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CS92PROD
Engendering the African Diaspora (FGSS Gateway)

HIST 273
Spring 2011 not offered
Crosslisting: AFAM 272, FGSS 271, AMST 284
Course Cluster: African Studies

This course examines the history of the African diaspora from about the 17th century to the present. We begin by reviewing definitions of diaspora, in general, and the African diaspora specifically. Second, we analyze the multidirectional nature of travel between Africa, Europe, and the Americas. African women and men (here, primarily West African) and their descendants have moved in an Atlantic world by force and by choice over the centuries. Finally, we examine the intellectual work of activists, writers, and ordinary women and men of African descent who have debated the politics, artistic expression, and identity(ies) of African diaspora communities. Women as social actors and ideas about gender, femininity, and masculinity are recurrent themes in the course. Reading assignments include a range of scholarly articles, novels, primary documents, electronic sources, and films. This course illustrates that the idea of an African diaspora did not form naturally as a result of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Socioeconomic forces, individuals, community activism, and intellectual critique created and altered the meaning of African diaspora over time.

Essential Capabilities: Intercultural Literacy
The course materials allow students to examine the cultures and societies in Africa, the Americas, and Europe through a variety of sources.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST
Course Format: LectureGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST)(FGSS)

Last Updated on NOV-06-2024
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