1
Subject to change—D.E.Fischer
AFRS 310
Anthropology of Blackness
Meets Tuesdays & Thursdays from 11am to 12:15pm in BUS 138
Instructor: Dr. D-E. Fischer
Office Hours: Wed. 1pm to 3pm
Office: Bldg. E/P, Room 210
Office phone: 415-338-1726
Email:
Website: http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~def
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/blackanthro4sfsu
TAs: Adam Mehis
Imani Williams:
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines anthropological theory, research and practice that relates to constructions of blackness as well as African-diasporic identities. African-diasporic contributions to anthropology as well as anthropological research and theory concerning Africana identities will be explored.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
In this course, students will:
1. Research key concepts and key terms associated with anthropologies of blackness
2. Analyze research design and methodological interventions concerning studies of African-diasporic communities and identities
3. Examine major theories in anthropology that frame studies of race and culture
4. Explore major ethnographies that investigate traditional and contemporary trends concerning anthropologies of blackness
COURSE MATERIALS
Required Readings and Textbooks
1. R. Lavenda & E. Schultz. 2006. Core Concepts in cultural Anthropology. 3rd Edition. McGraw Hill.
2. Harrison, Faye and Ira Harrison. 1999. African American Pioneers in Anthropology. Champagne-Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
3. All other required reading for the course are available on iLearn (https://ilearn.sfsu.edu/login/index.php).
Suggested Books
1. Brown, Jacqueline Nassy. 2005. Dropping Anchor, Setting Sail: Geographies of Race in Black Liverpool.
2. Diop, Cheikh Anta. [1981] 1991. Civiliation or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology. Lawrence Hill Books.
3. Drake, St. Clair. 1990. Black Folk Here and There (Volumes 1 & 2). CAAS: UCLA Press.
4. Du Bois, WEB (with Isabel Eaton). 1899. Philadelphia Negro. University of Pennsylvania Publication. ((other versions from 1899 include New York: Lippincot; recommended version is with L. Bobo introduction— [1899]2007, Oxford University Press))
5. Fikes, Kesha. 2008. Managing African Portugal: The Citizen-Migrant Distinction. University of Chicago Press.
6. Harrison, Faye. 2008. Outsider Within: Reworking Anthropology in the global Age. University of Illinois Press.
7. Hurston, Zora Neal. [1935] 1990. Mule sand Men. Harper Perennial.
8. Jackson, John L. 2001. Harlem World: Doing Race and Class in Contemporary Black America. University of Chicago Press.
9. McClaurin, Irma, ed. 2001. Black Feminist Anthropology: Politics, Poetics, Praxis. Rutgers University Press.
10. Morgan, Marcyliena. 2008. The Real Hiphop: Battling for Knowledge, Power and Respect in the Underground. Duke University Press.
11. Trouillot, Michel Rolph. 2003. Global Transformations: Anthropology and the Modern World. Palgrave-MacMillan.
12. Ulysse, Gina. 2007. Downtown Ladies: Informal Commercial Importers, a Haitian Anthropologist and Self-Making in Jamaica. University of Chicago Press.
13. Williams, Brackette. 1991. Stains on My Name, War in My Veins: Guyana and the Politics of Cultural Struggle. Duke University Press.
Course Websites
iLearn website: https://ilearn.sfsu.edu/login/index.php
Professor Fischer’s faculty website: http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~def
American Anthropological Association website: http://aaanet.org
Association of Black Anthropologists website: http://www.associationofblackanthropologists.org/
Films (available at Academic Technology & to be sampled in class):
Jaguar
Race: the Power of Illusion
Nai! the Story of a K!ung Woman
Ocoee: Legacy of the Election Day Massacre
Color Adjustment
Nice Coloured Girls
This is the Life
The Cows of Dolo Ken Paye
Nihon Style
Raíces de mi corazón (=Roots of My Heart)
+Others
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
Class Participation
Class participation grades are based upon attendance, the quality of your class presentation(s) and your regular participation in class.
Attendance
Attendance is expected and essential. Attendance is considered part of class participation and will be monitored with a sign-in system. An absence motivated by severe illness or extreme emergency will be counted as an excused absence. Students will be asked to provide documentation. Students missing class should notify the TAs via e-mail or by submitting a paper notice to Instructor mailboxes (E/P, Room 103).
Class Conduct Guidelines
Class Participation
Class participation grades are based upon attendance, the quality of your class presentation(s) and your regular participation in class.
Attendance
Attendance is expected and essential. Attendance is considered part of class participation and will be monitored with a sign-in system. An absence motivated by severe illness or extreme emergency will be counted as an excused absence. Students will be asked to provide documentation. Students missing class should notify the TAs via e-mail or by submitting a paper notice to Instructor mailboxes (E/P, Room 103).
Class Conduct Guidelines
· Class discussion is essential. The “R.O.P.E.S.” (Respect, Openness, Participation, Enthusiasm, Sensitivity) will serve as a guideline for all class discussion. The “R” for RESPECT includes TURNING OFF CELL PHONE RINGERS while class is in session. Also, I expect you to refrain from leaving class to answer phone cell phone calls. The “S” for SENSITIVITY includes being able to work cooperatively in groups as well as being sensitive to the diverse life experiences represented by fellow students.
· Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Therefore, all submitted work during the course shall be the student's original work, with credit being given to any sources used. Violating this premise will affect evaluations of work submitted, and if necessary, adjudication will be processed by procedures according to San Francisco State University guidelines.
· There may be periodic “pop” quizzes concerning assigned readings and films. Students are encouraged to complete readings prior to class meeting times. The evaluation of these “pop” quizzes will be computed into students’ final class participation grades.
· Students requesting classroom accommodations or disability resources are encouraged to contact the instructor about appropriate accommodations. Please do not hesitate to approach your Instructor concerning these matters.
· The Instructor reserves the right to adjust course material as needed.
** ASSIGNMENTS**
1. Weekly Reading Raconteurs
A raconteur is one who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit. Students will lead discussion of students’ reading responses at least once during the semester, thus serving as the class raconteur for that day. The Raconteur assignment 15% of your grade. The assignment will be graded on whether or not it is clear that the student has read the reading and provided critical feedback. That is, students should assess the readings’ strengths and weaknesses as well as summarize the work. Relating the works’ usefulness to one’s own research agenda is encouraged and rewarded.
2. Weekly Pioneer Synopsis
Each week a student or group of students will provide a synopsis of the life and work of a pioneer of African American Anthropology. The use of electronic media is expected and required for this presentation. Students may be creative how they choose to represent the pioneer. They must at least have a picture, a brief biographical statement and a list of publications by that pioneer. Student may construct a Myspace page, a website, a short video or slideshow presentation, or another form of digital media that is cleared by the instructing professor. The students will guide colleagues through there construction at the beginning of class each week.
3. Mid-Term
As participants in AFRS 310 you are required to do 15 weeks of critical reading, thinking, and writing. The process of critical inquiry will culminate in an in-class mid-term exam. The midterm examination will consist of a variety of multiple choice questions, and possibly one or two short essay questions.
4. Final Presentation or Paper ((change to an oral history project))
All students will conduct their own research on a topic related to the anthropology of blackness. Oral histories of practicing anthropologists or individuals who are associated with the history of SFSU’s Department of Africana Studies are encouraged. Students may choose to present the findings of their work in a final presentation or a final paper format. All final presentations and papers will include an electronic representation of work using a 3-5 minute digital video presentation. Those choosing final presentations may work in groups that are cleared by the professor. Ethical considerations must be adhered to in this research. All study topics must be cleared by the professor.
Final Presentation Option
The FINAL PRESENTATION option is a presentation that reflects research towards an oral history collected during the course. All topics must be cleared by the professor by November 11. Students must meet in person with the professor during office hours to discuss details of research project and presentation.
1. The presentation should have the following sections:
A) Introduction of argument
B) Historical situation or necessary context of research topic
C) Literature review of texts that support one’s theoretical framework
D) Explanation of methods used to gather data
E) Data Analysis
F) Concluding remarks
2. FINAL PRESENTATIONS will be presented to the class on December 2-11. Presenters not ready to present during their assigned time will receive a zero grade.
3. Support materials, such as power point presentation files, must be turned into the professor. Students are encouraged to be creative and incorporate aspects of video technology, audio, visual, or digital storytelling, power point, photographs, and/or performance.
Final Paper Option
The FINAL PAPER option is a research composition that reflects anthropological research and/ or an oral history project conducted during the course. All topics must be cleared by the professor by November 11. Students wishing to write papers must meet in person with the professor during office hours to discuss details of paper and research projects. Papers must be accompanied by an electronic file of the digital video outlining their research projects.
4. The paper should have the following sections:
A) Introduction of argument
B) Historical situation or necessary context of research topic
C) Literature review of texts that support one’s theoretical framework
D) Explanation of methods used to gather data
E) Data Analysis
F) Concluding remarks
5. The FINAL PAPER is due in class on December 2. Late papers will be marked down and will not be accepted a week after the deadline is past. Email submissions will not be accepted. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself.
6. The paper should be 8-10 double-spaced pages in length, follow standard academic guidelines regarding font and margin sizes, and include references cited according to academic style guides (e.g., AAA style).
5. Quizzes and Other Assignments
Periodic quizzes and assignments will be given to help prepare students for the midterm and final project/ paper. The quizzes will take place in “pop quiz” format, and will generally consist of one or two short answer questions during the class meeting period. Assignment guidelines will be posted on iLearn during the course. These assignments are designed to help students prepare and complete necessary work for optimal performance on the midterm and final project/ paper. These items will be graded on a pass/fail basis and the points will be added to the final class participation grade.
***Students are required to check our public Myspace page & students are also required to check iLearn on a weekly basis. Myspace checks will be monitored by the weekly posting of class related comments about assigned readings by students. The instructors can monitor student logins to iLearn independently. Failure to check Myspace and iLearn on a weekly basis will weaken one’s class participation score. There are several computer labs on campus including two on the first floor of the Ethnic studies and Psychology Building. *** www.myspace.com/blackanthro4sfsu
Students are required to print ALL course readings from ilearn by the second week of class. Students experiencing financial hardship may contact the course TAs and Instructor for support in completing this assignment. Students are expected to bring ALL readings in a binder with the course syllabus by September 4.
Extra Credit
Student may gain extra credit if they attend and/or participate as a volunteer with the Association of Black Anthropologists’ proceedings during the annual American Anthropological Association Meetings in San Francisco November 19-23 at the SF Hilton and Towers Hotel. Please see the AAA website for more information: http://www.aaanet.org. Details will be given in class as well.
Grading Policy
Class Participation…………………………………………15%
Weekly Reading Raconteurs…………….………………..10%
Weekly Pioneer Synopsis………………………………….10%
Mid-Term…………………………………………………..30%
Final Project or Paper……………………………………..35%
Grading Scale
94-100 A / 84-86 B / 74-76 C / 64-66 D90-93 A- / 80-83 B- / 70-73 C- / 60-63 D-
87-89 B+ / 77-79 C+ / 67-69 D+ / 59-below F
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week One_ Introduction to the Course: Anthropology and the Black Experience, Part One
à August 26, 2008 & August 28, 2008
Assignment
1. Email the professor and course TAs the results of your quiz taken on the Understanding Race website.
Required Reading
1. Explore these websites: www.understandingrace.org & www.aaanet.org
2. Be sure to read the AAA Statement on “Race” @:
http://www.aaanet.org/stmts/racepp.htm
3. Be sure to read the AAA Statement on Ethics & Statement on Ethnography & IRB @:
http://www.aaanet.org/stmts/irb.htm
http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/ethcode.htm
Heads up: You could be quizzed over the StatementsJ
Don’t forget to do your homework! Read the online articles & print your iLearn readings! Be prepared. Excel & be great!
Week Two_ Introduction to the Course: Anthropology and the Black Experience, Part Two
àSeptember 2, 2008
Assignment
Weekly Pioneer: St. Clair Drake
Required Reading
1. Anthropology and the Black Experience by St. Clair Drake
àSeptember 4, 2008
In class Film (Jaguar) & Discussion of Drake Reading… BINDER REVIEW DAY!!! BRING READINGS!!!!!!
Week Three_Pioneers
àSeptember 9, 2008
Assignment
Weekly Pioneer: Zora Neal Hurston
Film: N!ai The Story of a K!ung Woman
Required Reading
Du Bois from Philadelphia Negro (selections)
àSeptember 11, 2008
Required Reading
Hurston from Mules and Men (selections)
Week Four_Race: An Invention & Agenda
àSeptember 16, 2008
Assignment
Weekly Pioneer: W. Montague Cobb
Film: Race: The Power of illusion
Required Reading
1. Harrison from Pioneers (selections)
àSeptember 18, 2008
Required Reading
1. Baker from From Savage to Negro (selections)
Week Five_Introducing Diaspora
àSeptember 23, 2008