Blackness in America: from Minstrel Shows to "Shuffle Along" 4219-SH0035
The course reviews the development of the cultural representations of African American from the 1840s until the 1910s, tracing the impact of “racial” ideologies on Black self-expression. The opening classes are devoted to the origins of "racial" representation in America, with particular focus on the legal, social, and cultural means by which "race" was established as a social fact. What follows are three sections, devoted to three distinct periods in African American history: the Antebellum; the Reconstruction; and the Nadir. The course traces the evolution of the idea of Blackness across those periods in its social, legal, and cultural significance. Special attention is devoted to the various cultures of resistance to White racism, such as Black respectability, early forms of Black nationalism, or cultural means of self-expression such as the blues. The final classes address the emergence of the New Negro movement as a milestone in the evolution of African American identity and political consciousness.
Type of course
Mode
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Participant in the course will
KNOWLEDGE:
know and understand:
- to an advanced degree selected facts and phenomena concerning the culture of the United States, as well as the methods and theories that explain complex relationships between them;
- cultural products of American culture from the 19th c. in their historical, social, and political contexts;
- historical processes and events that led to the formation of "racial" divisions in the United States and their further development throughout the 19th c.;
SKILLS
be capable of:
- using acquired theoretical knowledge to describe and analyze cultural processes and phenomena occurring in the United States;
- analyzing cultural processes and phenomena occurring in the United States correctly using normative systems;
- interpret works of American literature in the context of broadly understood American culture;
SOCIAL SKILLS
be prepared to:
- critically perceive content related to the history of the United States;
- utilize interdisciplinary knowledge acquired in American Studies concerning the United States to formulate own opinions and recognize its significance in solving cognitive and practical problems.
Assessment criteria
The final grade is the sum of
- attendance and active participation (50%)
- research tasks (50%)
Participants will be expected to complete one of the following sets of research tasks:
a) write a 6-8-page research paper on a topic decided in consultation with the instructor;
b) complete a writing task (summary + annotated bibliography) and contribute to an in-class presentation about an additional reading.
To obtain a passing grade, a participant will need to pass the 60% threshold for their involvement in the course.
Bibliography
The bibliography for the course includes writings by Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells, and others. We will devote some space to prose and poetry expressive of White "racial" ideologies, setting them against Black thought of the period. The course also makes use of contemporary scholarly analyses by the likes of Cedric J. Robinson, Hazel V. Carby, Robin D.G. Kelley, and Angela Y. Davis.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: