AFST - Africana Studies (AFST)

AFST 201 Introduction to Africana Studies

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to the field of Africana Studies; interdisciplinary approach drawing from history, philosophy, sociology, political studies, literature and performance studies; explores the African foundational relationship to and connections with its diaspora populations; covers Africa, the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and South America.

AFST 204/ENGL 204 Introduction to African-American Literature

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to the writings of African Americans from the 18th century to the present, emphasizing the major themes and traditions; ENGL-204 also taught at Galveston campus. Cross Listing: ENGL 204/AFST 204.

AFST 205/ENGL 205 Introduction to Africana Literature

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Works, literary movements and genres of authors of African descent in the Americas, Europe and Africa. Cross Listing: ENGL 205/AFST 205.

AFST 206/PBSI 206 Black Psychology

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Critical examination of psychological experience, theories, and methods from perspectives grounded in the "Black experience." Cross Listing: PBSI 206/AFST 206.

AFST 209/PBSI 209 Psychology of Culture and Diversity

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to various issues surrounding an increasingly interconnected and globalized world by critically examining the dynamic relationship between psychological processes and diverse (e.g., motivation, memory, self, prejudice) socio-cultural contexts. Prerequisite: PBSI 107. Cross Listing: PBSI 209/AFST 209.

AFST 252/PHIL 252 Introduction to Hip-Hop Philosophy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to philosophy by way of the major themes and subjects of Hip-Hop; critical advocacy of various philosophical ideals. Cross Listing: PHIL 252/AFST 252.

AFST 261/INTA 261 Contemporary Issues in the Global South

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of current political and cultural issues in the Global South. May be repeated once for credit. Cross Listing: INTA 261/AFST 261.

AFST 285 Directed Studies

Credits 0 to 4. 0 to 4 Other Hours. Directed studies in the field of Africana Studies. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisite: AFST 201; Freshman or sophomore classification; approval of instructor and director.

AFST 289 Special Topics in…

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. Selected topics in Africana Studies. May be repeated for credit.

AFST 291 Research

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of a faculty member in Africana Studies. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisites: AFST 201; freshman or sophomore classification; and approval of instructor.

AFST 300/HIST 300 Blacks in the United States, 1607-1877

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Blacks in the United States from the colonial period to 1877; the slave trade, slavery, free blacks and the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on blacks. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: HIST 300/AFST 300.

AFST 301/HIST 301 Blacks in the United States Since 1877

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Blacks in the United States from the end of Reconstruction to the present; ideologies of black leaders, disfranchisement, lynching and the quest for equality in the 1950s and 1960s. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification; HIST-301 also taught at Qatar campus. Cross Listing: HIST 301/AFST 301.

AFST 302 Gateway Course

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Gateway to a series of courses offered for the minor in Africana Studies; explores topics such as Afrocentrism, postcolonial studies, black cultural studies, black feminist theory for a close study of issues among African and African diaspora populations in Africa, the United States, Caribbean, Europe and South America.

AFST 303 Psychology of Women of Color

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Interdisciplinary theories to study the unique yet intersectional experiences of women from different racial groups, ethnicities, nationalities and cultural backgrounds; scholarly research from the diversity science field; contemporary topics that have developed in a global context; examination of complex issues, which affect women of color across the lifespan. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in AFST 201, PBSI 107, or WGST 200, or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: PBSI 303 and WGST 303.

AFST 317/SOCI 317 Racial and Ethnic Relations

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Status of racial and ethnic groups such as Native Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, and other groups in the political, economic, legal and social systems of the United States. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: SOCI 317/AFST 317.

AFST 323/SOCI 323 Sociology of African Americans

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Major elements of the Afro-American subculture in relation to white American society and its major social institutions. Prerequisites: SOCI 205. Cross Listing: SOCI 323/AFST 323.

AFST 324 Africana Social Sciences

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of a significant topic pertaining to Africa and/or its diaspora in the social sciences. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

AFST 325 Africana Humanities

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of a significant topic pertaining to Africa and/or its Diaspora in the humanities and arts. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

AFST 326 Africana Popular Culture

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Dynamics of popular culture and classic theories of society; popular and public cultural forms in context of globalization and the Africana Diaspora. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

AFST 327/MUSC 327 Popular Musics in the African Diaspora

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of a range of popular musics from the twentieth century that have emerged in conjunction with the historical global spread of peoples and cultures from the African continent; technical knowledge about music is not required; focus on social and cultural contexts for popular music. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: MUSC 327/AFST 327.

AFST 329/ENGL 329 African-American Literature Pre-1930

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Major works of the African-American literary tradition from the 18th century to 1930 studied within cultural and historical context. Prerequisites: 3 credits of literature at 200-level or above. Cross Listing: ENGL 329/AFST 329.

AFST 338/COMM 338 Critical Race Discourse

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Critical analysis of communication and dialogue on race; causes and symptoms of structural racism; social/racial hierarchies as they influence and are influenced by communication and dialogue. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: COMM 338/AFST 338.

AFST 339/ENGL 339 African-American Literature Post-1930

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Major works of the African-American literary tradition from the 1930s to the present studied in their cultural and historical context. Prerequisites: 3 credits of literature at 200-level or above. Cross Listing: ENGL 339/AFST 339.

AFST 344/HIST 344 History of Africa to 1800

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Origins of humankind in Africa; development and spread of pastoralism, agriculture and iron-working; formation of states and empires; impact of Christianity and Islam; rise of international trade in gold, ivory and slaves; African diaspora. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: HIST 344/AFST 344.

AFST 345/HIST 345 Modern Africa

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of Africa since 1800; pre-colonial African states and societies; establishment and impact of European colonial rule; rise of nationalist movements; achievement of independence; problems of political stability and economic development in contemporary Africa; South Africa's apartheid regime and its opponents. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: HIST 345/AFST 345.

AFST 346/HIST 346 History of South Africa

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Selected themes in the history of South Africa from the African Iron Age to the Apartheid regime; history of race relations in the 19th and 20th centuries and the rise of modern industrial state. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: HIST 346/AFST 346.

AFST 352/PHIL 352 Africana Philosophy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Presentation of the seminal ideas of several influential Africana thinkers; recovery of the neglected traditions in which these thinkers locate themselves. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: PHIL 352/AFST 352.

AFST 353/PHIL 353 Radical Black Philosophies of Race and Racism

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Critical evaluation of white supremacy, colonialism and the modern construction of race; examination of the historical background for contemporary theories of race. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: PHIL 353/AFST 353.

AFST 357/HIST 357 Out of Africa: The Black Diaspora and the Modern World

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. History and cultures of the peoples of the African Diaspora from the fourteenth through the nineteenth centuries; social, political, and economic impact on Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Arab World; emphasis on race, gender, identity, and migration. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: HIST 357/AFST 357.

AFST 362/HIST 302 Women and War in the African Diaspora

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Case studies of women and war in the African diaspora in a wide historical and comparative context; social, economic, and cultural influence of war on women’s lives; women as victims, combatants, and refugees; historical construction of race, ethnic and gender identity during times of conflict. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: HIST 302.

AFST 377 Africana Women's History

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Black women’s history from the precolonial era to the present; emphasis on the cultural, political, legal, economic, sexual, social, and religious factors that shaped their experiences across the African Diaspora and the world. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: HIST 377 and WGST 377.

AFST 379/ENGL 379 Postcolonial Literatures

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of key terms, themes and debates within global literature written by colonized, occupied and diasporic peoples. Prerequisites: 3 credits of literature at the 200-level or above. Cross Listing: ENGL 379/AFST 379.

AFST 391 Africana Feminisms

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of a significant topic in feminist theory by and about women from Africa and/or its Diaspora, from various disciplinary perspectives and historical periods, and with application to societal debates and controversies. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.

AFST 393/ENGL 393 Studies in Africana Literature and Culture

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Literary movements, genres, groups of authors, topics or issues in the literature and culture of people of African descent. Prerequisites: 3 credits of literature at 200-level or above; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: ENGL 393/AFST 393.

AFST 398/FILM 398 Africana Cinema

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of African cinema; historical survey of cinema from Africa and the African Diaspora; introducing films produced in several geographical regions and reflecting different filmmaking traditions. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: FILM 398/AFST 398.

AFST 400/GLST 400 Global Africa

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of African diaspora around the world; examination of the historic globality of Africa with a focus on Black artistic expression and its impact on global culture; investigation of Black cultures’ interactions with music, literature, performing arts, visual arts, religions, and social movements. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: GLST 400/AFST 400.

AFST 401 Slavery in World History

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Comparative history of human slavery; slavery in the Ancient World, Asia, Africa; varieties of modern slavery in the New World since 1500; abolition of slavery and continuing forms of human bondage in the contemporary world. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: ASIA 401 and HIST 401.

AFST 422 Race, Ethnicity, Crime and Justice

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Racial/ethnic disparities in criminal offending and victimization, as well as different experiences with law enforcement, judicial, and correctional agencies. Prerequisites: SOCI 220 or equivalent. Cross Listing: SOCI 422 and LMAS 422.

AFST 425/COMM 425 Communication and Black Freedom Dreams

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of historical and contemporary communication practices of Black freedom activities, movements, and organizations in the United States and around the globe. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: COMM 425/AFST 425.

AFST 481 Seminar

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Comparative studies of slave societies in the modern world; history and analysis of African American feminism; comparative analyses of the social, political, and economic condition of African Americans and other African peoples of the diaspora. Prerequisite: AFST 302; junior or senior classification.

AFST 484 Internship

Credits 0 to 4. 0 to 4 Other Hours. Directed internship in a public or private organization to provide students with applied experience; opportunity to observe first hand issues and problems covered in Africana Studies courses; designed to enhance and clarify the student's career objectives. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

AFST 485 Directed Studies

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Selected fields of Africana Studies not covered in depth by other courses. Reports and extensive reading required. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: AFST 201; junior or senior classification; approval of instructor.

AFST 489 Special Topics in…

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. Selected topics in Africana Studies. May be repeated for credit.

AFST 491 Research

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Other Hours. Research conducted under the direction of a faculty member in Africana Studies. May be taken for a maximum of 18 hours credit. Prerequisites: AFST 201; junior or senior classification; and approval of instructor.