Loyola Marymount University Bulletin 2011-2012 > Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts > African American Studies

African American Studies

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Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts

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African American Studies Model Four-Year Plan

Faculty

Chairperson: Adilifu Nama

Associate Professors: Angela James, Joseph Jewell, Adilifu Nama

Assistant Professor: Dionne Bennett

Objectives

African American Studies is an interdisciplinary department with a worldview grounded in the perspective of Africa and the Diaspora. This worldview forms the basis of our intellectual, theoretical, and methodological approaches. The objective of African American Studies is to understand the forces that impact the lives of people of African descent in America as well as the influences of African descent on America and beyond. The Department’s curriculum challenges students to integrate knowledge and analytical skills from disciplines such as sociology, history, literature, political science, philosophy, and economics so that a more holistic understanding emerges.

By examining the lived experiences of Africans in America and throughout the Diaspora from the perspective of various disciplines, students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their interactions within a diverse society. Thus, African American Studies provides students with an excellent preparation for graduate study, professional schools, social advocacy and activism to promote social justice, and numerous employment opportunities (e.g., law, education, counseling, entertainment, social work, public relations, business, etc.) that require a Bachelor of Arts degree.

African American Studies Student Learning Outcomes

By virtue of exposure to African American Studies courses, African American Studies students should know:

The general history of African American people in the U.S. and the Diaspora
The significance of the concept of an African worldview and its significance to African American-centered scholarship
How to conduct social science research and to interpret scientific data
The basic research questions posed by the various disciplines contributing to a better understanding of the African American experience
The value of embracing the concept of diversity in the modern and complex world in which we live
The pathways to graduate schools and professional careers provided to a major or minor in African American Studies
The scope and content of African-centered knowledge systems;

African American Studies students should be able to:

Effectively employ social science methodologies in the analysis of issues related to African Americans
Demonstrate written and oral competencies in the analysis of theories and practices
Identify and utilize appropriate primary data, including census and demographic data
Apply their understanding of social issues to the development and critical analysis of programs and policies that impact residents in rural and urban areas
Develop a basic knowledge and appreciation of the Black Aesthetic
Develop an understanding of the forces that negatively impact the Black family and other institutions in the Black community;

African American Studies students should value:

The contributions of Black people to America and to world civilization
The importance of diversity in a complex world
Critical thinking as an important problem solving skill
Community service and service learning as meaningful activities
The dignity of all human cultures.

Major Requirements

Lower Division:

AFAM 115

AFAM 150

AFAM 155

One course in research methods chosen from the following:

AFAM 208

POLS 210

SOCL 109

Upper Division:

24 semester hours in upper division courses must include AFAM 335 (SOCL 335) and AFAM 497. AFAM 335 should be taken in the first semester of the junior or senior year. AFAM 497 should be taken in the senior year. The remaining 18 hours are to be chosen from the five focus areas in which the upper division courses in African American Studies are grouped: I) Sociology, II) History, III) Literature/English, IV) Economics and Urban Studies, V) Senior Seminar. An average grade of C (2.0) must be obtained in courses included in the major.

I. Sociology

AFAM 301	Black Family Life
AFAM 334	Race and Ethnic Relations*
AFAM 335	Sociology of the Black Community
AFAM 435	Sex, Race, and Violence
AFAM 485	African American Social Thought*

II. History

AFAM 390	African Kingdom*
AFAM 392	Colonial Africa 1860-1960*
AFAM 490	The Nile Quest*
AFAM 491	South Africa*
AFAM 590	Seminar in African History*

III. Literature/English

AFAM 337	Black Arts Movements
AFAM 395	Black Drama
AFAM 396	Survey of African Amer. Literature

IV. Economics and Urban Studies

AFAM 326	Econ. Dev. Minority Communities*
AFAM 365	Metropolitan L.A.*

V. Senior Seminar

AFAM 497

Senior Seminar

* cross-listed courses

Minor Requirements

18 semester hours, including AFAM 115, 150 or 155, and 335 and nine (9) semester hours in upper division courses. An average grade of C (2.0) must be obtained in the courses included in the minor.