AASP - African American Studies
AASP100 Introduction to African American Studies (3 Credits)
Significant aspects of the history of African Americans with particular emphasis on the evolution and development of black communities from slavery to the present. Interdisciplinary introduction to social, political, legal and economic roots of contemporary problems faced by blacks in the United States with applications to the lives of other racial and ethnic minorities in the Americas and in other societies.
AASP101 Public Policy and the Black Community (3 Credits)
The impact of public policies on the black community and the role of the policy process in affecting the social, economic and political well-being of minorities. Particular attention given to the post-1960 to present era.
Formerly: AASP300.
AASP187 The New Jim Crow: African-Americans, Mass Incarceration and the Prison Industrial Complex (3 Credits)
Students will examine the birth of the racial caste system following the abolition of slavery, the parallels between the racial hierarchy of the Jim Crow system and contemporary mass incarceration, and the rise of the prison industrial complex as a multi-billon business which thrives on the oppression of low-income populations and poor communities of color.
Recommended: AASP100.
AASP200 African Civilization (3 Credits)
A survey of African civilizations from 4500 B.C. to present. Analysis of traditional social systems. Discussion of the impact of European colonization on these civilizations. Analysis of the influence of traditional African social systems on modern African institutions as well as discussion of contemporary processes of Africanization.
AASP202 Black Culture in the United States (3 Credits)
The course examines important aspects of African American life and thought which are reflected in African American literature, drama, music and art. Beginning with the cultural heritage of slavery, the course surveys the changing modes of black creative expression from the 19th-century to the present.
AASP210 Intro to Research Design and Analysis in African American Studies (3 Credits)
Introduces students to quantitative and qualitative research methods used in social science with a focus on Black populations and African American Studies Research. Uses practical exercises, such as class surveys and mock focus groups, to examine fundamental concepts of the research process from conceptualization of research questions to interpretation of data and research articles. The course is designed for undergraduate students with little or no background knowledge in social science research methods.
AASP211 Get Out: The Sunken Place of Race Relations in the Post-Racial Era (3 Credits)
Prevailing thought suggests that we live in an era that is post-racial, particularly after the election of Barack Obama. Media often serves to drive our assessment of where our nation stands on issues like race, gender and sexuality. This course uses the film Get Out to delve into the production, evolution and significance of race in present day America. The course will engage multiple forms of media to investigate life in "Post-Racial" America, including but not limited to the role of stereotypes, interracial relationships, police-community relations, etc.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP298G or AASP211.
Formerly: AASP298G.
AASP230 Social (In)Justice and African-American Health and Well-Being (3 Credits)
African Americans suffer worse outcomes than non-Hispanic whites on nearly every health measure and outcomes that link to overall well-being like depressive symptoms or homicides. Health disparities are experienced by other underrepresented minority groups, but because of the unique historic and current experiences of African Americans, the determinants and solutions to African American health disparities are unique. The premise of this course is that African American health disparities are due to social injustices perpetuated on the institutional level that have permeated the lived experiences of African Americans leading to racial disparities in health and well-being. As such, the solutions on the both policy, and community, level must have a social justice approach.
AASP255 African-American History, 1865 - Present (3 Credits)
An introductory course in the African-American experience in the United States from 1865 to the present. Topics include the aftermath of the Civil War on US race relations, the rise of segregation, northern migration, World War I and II, Civil Rights Movements, and the Black Power Movement.Cross-listed with: HIST255.
AASP258 Special Topics in Study Abroad I (1-6 Credits)
Special topics course taken as part of an approved study abroad program.
Repeatable to: 15 credits if content differs.
AASP260 Africa in World Politics (3 Credits)
Introduction to the politics of Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, on the world stage from the colonial period era to recent push towards democracy in Africa and the rise of religious extremism. It also engages such themes as culture, religion and progress, dictatorship, former colonial powers and international influence, etc.
AASP263 Introduction to Black Women's Studies (3 Credits)
Interdisciplinary exploration of Black women, culture and society in the United States. Drawn primarily from the social sciences and history with complementary material from literature and the arts.Cross-listed with: WGSS263.
Credit Only Granted for: WMST263, AASP298I, WGSS263 or AASP263.
Formerly: WMST263.
AASP264 Quare/Queer Contentions: Exploration of Sexualities in the Black Community (3 Credits)
Centering the subjectivities of queer people of color generally and more specifically, Black people (as the word "quare" invites us to do), Quare/Queer Contentions takes up key moments within the history of the Black community and asks us to consider the work and presence of LGBTQ people in these moments. The course also contends with the everyday experiences of LGBTQ subjects in the Black community. Quare/Queer Contentions, therefore, interrogates the material realities of Black queer people in the context of family, religion, cultural/creative work, among others. Interdisciplinary in orientation, the course will employ primary and secondary texts, film, art, autobiographical narratives and policy data.Cross-listed with: LGBT264, WGSS264.
Credit Only Granted for: LGBT264, AASP264, WMST264 or WGSS264.
AASP265 Constructions of Manhood and Womanhood in the Black Community (3 Credits)
Investigates the ways that African Americans are represented and constructed in public and private spheres and explores the social constructions and representations of Black manhood and womanhood from various disciplinary perspectives.Cross-listed with: WGSS265.
Credit Only Granted for: WMST265, AASP298B, WGSS265 or AASP265.
Formerly: WMST265.
AASP274 Creative Writing Through The Eyes of African Americans: A Beginning Workshop (3 Credits)
Introduction to theory and practice of writing fiction, drama and poetry, with an emphasis on African American literary models. Critical reading, exercises and workshop discussions with continual reference to modeling, drafting, and revising as necessary stages in a creative process.
Restriction: Must not have completed ENGL271, ENGL274, ENGL294,or AASP274. Cross-listed with ENGL274.
AASP297 Research Methods in African American Studies (3 Credits)
Introduces African American Studies majors to the basic research skills, methodologies, sources, and repositories for studying African Diaspora. Students will be required to select a research topic, write a research proposal, develop an annotated bibliography, and in the process will be prepared for completing their senior thesis or other significant writing projects necessary to fulfill the requirements of the major.
Prerequisite: AASP101 or AASP202.
Restriction: Must be in African American Studies program.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP297 or AASP299R.
Formerly: AASP299R.
AASP298 Special Topics in African American Studies (3 Credits)
An introductory multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary educational experience to explore issues relevant to black life, cultural experiences, and political, economic, and artistic development.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AASP298C African Civilization to 1800 (3 Credits)
Survey of the principal developments in the history and culture of the peoples of African descent in colonial North America and the United States to 1865. Examines the African past, the Atlantic slave trade, variation in slavery, the growth of free black communities, the transformations of families and cultural forms, and patterns of resistance.Cross-listed with: HIST254.
AASP298L African-American Literature and Culture (3 Credits)
An exploration of the stories black authors tell about themselves, their communities, and the nation as informed by time and place, gender, sexuality, and class. African American perspective themes such as art, childhood, sexuality, marriage, alienation and mortality, as well as representations of slavery, Reconstruction, racial violence and the Nadir, legalized racism and segregation, black patriotism and black ex-patriots, the optimism of integration, and the prospects of a post-racial America.Cross-listed with: ENGL234.
AASP298M Martin Luther King Jr. (3 Credits)
Examines the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. We immediately rethink the image of King who liberals and conservatives construct as a dreamer of better race relations. We engage the complexities of an individual, who articulated a moral compass of the nation, to explore racial justice in post-World War II America. This course gives special attention to King's post-1965 radicalism when he called for a reordering of American society, an end to the war in Vietnam, and supported sanitation workers striking for better wages and working conditions. Topics include King's notion of the "beloved community", the Social Gospel, liberalism, "socially conscious democracy", militancy, the politics of martyrdom, poverty and racial justice, and compensatory treatment. Primary sources form the core of our readings.Cross-listed with: HIST108C, AMST189C.
AASP299 Selected Topics in African American Studies (1-3 Credits)
An introductory multi-disciplinary academic exploration of the cultural, political, and economic issues relevant to Africans and African-Americans.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AASP301 Applied Policy Analysis and the Black Community (3 Credits)
Development and application of the tools needed for examining the effectiveness of alternative policy options confronting minority communities. Review policy research methods used in forming and evaluating policies. Examination of the policy process.
Prerequisite: AASP101.
Recommended: Completion of one semester of statistics is recommended.
AASP303 Computer Applications in African American Studies (3 Credits)
Introduction to statistics and database processing software used in model estimation and simulation in policy analysis. Special emphasis on applications for applied research on policy problems confronting minority communities.
Prerequisite: STAT100, MATH107, MATH111, or SOCY201; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
AASP305 Theoretical, Methodological and Policy Research Issues in African American Studies (3 Credits)
Theories and concepts in the social and behavioral sciences relating to problems in minority communities. Issues include validity and soundness of theoretical arguments, epistemological questions of various methodologies and the relationship between policy making and policy research.
Prerequisite: AASP301; and (STAT100, MATH111, PSYC200, BMGT230, or SOCY201). Or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Formerly: AASP401.
AASP310 African Slave Trade (3 Credits)
The relationship of the slave trade of Africans to the development of British capitalism and its industrial revolution; and to the economic and social development of the Americas.
Prerequisite: AASP202 or AASP100; or permission of BSOS-African American Studies department.
Formerly: AASP311.
AASP313 Black Women in United States History (3 Credits)
Black American women's history from slavery to the present. Focused on gaining a fuller understanding of the effect of race, class and gender on the life cycles and multiple roles of Black women as mothers, daughters, wives, workers and social-change agents.
Restriction: Sophomore standing or higher. Cross-listed with: WGSS314.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP313, WMST314 or WGSS314.
Formerly: WMST314.
AASP314 The Civil Rights Movement (3 Credits)
Survey of the twentieth century civil rights movement from the desegregation of UM Law School through the National Black Political Congress in Gary in 1972. Major themes include leadership, legal and constitutional challenges, non-violence, Black Power, and Pan-Africanism.
Prerequisite: AASP100 or HIST157.
AASP317 Black in Latin America and the Caribbean (3 Credits)
The goal of this course is to have an understanding of race, color, and blackness across the Americas. We will compare and contrast forms of racial categorization, discrimination, and ideologies, whether in the form of nation-building projects, addressing racial inequality, or sexuality and family formation. We will draw primarily on social science perspectives, including the work of sociologists and political scientists.
AASP320 Poverty and African American Children (3 Credits)
The United States has high levels of child poverty compared to other industrialized nations. Poverty rates are particularly high among African American children. This course focuses on how poverty and race intersect to influence the development of children and youth. Specific topics that we will consider include definitions of poverty, theories about the causes of poverty, racial disparities in child poverty, family functioning in the context of poverty, neighborhood influences, risk and protective processes, and social policies and programs designed to mitigate the impact of poverty.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP320 or AASP298P.
Formerly: AASP298P.
AASP358 Special Topics in Study Abroad III (1-6 Credits)
Special topics course taken as part of an approved study abroad program.
Repeatable to: 15 credits if content differs.
AASP360 Issues in African Development (3 Credits)
An introduction to the study of development on the African continent. Students will have an opportunity to think critically about the ways in which Africa is portrayed in the academic literature, popular press, and media. Issues of focus include population dynamics, gender, health, migration, HIV/AIDS, and globalization with particular attention paid to the role of culture.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP398D, GEOG398A, GVPT359F, SOCY398Y, or AASP360.
Formerly: AASP398D.
AASP361 Caribbean Women (3 Credits)
An interdisciplinary analysis of the lives and experiences of women across the Caribbean region, through an examination of their roles in individual, national, social and cultural formations. Special emphasis on contemporary women's issues and organizations.Cross-listed with: WGSS360.
Credit Only Granted for: WGSS360, WMST360 or AASP361.
Formerly: WMST360.
AASP371 Black Feminist Thought (3 Credits)
Examines the ideas, words and actions of Black women writers, speakers, artists, and activists in the United States.
Prerequisite: 1 course in AASP; or 1 course in WGSS. Cross-listed with: WGSS370.
Credit Only Granted for: WMST370, WGSS370 or AASP371.
Formerly: WMST370.
AASP386 Experiential Learning (3-6 Credits)
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-African American Studies department; and junior standing or higher.
AASP395 Fundamentals of Quantitative Research in Socio-Cultural Perspective (3 Credits)
Introduction to quantitative methods for African American Studies majors in the cultural and social analysis concentration. Basics of survey design and experimental design and data analysis and use of statistical software programs.
Restriction: Must be in African American Studies program; and junior standing or higher.
AASP396 Independent Study Non-Thesis Option (3 Credits)
A research seminar that allows African American Studies majors to complete an independent study research project in lieu of completing the AASP397: Senior Thesis. Students will examine various concepts of race, gender, labor and ethnicity in the seminar lecture component to be applied toward their specific research projects.
Prerequisite: AASP386 and AASP297.
Restriction: Must be in African American Studies program.
AASP397 Senior Thesis (3 Credits)
Directed research in African American Studies resulting in the completion and defense of a senior thesis.
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-African American Studies department.
AASP398 Selected Topics in the African Diaspora (3 Credits)
Analysis of the historical experiences and cultures of Africans in the diaspora.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AASP399 Research in African-American Studies (1-3 Credits)
African American Studies research labs are the settings in which the most recent scholarly work of each faculty member takes place with the enterprise of conducting and disseminating research. Faculty members operate as the team leader and faculty mentor working with undergraduate students around a specific research topic or project. Students will have the opportunity to assist with reviewing literature, data gathering, data management, coding analysis, and the preparation of conference presentations and scholarly publications while advancing their own scholarship and interests, cultivating integrative skills, and gain training in a specialized aspect of the African American Studies discipline, which may not be otherwise available from other experiences on campus.
Prerequisite: Two of the following courses: AASP100, AASP101, AASP200, or AASP202.
Recommended: AASP210 or equivalent.
Restriction: Must be in the Africa-American Studies major; and must have completed 30 credits; and must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
AASP400 Directed Readings in African American Studies (3 Credits)
The readings will be directed by the faculty of African American Studies. Topics to be covered will be chosen to meet the needs and interests of individual students.
AASP401 Research Directions in African-American Studies (3 Credits)
Utilizing a pro seminar format, this course offers an overview of recent research on the experiences of African Americans and the African diaspora. The course will cover selective topics from research portfolios of department faculty related to the status of African Americans and the diaspora across a number of topics. Students will read recent original research studies and discuss with the authors both the theoretical underpinnings of the research, the methods and evaluate the interpretations. This course fulfills the capstone requirement for African American studies majors and certificate students by providing an opportunity to consolidate and integrate a range of ideas encountered in the curriculum.
Restriction: Must have earned a minimum of 90 credits; and must be major in African-American Studies.
AASP402 Classic Readings in African American Studies (3 Credits)
Classic readings of the social, economic and political status of blacks and other minorities in the United States and the Americas.
AASP411 Black Resistance Movements (3 Credits)
A comparative study of the black resistance movements in Africa and America; analysis of their interrelationships as well as their impact on contemporary pan-Africanism.
Prerequisite: AASP100.
AASP413 Gentrification: Have You Met the New Neighbors?: Issues of Belonging and Displacement in Urban Areas (3 Credits)
Explores and considers current scholarship on the history, modes and implications of the process of gentrification in various areas within the United States. The course will engage with history, culture, and policy factors related to the redevelopment of urban areas. Course texts will be interdisciplinary in their methodology and genre, and will include themes of race, gender, and class. These texts, combined with student engagement, class discussion, and directed assignments will help to develop a theoretical framework for the understanding of gentrification as systematic, profound and in most if not all cases, irreversibly detrimental.
AASP441 Science, Technology, and the Black Community (3 Credits)
Scientific knowledge and skills in solving technological and social problems, particularly those faced by the black community. Examines the evolution and development of African and African American contributions to science. Surveys the impact of technological changes on minority communities.
Prerequisite: HIST255, AASP202, or AASP100; or permission of BSOS-African American Studies department.
AASP443 Blacks and the Law (3 Credits)
The relationship between black Americans and the law, particularly criminal law, criminal institutions and the criminal justice system. Examines historical changes in the legal status of blacks and changes in the causes of racial disparities in criminal involvement and punishments.
Prerequisite: HIST255, AASP202, or AASP100; or permission of BSOS-African American Studies department.
AASP468 Special Topics in Africa and the Americas (3 Credits)
Cultural, historical and artistic dimensions of the African experience in Africa and the Americas.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AASP478 Humanities Topics in African American Studies (3 Credits)
Advanced studies in the humanities, often requiring prerequisites, focusing on the literary, artistic and philosophical contributions of Africans and African Americans.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AASP479 Special Research in African-American Studies (1-9 Credits)
Supervised research activity within the African American Studies Department. This course is for both majors and non-majors who seek to work for a faculty member on their research project(s) and/or work in their research lab as a Research Assistant (RA). The purpose of this course is to expose undergraduate students to theories and methods used to understand the lives and experiences of Black people across the diaspora via hands-on/applied research experience. A faculty member must agree to supervise your research activity before students can enroll for course credit.
Recommended: AASP210.
Restriction: Permission of BSOS- African American Studies department; and sophomore standing or higher.
Repeatable to: 9 credits.
AASP493 Feminist and Nationalist Thought in Black Communities (3 Credits)
The historical and theoretical foundations of feminist and nationalist thought in Black Communities will be examined. Further, we will discover why feminist and nationalist thought has been routinely ignored or misrepresented as disparate, if not oppositional, themes in Black intellectual and political life.
Prerequisite: AASP101 or AASP100.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP493 or AASP499W.
Formerly: AASP499W.
AASP498 Special Topics in Black Culture (3 Credits)
Advanced study of the cultural and historical antecedents of contemporary African and African American society. Emphasis on the social, political, economic and behavioral factors affecting blacks and their communities. Topics vary.
Prerequisite: AASP202 or AASP100.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AASP499 Advanced Topics in Public Policy and the Black Community (3 Credits)
Examination of specific areas of policy development and evaluation in black and other communities. Application of advanced tools of policy analysis, especially quantitative, statistical and micro-economic analysis.
Prerequisite: AASP301; or permission of BSOS-African American Studies department.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.