Africana Studies - Lafayette College

Africana Studies from Lafayette College is a Campus Bachelor Area Studies degree that prepares you for a Liberal Arts career. From the study of African religions in the Americas to the critique of protest art, the Africana Studies major provides students with a vast interdisciplinary education that delves into present experiences and the history that has defined them. Students in this major examine the universal black experience, including Africa, its extensions into the United States, the Caribbean, and elsewhere in the world. You will probe questions such as: What are the social and political institutions that represent Africa's contribution to global civilization? How do race, class, and sex contribute to the dynamics of oppression? Who are the black leaders that broke through racial barriers and changed the course of history? What were the effects of the black exodus from Africa resulting in the diaspora of enslavement and the more recent diaspora of colonization? Through observation and analysis, you will develop a fuller understanding of the problems and the solutions at the heart of the social, cultural, and political thought and actions of people of African heritage. These skills will help you better understand the larger notion of the African world internationally, operate effectively in today's culturally diverse society, understand how oppression affects your life and that of others, as well as understand how your contributions can play an important role in putting an end to inequity and injustice. Course of Study Africana Studies combines methods of the traditional disciplines (history, literature and languages, music, anthropology and sociology, art history, folklore, religion, economics, philosophy, political science) in analyzing the black experience and the African Diaspora. Classes expose students to theoretical and practical understanding of diaspora discourse through a variety of teaching and learning styles. Students are required to take a minimum of nine Africana Studies approved courses. The three required courses are: African Cultural Institutions, The Black Experience, and the Capstone Seminar in Africana Studies. Students must also choose one intermediary course selected from a list of approved courses including Racism and Sexism, Race and Ethnic Relations, and Class, Status, and Power. In addition, five upper electives are required. They are selected from an approved list and from at least two disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Courses designated as Africana Studies focus significantly on the contributions and experiences of persons of African descent and African Americans. Students may also select a minor in Africana Studies. They must take a coherent cluster of at least five approved courses beginning with African Cultural Institutions. Three courses must be chosen from the list of four approved core courses?Race and Ethnic Relations, Contemporary African Economies, Black Writers, and Black Politics. At least three of the five courses should be level 300 or higher. Students are guided to select electives from two broadly organized areas: 1) analytical aspects of "blackness", focusing on societal dynamics related to history and group attitudes by or about blacks; and 2) cultural values and socioeconomic issues. View more details on Lafayette College . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Area Studies courses.