Religion is an often overlooked element in the study of hip hop culture. Offers students the opportunity to examine the variety of ways religion finds expression in the dynamic cultural medium of hip hop.

BUILDING: GRGEN | ROOM: 108

This course provides an introduction to the major issues in contemporary African politics. The questions we will consider include: What are the legacies of slavery and colonialism? What accounts for the variation in political institutions across Africa? Why have so many African countries experienced political violence? And, how do political institutions influence development in Africa? We will do so by examining individual countries, as well as evidence from broad cross-national studies.

BUILDING: DEWEY | ROOM: 2110E

Since the 1960s religious scholars, especially in developing countries, have attempted to re-think and re-express their beliefs in ways that can lead to greater social justice for marginalized people. This largely Christian movement set in a motion a theological and social phenomenon known as liberation theology. In this work we will examine the ideas and actions behind this movement, with particular reference to race, class, and gender. Writing and discussion are integral parts of the course.

BUILDING: MOREY | ROOM: 501

This course will explore critically how societies use a variety of legal mechanisms to achieve justice in the wake of political violence. We will use anthropological approaches to explore critically the ideology behind these “transitional justice” mechanisms and their diverse impacts in specific contexts around the world, focusing particularly in Africa. What is the relationship between rule of law, political stability, and peace? How do legal solutions balance local realities, cultural norms, and customary law with universal standards of law and human rights? How do legal solutions define peace and justice, truth and punishment, and manage tensions between them? Whose voices are valorized or silenced in these debates?

BUILDING: LATT | ROOM: 413

A continuation of DANCE 181 that allows the student to deepen their experience and hone their skills in West African Dance.

BUILDING: SPURR | ROOM: DANCE

Dynamic dance traditions of Guinea, West Africa. Accompanied by live music, students learn footwork and movements for several rhythms and acquire familiarity with the physical stance common to many styles of West African dance. Learn to execute movements together with the rhythmic foundation provided by our drummers and become familiar with the origins and cultural significance of each dance, and the songs that accompany them.

BUILDING: SPURR | ROOM: DANCE

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.

BUILDING: MOREY | ROOM: 314

Through intensive reading and discussion, we examine the politics and history of American cities. While we read scholarship drawing on the experiences of an array of cities--including Chicago, New York, Detroit, Boston, Oakland, Philadelphia, San Diego, Albuquerque, Phoenix, New Haven, Atlanta, Buffalo, and Charlotte--our emphasis is on commonalities in the urban experience as well as on systematic differences. We analyze the relationship of cities to their hinterlands in the early stages of urban development, the rise of ethnic neighborhoods, suburbanization, industrialization, de-industrialization, housing and jobs, concentrated poverty, and population changes. Race, ethnicity, and class are central to this course, not only in understanding changes in neighborhoods but also in the nature of politics and governmental arrangements.

BUILDING: LCHAS | ROOM: 181

This junior seminar offers students the opportunity to research and discuss the operation and consequences of widespread corruption in the global economy and the complex historical processes – economic, social, and political – which help to explain the phenomenon. To make the seminar a well-focused course, discussion will focus on country-case studies (with about three selected individuals in each country) that help to demonstrate the general pattern of causes and effects. A major issue to consider, among other things, is the role of cut-throat competition among global corporations and the effects of their corrupt activities on the quality of governance.

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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. (Fall and Spring) (1 credit)

BUILDING: HUTCH | ROOM: 140

Economic development of African Americans during the twentieth century, with an examination of the economics of discrimination. Same as HIS 253 and AAS 253.

BUILDING: HYLAN | ROOM: 201

What motivates individuals to identify with an ethnic group? How does ethnic identity shape voting, political parties, democratic stability, economic growth, and political violence? This seminar explores the growing literature on ethnic politics in comparative politics and international relations. The course includes theoretical and multi-country studies of ethnic politics and also includes in-depth case studies of Nigeria, the United States, South Africa, India, and Sudan.

BUILDING: DEWEY | ROOM: 1101

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.

BUILDING: MOREY | ROOM: 525

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.

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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.

BUILDING: MOREY | ROOM: 525

The aim of this course is to examine the polyvalent character of French-speaking cinema that is termed as “Francophone.” We will explore issues of the universal application of “Francophone family” that mainly includes African, Caribbean, and French Canadian films, and will investigate the case of French-speaking Europe other than France. We will closely examine the aesthetic and theoretical questions that each Francophone cinema raises in search of a cinematic discourse along with questions of production, distribution, and exhibition. Weekly film screenings. Knowledge of French is encouraged but not necessary. The course will be taught in English.

BUILDING: LCHAS | ROOM: 122

This course uses film, novel, and historical studies to examine the following themes in the making of modern Africa: the forging of new national identities, creation of wage laborers, and the restructuring of agricultural work, gender, and social age. Students will also explore how African women and men, from their homes and workplaces, and as part of nationalist or national liberation movements during and after the Cold War, have sought to redefine their place in the global economy against the backdrop of new opportunities and challenges presented by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, hunger, international debt, and engagement with China.

BUILDING: GRGEN | ROOM: 110

Autobiography is the foundational genre in the tradition of African-American literature. It is also the genre that both illustrates and represents the process of the construction of identity. Autobiography is not only writing about a life authored by oneself, but also the life of the self made manifest in the form of writing. This course surveys the tradition of autobiographical writings by African Americans, from slave narratives to recent bestsellers, in order to promote an understanding of autobiography as a narrative form shaped by its historical context and the purposes of the author. In addition, the course provides students with insights into various topics in African-American culture and history. Readings include texts by Maya Angelou, Frederick Douglass, Olaudah Equiano, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Jacobs, Audre Lorde, Barack Obama, Booker T. Washington, Richard Wright, Malcolm X, and more.

BUILDING: MOREY | ROOM: 502

We will identify and discuss the salient moments in the nation's history when race functioned as an organizing principle in the construction of American public and private institutions. Course readings will examine the historical background of current debates on issues such as Affirmative Action, Diversity, Multiculturalism, Educational Testing, Reparations, the Media, and Political Party Re-alignment.

BUILDING: LCHAS | ROOM: 104

In 2010, singer Janelle Monáe released The ArchAndroid, an album about time travel, liberation from oppression, & love. But what does Monáe’s cyborg alter ego tell us about the relationship between fantasy, freedom, & black female sexuality? This class traces a cultural history of black female sexuality in science fiction. We will examine how Monáe & others question normative constructions of black womanhood as one-dimensional, abject, and alien. Through lively & informed discussion, we will explore social constructions of identity; notions of belonging & community; and how science fiction and fantasy might function as sites of resistance particular to black womanhood in the United States. We will define key terms – third wave feminism, afrofuturism, the cyborg – and study specific works by black women artists. Genres include literary fiction, contemporary visual art, film, & popular music. Artists include Grace Jones, Wangechi Mutu, & Janelle Monáe. Authors include Donna Haraway, Mark Dery, & Octavia Butler.

BUILDING: LATT | ROOM: 540

In this course, students will work on expanding their repertory of rhythms from Guinea, West Africa, and on improving their playing technique on the djembe, dunun, sangban, and kenkeni. In particular, we will concentrate on learning extended solo sequences for the djembe, and more advanced arrangements played on the dunun, sangban, and kenkeni. Students will also work on developing skills specific to performance, adding choreographed onstage movement to complement their drumming.

BUILDING: STRNG | ROOM: LOWER

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.

BUILDING: STRNG | ROOM: LOWER

Home to Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and George Eastman, upstate New York has been the seedbed for many of the most important events in American history. In this seminar, students will discover the rich history of Rochester as well as learn about current debates over political organization, racial and economic segregation, suburbanization, and economic change. The course will emphasize five major themes: urbanization and religious revivalism in the 1820s and 1830s; movements for abolition and women's rights; reform initiatives during the Progressive Era; economic and racial changes in the 20th century; and city politics in the 20th and 21st centuries. As part of the course, students will visit sites in and around the city as well as meet and talk with political figures active in the city today.

BUILDING: LCHAS | ROOM: 163

Independent studies on some aspect of the problems of energy resource development in lower-income countries, solutions to it, and relationship to development issues, including work with the instructor’s Access to Hydrocarbon Energy for African Development project, can be done within this course.

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May be an independent course with a faculty sponsor or may be taken in an advanced research seminar in which the student elects to write the essay but not to do all the required readings; as such it does not meet the 300-level seminar requirement, but it may be used as a distribution requirement within the area.

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Experience in an applied setting supervised on site. Approved and overseen by a University instructor.

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