Africana Studies Academic Goals & Objectives
Africana Studies examines the cultural, historical, political, economic, and psychological consequences of the dispersal of Africans from their ancestral continent to various regions of the world. Our work reflects the ongoing debate over whether Africana Studies is a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary field, or whether it has evolved into a distinct discipline. Within this debate there is an emerging consensus that our methods of inquiry should be Afrocentric, transnational, and multidisciplinary. Afrocentricity means putting the people, ideas, cultures, and institutions of Africa and the African Diaspora at the center of our scholarship and pedagogy. Transnationality means studying the Afrodiasporic experience through the relationship of peoples, ideas, and events across geographical boundaries. Multidisciplinarity means understanding the Afrodiasporic experience through an integrative framework of different subjects and methodologies.The program contributes to non-majors' general education in a variety of ways. The program diversifies the curriculum by offering or cross-listing courses that focus on Africa and its Diaspora. Africana Studies also encourages departments across campus to consider the study of Africa and the African Diaspora as essential, rather than peripheral, to their disciplines. Further, courses in the program offers students opportunities to reflect on their multifaceted nature of their own culture (taking into consideration the Afrodiasporic contribution), as well as to consider the diverse experiences and cultures of African and African-descended peoples in Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
To meet these goals, the program gathers courses and faculty from departments across the four curricular divisions. Our courses are cross listed in the program and the participating departments. The majority of our courses focus on African-American issues, but we do offer courses on Africa (primarily in the social sciences) and the Afro Caribbean and other parts of the Diaspora (primarily in the arts and humanities). The multi- and interdisciplinary character of our offerings draws students' attention to the various kinds of knowledge, the relationships among them, and their relevance to one another. Majors are expected to understand the geographical expanse, historical depth, and intellectual breadth of the Afrodiasporic experience through two foundational courses at the 100 and 200 levels, including Africana Studies 229, "Black Intellectual History." At the 200 and 300 levels, majors must also take courses that focus on each of the three major regions studied in the program. Further, majors' courses should reflect two of the three curricular divisions—i.e. Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences—in which the program's teaching expertise is concentrated. Finally, majors must undertake a senior thesis, an independent, Africana-centered research or creative project. To prepare for this project, majors take Africana Studies 299, "Africana Studies Research Methodologies." Through the thesis, majors are expected to demonstrate the skills in research, multi-/ interdisciplinary inquiry, analysis, and writing that they have acquired in their undergraduate education, and specifically within the program.
The Africana Studies Program offers two correlate sequences. The first requires students to focus on one of the three major geographical regions. Like the major, this correlate is anchored in the foundational "Black Intellectual History" course.
The second correlate is the recently approved Arabic Language and Culture sequence. As most students who choose this correlate focus on the modern Middle East, the sequence emphasizes the acquisition and use of Arabic as it is spoken today. The correlate aims to help students achieve at least the ACTFL Advanced-level proficiency in reading Modern Standard Arabic and an above-average fluency in the language. By reaching this level, correlate students gain a solid foundation that will enable them to become life-long learners of Arabic language and culture. The correlate also seeks to enrich students' intercultural skills by exposing them to the Arabic literary tradition and offering them opportunities for real-life immersion through the various JYA programs in the Middle East supported by the college. In addition to serving correlate students, the recently expanded course offerings in Arabic have increased the program's ability to meet the needs of students from a variety of majors, including history, religion, and political science.
Requirements
The Africana Studies program is the oldest multidisciplinary program at Vassar College. The program is concerned with the cultural, historical, political, economic, and psychological consequences of the dispersal of Africans from their ancestral continent to the diverse regions of the world. It comprises the focused and critical study of the people, cultures, and institutions of Africa and the African Diaspora through a generous offering of courses both originating in the program and cross-listed or approved from other departments. These courses span a majority of the standard disciplines: literature and the arts; area studies; history; social sciences; psychology.
In addition to a broad array of courses offered on the Vassar campus, the program also participates in several study away programs.
Requirements for concentration: 11 units are required for the major.
Basic requirements: a) At least one course at the 100-level not including foreign language courses; b) Black Intellectual History (Africana Studies 229); c) Africana Studies Research Methodologies (Africana Studies 299); d) at least two units at the 300-level, and e) a senior thesis.
Distribution of unit requirements: Students must also meet two distribution requirements. Apart from clearly specified courses, Africana Studies 229, Africana Studies 299 and senior thesis, the remaining 8 required units must include: (a) one course from each of the two divisions in the program, namely the 1) Arts and Humanities and 2) the Social Sciences, and (b) at least one course from each of the three regions of the African Diaspora, namely 1) Africa, 2) North America, and 3) Europe, the Caribbean, and South America. Note that one course (for example, African Religions) can meet the two distribution requirements (Africa\Humanities).
Students should normally take Africana Studies 229 and Africana Studies 299 before their junior year. A maximum of two units of language study can be counted toward the major. A maximum of one unit of fieldwork can be counted toward the major. JYA credits normally accepted by the college will count towards the distribution requirements in consultation with the program. NRO work may not be used to satisfy the requirements of the Africana Studies Program.
Advisers: Program director and program faculty.
Correlate Sequences
The Africana Studies Program offers two correlate sequences.
Correlate Sequence in Africana Studies: Students undertaking the correlate sequence must complete 6 units. All students must take Africana Studies 229, In addition, students must have a regional specialization, taking courses from Africana Studies or approved related disciplines focusing on one of the three regions of the African Diaspora (1) Africa, (2) the United States, and (3) the Caribbean. At least I unit must be at the 300-level.
Correlate in Arabic Language and Culture: Students need to complete 5 units of Arabic at the introductory, intermediate, and upper levels and on Arabic literature (Africana Studies 203 or 205) or another approved appropriate alternative course.