, and changed during these struggles. The majority of the class focuses on current issues in African politics, including gender and development, HIV/AIDS and women's health, gender and militarism. We also explore women's roles in political institutions, civil society organizations, trade and labor unions, and transnational movements. We also examine contemporary constructions of masculinity and femininity in African states and explore how these constructions affect social policy and national political agendas. (Same as POLS 662 and WGSS 662.) Prerequisite: Sophomore level or consent of instructor.
This course examines the conceptualization of the "decorative" arts in Africa, including textiles, metals, ceramics, wall decoration, and jewelry, and investigates the relation of this art historical category to modernism. How did such a wide range of artistic practices come to be grouped together? Are terms such as "decorative art" and "craft" still operative, and how do they reflect ideas about race and gender? How have African artists approached "traditional" design? What social factors influenced artistic processes and what is the historical symbolism of medium? To address these questions, we will consider artists' writings, art schools and apprenticeships, gender dynamics, transnational artistic exchanges, the concept of the artist-artisan, and the meaning of material and process. Our discussions will span historical and contemporary contexts, and also will examine colonial systems of classification, gender norms and laws, practices of appropriation, and tourism. (Same as HA 677.) Prerequisite: An Art History course 100 level or above, or consent of instructor.
Individual and supervised readings in selected areas of African and African-American studies which will be an investigation of a subject selected by the student with the advice and direction of an instructor. Individual reports and conferences. Prerequisite: Seniors and consent of department.
An individual research project in African-American or African studies under the direction of a specialist in the area of the student's interest, the results of the project to be presented in written form and to be defended before a committee of three faculty members as provided for under the requirements for Honors. Majors only and permission of instructor.
A survey of politics in Africa, focused on the countries of sub-Saharan or Black Africa. The course includes a historical discussion of precolonial Africa, colonization and the creation of contemporary states, and the politics of independence, before examining contemporary political systems and the forces influencing patterns of politics on the continent. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
Addresses the widely-held stereotype of Muslim women as pawns in a patriarchal socio-religious context. Investigating the Muslim cultures of certain regions, the course will examine the manner in which indigenous culture was influenced by the introduction of Islam and the historical impact of Islam on women's social roles. Focusing principally on contemporary social change, the course will consider how socio-political change affects religious roles where religion is integrally involved in daily life. To what extent is individualism valued, and how are the pressures of late 20th-century and early 21st-century life mediated? The course will draw on texts from history, sociology, and literature. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
An examination of the barriers to effective communication between Black Americans and non-Black Americans. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
Seminar in an area of current interest in African and African-American Studies. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
This course defines African American culture and identifies ways in which it is distinct. The course identifies the roots of African American culture, as well as the transformations occurring over time. The course covers identity issues and considers the possibility of complex, multi-identity structures. The course addresses the issues of whether there is a common narrative or a common root metaphor for African American culture, how this is known epistemologically, internally and externally, and how epistemological "knowledge" is appropriated. Course pedagogy includes text readings, case studies, performance events, and media events.
The course focuses on the concept of leadership and on Black leadership in the United States. An in-depth analysis of selected case studies of Black leaders both historical and contemporary. Some attention will be given to the dispersion of Africans into the Americas and the leadership that emerged, conditioned both by environmental factors and the psychology engendered by the system of slavery. Selected successful Black leaders will be invited to visit the class from time to time. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
Introduction to African Literature. Reading, analysis, and discussion of contemporary fiction, poetry, and drama from sub-Sahara Africa. Brief attention will be paid to historical development and to traditional literature. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
This course is an introduction to 20th-century and modern Francophone African literature covering selected works by major authors from both sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb. Attention will be given primarily to the novel, although some poetry will also be read. Topics and themes include negritude, African identity in the wake of colonialism, Islam, and women's writing. Classes will be conducted in English. Students may read the texts in French or in translation. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
Contemporary literature that is set in the context of Muslim cultures provides for an examination of Muslim identity on its own terms. This course focuses on the literary examination of works by Muslim authors from Egypt, Sudan, Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, and Niger. From the perspective of both male and female authors, the issue of what it means to be a Muslim is considered through fictional accounts set in contemporary contexts. Some works will be read in translation from Arabic or French; others are written originally in English. Cultures considered in this course vary widely in their origins and customs, which allows for a focus on the one pervasive element they share in common: Islam as it shapes people's lives. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
Islam's origins, the prophet Muhammed, the Holy Koran, religious symbols and moral mandates, and historical developments. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
A study of pop songs, television, comics, and other idioms of popular culture from different parts of the Muslim world, with attention to Muslims' sense of humor, tragedy, aesthetics, and pertinent issues of the day.
Individual investigation of special topics in African and African-American studies. May not be repeated for credit. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
How does the rich relationship between art and gender provide an organizing metaphor for African artists across space and time? How do artists shape understandings of gender? In this course, we will examine gender in artistic practice alongside cultural binaries and consider how gender historically operated to define distinct roles for artists. We will study how formulations of gender and race intersected to impact artistic production and classification during the colonial and postcolonial periods. We will analyze materiality and the metaphor of childbirth, gender and Islamic textiles, and the concept of "craft.". This course is offered at the 300 and 700 level with additional assignments at the 700 level. Not open to students with credit in AAAS 380/HA 360/WGSS 380. (Same as HA 780.) Prerequisite: Any previous AAAS course.
An interdisciplinary study of the role of Black women in our society, from the African background through the plantation experience to the present. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
An introduction to, and overview of, the historical, intellectual, and professional foundations of African-American Studies; a multidisciplinary examination of the key texts and issues in the field. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
An introduction to, and overview of, the historical, intellectual, and professional foundations of African Studies; a multidisciplinary examination of the key texts and issues in the field. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
A multidisciplinary introduction to the range of research methods employed to examine African and African-American history, cultures, and societies. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
An interdisciplinary, comparative exploration of the histories, cultures, and societies of Africans and peoples of African descent. Students will be required to utilize the skills gained in AAAS 801 and AAAS 802 to design and implement a project that will be critically assessed in the seminar. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description. Prerequisite: AAAS 801 and AAAS 802 or consent of instructor.
An examination of the Civil Rights Movement in American History. Emphasis is placed on the activities of major Civil Rights organizations, Civil Rights legislation and its impact on American life, and conflicts between integrationist and separatist forces in politics, economics, education, culture and race relations in the United States. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
This course will examine the Black Power Movement in its many manifestations, beginning with a discussion of its political and cultural background: the transition from Civil Rights to Black Power in the Afro-American freedom movement of 1960's; the impact on African Americans of African decolonization and the spread of anti-colonial and anti-imperialist movements throughout other parts of the globe. There will also be some examination of the Black Arts Movement and its influence on the Black Power Movement and vice versa. Therefore, some attention will also be paid to the music, literature, theater, and the graphic arts of the period, and the aesthetic and political critiques of these artistic forms. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
A critical examination of the life and thought of W. E. B. Du Bois, paramount black scholar and activist whose massive body of scholarly work spans the period from late 19th through the mid-20th centuries. Course covers the major works of Du Bois. Topics include Du Bois as sociologist, historian, propagandist, and creative writer, taking into account his often shifting views on art and culture, politics, leadership, civil rights and the color line, trade unionism, Pan-Africanism, socialism, internationalism, and, of course, double consciousness, among other issues. Moreover, the course will deal with Du Bois as an intellectual in conversation with other black thinkers, including individuals such as Booker T. Washington, Alexander Crummell, Anna Julia Copper, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Marcus Garvey, E. Franklin Frazier, Walter White and Thurgood Marshall. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
A study of the rhetoric of Black Americans, from their earliest protest efforts to the contemporary scene, with the focus on the methods and themes employed to alter their status in American society. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
The course examines the links between language structure, patterns of use, language choice, and language attitudes in the diglossic and bi-lingual Arabic-speaking communities. It also explores language as a reflector and creator of Arab culture (e.g. linguistic encoding of politeness, the Quranic text as the spoken and written word, the role of tropes in Arabic rhetoric). The topics for discussion range from the micro-level language choice to the macro-level issues of national language policies and planning within the domain of government and education across the Arab world. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
A critical study of Africa and its peoples as depicted in films and videos. The aesthetic, cultural, economic, political, historical, and ideological aspects of African films and videos will be examined. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
Slavery, slave culture, and the slave trade in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean will be examined comparatively. Attention will also be given to African cultures, the effects of the slave trade on Africa, and the effects of African cultures on institutions in the New World. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
A study of the literature written by Black Americans from the pre-Civil War period to the present. Emphasis upon specific historical periods in the development of Black literature as well as on a critical analysis of major autobiographical, poetic, and fictional works. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
The representation(s) of race in significant texts and performance styles in American theatre analyzed according to political ideologies, dramatic movements and the impact of these factors on the representation of the "other" in the theatre.
An examination of the history of sexuality and gender in Africa focused on the 19th-century to the present. Major issues and methods in the historical scholarship on gender and sexuality will be covered. Topics of historical analysis include life histories, rites of passage, courtship, marriage, reproduction, education, masculinities, homosexuality, colonial control, and changing gender relations. Prior course work in African history is suggested. Additional advanced-level coursework is required for students in this course beyond lower-level courses of the same name and/or description.
Investigation and research of a topic for a master's thesis. A maximum of 6 thesis hours may be counted toward the 33 hours required for the degree.
Courses
The goal of this course is to begin developing reading, speaking, listening, writing, and the essentials of Modern Standard Arabic grammar. This course will also provide an introduction to the culture of the Arabic speaking world. Three hours of class per week delivered face-to face plus outside use of recorded text materials. This course does not satisfy any KU language requirement. Prerequisite: Instructor permission required
Continuation of ARAB 101. Further development of basic familiarity with the Modern Standard Arabic language, focusing on speaking, listening, reading, writing, and the essentials of Arabic grammar. Continued exploration of the culture of the Arab-speaking world. Three hours of class per week delivered face-to face plus outside use of recorded text materials. This course does not satisfy any KU language requirement. Prerequisite: ARAB 101.
Five hours of class per week. Basic level of oral fluency and aural comprehension. Vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, grammar, and writing. Reading of simple texts. Not open to native speakers of Arabic.
Three hours of class conducted in Arabic. Intermediate oral proficiency and aural comprehension. Systematic review of grammar. Writing skills beyond the basic level. Introduction to modern Arabic texts and discussion in Arabic. Prerequisite: ARAB 120.
A practical Arabic language course involving advanced study of the grammar, reading of texts on a variety of subjects, conversation, and composition. Taught in Arabic. Designed for students who have had two or more years of Arabic study. Open to native speakers. Prerequisite: ARAB 220 or consent of instructor.
Designed for native and near-native speakers, this course involves reading newspapers and other publications in the language intended for native speakers, conversation, oral presentations, and advanced grammar. Prerequisite: Native or near-native speaker proficiency or consent of instructor.
Continuation of ARAB 401.
Courses
Beginning course in the vernacular language of Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe and other areas of the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. Conversational approach, with essentials of grammar. Reading of basic texts. Special attention to folk culture as expressed by language. No previous knowledge of another foreign language is required.
Continued practice in conversation and composition; intensive and extensive readings from contemporary press, short story, poetry, and folk tales. Prerequisite: HAIT 120 or consent of instructor.
Advanced work in either language or literature or both. May be taken more than once, total credit not to exceed fifteen hours. Conferences. As a three-credit-hour course, it may count toward a major in African and African-American studies. Prerequisite: Four semesters of Haitian Creole or equivalent and consent of instructor.
Advanced work in Haitian culture. May be taken more than once, total credit not to exceed fifteen hours. Conferences. As a three-credit-hour course, it may count toward a major in African and African-American studies. No knowledge of Haitian or French is required. Prerequisite: AAAS 301 or HAIT 200, or consent of instructor.
Courses
Five hours of class per week. Basic level or oral fluency and aural comprehension. Vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, grammar, and writing. Reading of simple texts. Not open to native speakers of KiSwahili.
Three hours of class conducted in KiSwahili. Intermediate oral proficiency and aural comprehension. Systematic review of grammar. Writing skills beyond the basic level. Introduction to modern KiSwahili texts and discussion in KiSwahili. Prerequisite: KISW 120.
A practical KiSwahili language course involving advanced study of the grammar, reading of texts on a variety of subjects, conversation, and composition. Taught in KiSwahili. Designed for students who have had two or more years of KiSwahili study. Open to native speakers. Prerequisite: KISW 220 or consent of instructor.
Designed for native and near-native speakers, this course involves reading newspapers and other publications in the language intended for native speakers, conversation, oral presentations, and advanced grammar. Prerequisite: Native or near-native speaker proficiency or consent of instructor.
Continuation of KISW 401.
Courses
Five hours of class per week. Basic level of oral fluency and aural comprehension. Vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, grammar, and writing. Reading of simple texts. Not open to native speakers of Wolof.
Three hours of class conducted in Wolof. Intermediate oral proficiency and aural comprehension. Systematic review of grammar. Writing skills beyond the basic level. Introduction to modern Wolof texts and discussion in Wolof. Prerequisite: WOLO 120.
A practical Wolof language course involving advanced study of the grammar, reading of texts on a variety of subjects, conversation, and composition. Taught in Wolof. Designed for students who have had two or more years of Wolof study. Open to native speakers. Prerequisite: WOLO 220 or consent of instructor.
Designed for native and near-native speakers, this course involves reading newspapers and other publications in the language intended for native speakers, conversation, oral presentations, and advanced grammar. Prerequisite: Native or near-native speaker proficiency or consent of instructor.
Continuation of WOLO 401.