This course uses film, literature, and historical studies to understand the transformation of African societies during the colonial era and its neocolonial aftermath. It maps out the forging of new national identities, creation of wage laborers, restructuring of rural communities, and changing power relations between women and men, the young and old. Students will also explore how African men and women, from their homes and workplaces, and as part of nationalist and national liberation movements during and after the Cold War, have sought to redefine their place in the global economy amidst new opportunities and challenges presented by environmental degradation, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, hunger, international debt, and Chinas growing thirst for the continents seemingly inexhaustible natural resources.

The development of Islam from its origins in the Qur'an and Muhammad's teachings, through the codification of the classical tradition in its various forms, and finally to the living Islam of the contemporary world.

Engaging an extraordinary diversity of sound, this course explores some of the world's major traditions of musical performance, including classical, ritual, and ceremonial music from around the globe. Through weekly reading and listening assignments, we will study musical sound structures within a variety of social, political, and religious contexts, investigating relationships between music, people, and place. In addition to well-known modes of music making, we will look at many fascinating but less familiar forms of musical expression, such as aboriginal pop music from Australia, the throat-singing traditions of Tuva and Mongolia, and the freedom songs of South Africa. The course will culminate in a semester-long final project.

This study of Jazz, as an American musical art form, will be structured around the lives and music of jazz musicians, across a range of instrumental, vocal, and ensemble genres. Course focuses on jazz titans, those individuals and musical groups distinguished by their seminal and permanent influences, such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, or Coleman Hawkins or shorter intense careers, such as Charlie Parker. Blues, ragtime, swing, bebop, cool, progressive, and free jazz are landmark terms. And finally, study of the musical history will be enhanced by considerations from sociological, linguistic, and philosophical perspectives. The instructional format includes lectures, discussion and intense emphasis on listening. This course is designed for students with little or no musical training; simple technical, musical vocabulary and concepts will be provided. Reading, listening assignments, brief written assignments and two exams. No prerequisites.

After examining the primary features of pre-European African society we will assess the disruptions triggered by European arrival. A discussion of the "Middle Passage" -- the transportation of enslaved Africans to North America -- and the Africans' adjustment to their new environment will compose the first section of the course. We will then focus on the process of "Americanization" as the Africans became African-Americans. The struggle for freedom and citizenship will conclude our survey. The course readings will be selected from autobiographies by African and African-American authors, and some brief selections from secondary texts. Using the autobiographies as historical source material, we will examine the values and cultural practices of Africans in America, and the ways in which African-Americans adapted to and shaped American life and culture.

This course surveys African-American literature of a variety of genres—poetry, drama, autobiography, fiction, and non-fiction essays—from the 18th Century to the 20th. The course interprets this tradition not only as the production of American writers of African descent, but also as a set works that display formal characteristics associated with black cultural traditions. Discussion topics include the meanings of race, the construction of black identity, and intra-racial differences of class, gender, and sexuality. Special attention will be paid to approaching literary texts from a variety of critical perspectives.

A study of the Interfaith Movement from the late 19th to the early 21st century, including issues of identity, religious conflict, and women's voices.

One rehearsal per week. Two concerts per semester. In addition, there may be off-campus performances in local colleges, churches, and other venues in the greater-Rochester community. The Gospel Choir performs a varied repertoire of sacred music -- spirituals, hymns, traditional and contemporary Gospel, music of the praise-and-worship genre. Students may register for credit or simply sing as choir participants.

Eastman's Mbira Ensemble is devoted to the ancient and deceptively sophisticated musical tradition of the Zimbabwean mbira (sometimes called thumb piano). Usually starting with a core group of three or four musicians, mbira performances become communal activities involving singing, various percussion instruments, rhythmic hand clapping and dancing. In the past two years, members of the ensemble have had the opportunity to work with visiting artists including Erica Azim, Cosmas Magaya, Beauler Dyoko, Musekiwa Chingodza, and Patience Chaitezvi.

**NEW** FALL 2011** Led by Master Drummer Fana Bangoura, the West African Drumming Ensemble is dedicated to the dynamic percussive traditions of Guinea. The ensemble combines the iconic djembe hand drum with a trio of drums played with sticks, known as dunun, sangban, and kenkeni. The powerful, multi-part relationships established by this trio of drums provide a rhythmic foundation for the ensemble, enabling djembe players to develop technique in executing both accompaniment and solo parts. Drawing upon his experience as a soloist with the internationally acclaimed groups Les Percussions de Guinée and Les Ballets Africains, Fana engages ensemble players with a wide repertory of music from various regions of Guinea, including the rhythms of the Susu, Malinke, and Baga language groups.

A continuation of Dance 181.

American Culture? Is there such a thing? This class will explore, discuss and debate this question and some more: If there is an American culture, how can we tackle it? How does anthropology, famous for its research away from home, help us understand current major debates in the United States? How do outsiders understand and evaluate American culture? Is there a return of religion to American public life? How do Americans address power relations, class, gender, ethnicity and race? To tackle these questions we will use assigned readings, films, and current events seen through print and electronic media.

How do human beings experience, make sense of, cope with and shape birth illness, and death in their own lives and in the lives of those who are close to them? Historical and contemporary examples from North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

This course will examine the relationship between African Americans and the American political system in order to provide students with a broader perspective on the American political process. We will address issues of organizational resources and approaches, political leadership, representation, integrationist and separatist ideologies, and various strategies for African-American political empowerment.

The primary aim of this course is to explore the historical development and structural make-up of modern American Spiritualism. This course offers students a historical narrative that ranges from the early development of modern Spiritualism in upstate New York to current forms, such as African American Spiritual churches of New Orleans. In addition to this historical survey, the course examines major principles making up the framework of modern Spiritualism in America. Class format includes lectures, discussions, films, and field trips.

Toni Morrison has emerged as one of the most influential writers and critics in contemporary American culture. This course will approach her work from a broad range of critical perspectives including black feminist thought, trauma theory, Biblical exegesis, and critical race theory. Although this class will emphasize rigorous study of her literary works, we will also pay close attention to her contributions to literary criticism, her role in public life as well as her forays into political and national debates. In our study of her novels, we will explore such issues as the importance of history and myth in the creation of personal identity, constructions of race and gender, the dynamic nature of love, the role of the community in social life, and the pressures related to the development of adolescent girls. We will also examine the changing nature of Morrison’s reception by critics and academics, and consider how and why she has achieved such widespread acclaim and influence

This course provides a basic introduction to some of the major works and themes in American literature, focusing primarily on the development of the novel and short story, with limited attention to poetry and drama. We will begin in the nineteenth century and work our way through such contemporary writers as Toni Morrison and Tony Kushner. Our focus will be on the creation of a national identity and how issues of race, gender, class, and sexuality intersect in the formation of an American literary tradition. Students will trace a number of important themes such as the relationship between politics and art, the impact of slavery and the Civil War, immigration, the American dream and the development of a national mythology and ideology. In our study of various movements in the American literary tradition, we will also pay close attention to the intellectual debates concerning audience, language, and the purpose of art that have shaped key texts and historical time periods.

The main thrust of the course is an attempt to provide a historical explanation for the general problem of material poverty and the attendant socio-political crises that characterize contemporary Latin America and the Caribbean. The course begins with an examination of the organization of the economies and societies in the region on the eve of the European conquest, and the factors determining the level of development attained by this time. This is followed by a discussion of the socio-economic processes during the colonial period. The post-colonial period (which differs from one country to another) is examined in the context of the inherited socio-economic structures of the colonial period and the changing conditions in the evolving modern global system.

Economic development of African Americans during the twentieth century.

Students will experience dancing African styles from the traditional cultures of Ghana and Guinea, West Africa. Technical emphasis will focus on foot patterns and placement, as well as developing the proper physical stance for African dance styles. Students will practice the dances and drum songs called Kpanlogo & Gota from Ghana, and Yankadi, Makru, & Kuku from Guinea, as well as various other selections. Outside work is required, including performance attendance, video viewing, article analysis, and journaling. Students can expect to gain a broadened perspective on contemporary West Africa and it's cultural practices.

After a three-week introduction, the course explores South Africa's history from 1652 to the end of legal apartheid in 1994. The course focuses on broad themes regarding the birth and hardening of racial attitudes, land dispossession, industrial color bar, and urban segregation. It highlights African resistance in such forms as African independent church movements, political organizations, trade unionism, and the activism of black women and the youth. Finally, students will have the opportunity to examine major challenges facing the new South Africa, particularly poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

This course identifies and discusses a selection of texts considered crucial for the understanding of the black experience from 1610 to the present.

Students will draw upon their exposure to the theory methods of AAS to produce an interdisciplinary research paper on a topic of their own choosing. Open only to senior majors. Permission of Department required.