African American Culture
African American Culture
In this course, we shall attempt to define and understand the
aspects of African‑American culture that distinguish it from mainstream
American culture; to understand, that is, how an essentially African cultural
matrix evolved within the context of American history and society. The
organizing principle of the course is summarized aptly by a quote from Levine's
Black Culture and Black Consciousness:
"Culture is not a
fixed condition but a process: the product of the interaction between the past and
present. Its toughness and resiliency are determined not by a culture's ability
to withstand change, which indeed may be a sign of stagnation, not life, but by
its ability to react creatively and responsively to the realities of a new
situation. The question, as VeVe Clark recently put it, is not one of survivals
but of transformations. We must be sensitive to the ways in which the African
world view interacted with that of the Euro‑American world into which it was
carried and the extent to which an Afro‑American perspective was created."
The aim of this course is to develop this sensibility: the
ability to recognize the enduring elements of African‑American culture in its
literature, music, dance, and visual arts. Thus, we shall be discussing, among
other things: the nature of the blues and its influence upon African‑American
literature; the expressive qualities of African‑American quilts; the possible
meanings of movement in African‑American dance; and the use of a folk‑matrix in
the works of selected African‑American authors.
Grading criteria:
Student
performance will be assessed using the following criteria:
a) knowledge of the readings, background information, and ideas encountered in lectures and secondary
readings
b) the ability to express clearly in
the student's own words the concepts presented in the course, using appropriate
supporting evidence and arguments. This involves the ability to analyze,
synthesize, and interpret the material.
c) the ability to recognize and
apply the aesthetic principles of African‑
American folk culture
The following percentages are
approximate and subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.
Discussion/Participation (Credit/No
Credit) 15%
Quizzes 45%
Projects 40%
TEXTS:
The
Blues People by Leroi Jones
Africans in
Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
Additional
texts online
