African American Social Thought

Course Description

An introduction to perspectives advanced by black scholars concerning black power and pride, stratification, social order, culture, intraracial socialization, interaction, mate selection, and consequences of skin-tone variance.

Syllabus

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

  • Identify how African Americans have constructed and negotiate social identities in a variety of social structures and contexts.
  • Gain a working knowledge of theoretical frames used to study African Americans in the discipline of sociology.
  • Conduct a research-based project and activities regarding African-American culture and identity utilizing literature and theoretical frames from sociology and related disciplines.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure Percentage/Points
Syllabus Quiz & Student Interest Activity 25 points (5%)
Application I 100 points (20%)
Application II 100 points (20%)
Participation 75 points (15%)
Final Project 200 points (40%)

Grading Scale

Percentage Letter Grade
467-500 pointsA
450-466 pointsA-
436-449 pointsB+
419-435 pointsB
400-418 pointsB-
386-399 pointsC+
370-385 pointsC
350-369 pointsC-
336-349 pointsD+
318-335 pointsD
300-317 pointsD-
299 points or belowF

Attendance/Participation:

Participation is earned through engagement of in-class and digital activities.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Access to Netflix for additional documentaries and digital texts is required.

Scholarly Perspectives

This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.