Africana Studies

Major Requirements (A.B. Degree)

The Africana Studies Department requires 10 courses for the completion of the major.  It is highly recommended that students begin their study with AFR 101.  Students must succesfully complete the following major curriculum:

1. Gateway Course:  AFR 101  - Introduction to Africana Studies
2. One course:  Methods Courses category
3. Two courses: Cultural Production and Expression category
4. Two courses: Historical and Geographical Investigations category
5. Two courses: Social Thought and Institutions category
6. One Intellectual History Course:  AFR 300-308 - Major Thinkers in Africana Studies   
7. Senior Capstone: AFR 495  - Senior Capstone in Africana Studies

Notes:

• At least six of the required courses for the major must be taken in the Africana Studies Department at Davidson College.

• At least two courses in two different geographic regions (North America, Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean)  must be completed.  See course descriptions for geographic region.
• Courses for the major may also be considered from Davidson-run and approved study abroad programs (i.e., Davidson in Ghana, etc.)
• For double majors, no more than two of the same AFR-designated or approved cross-listed courses may count towards the Africana Studies major.

Africana Studies Honors

Students who qualify during their junior year with a minimum GPA and an approved research proposal (submitted by May 30 of the junior year) will be eligible to complete a year-long thesis and enroll in a one-credit thesis course (AFR 498 ) by way of which honors in the major can be earned.  This course will be taught as an Independent Study.  Please note that students who write a thesis must still complete the capstone course (AFR 495 ).  To qualify for honors at graduation, candidates must earn an average of 3.5 or above in the major and an overall average of 3.2 or above.  In the case of an exceptional academic record, together with  a thesis of the highest quality, the department may confer high honors.

Minor Requirements

The Africana Studies Department requires six courses for the completion of the minor. It is highly recommended that students begin their study with AFR 101.

Three Required Courses
Gateway: AFR 101 - Introduction to Africana Studies
Methods: (Must be completed by the end of the junior year.)
Capstone: AFR 495 - Capstone in Africana Studies

Three Elective Courses selected from the following four categories. Only one course from each category may be counted towards the minor:
Cultural Production and Expression
Historical and Geographical Investigations
Social Thought and Institutions
Intellectual History

Categories

Course Numbering Rationale

100- Level Courses: Courses at this level introduce students to canonical texts and foundational concepts within a particular domain in the field or the field overall.Students will gain introductory knowledge of major figures in the field and historical moments/timelines that are specific to the field’s formation.  These courses emphasize skill building in critical reading and argument making. Students practice summarizing arguments of text, identifying evidence, and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of a text. Students are also introduced to and guided through critical reading skills like annotating,  note taking, and persevering through texts with unfamiliar vocabulary and concepts. Students are guided on how to manage increased reading load with respect to length and difficulty of material.  A student will also learn what constitutes a peer-reviewed article or an academic journal in a field. Assessments might include exams, papers, quizzes, and oral presentations. 

200- Level Course: Courses at this level introduce students to debates and/or theoretical models that are significant to the field while encouraging students to develop a range of research skills and produce more complex written and oral arguments.  Major texts and figures in the field are covered with deeper engagement as well. Courses may be theoretically focused (i.e. Black Feminist Theory or Queer Theory), thematically focused (i.e. “the South” in 20th century AfAm lit),and/ or method focus (i.e. Power and Archival Methods). These courses illustrate how knowledge is produced in the field and the shifts in knowledge production and/or treatments of themes or concepts integral to the field over time. These courses encourage deeper, written engagement with course materials beyond summary and analysis. Courses at this level will reinforce those skills but also ask students to synthesize materials with varying viewpoints.  Reading may average between 90-150 pages per week on a MWF schedule. Assessments might include exams, papers, quizzes, and oral presentations. 

300-Level Courses: Courses at this level require students to produce extended scholarly arguments through research and/or the application of theoretical models to events, objects, and phenomena. Students continue to build comprehension of discipline specific vocabulary and theories.  Students in these courses bear more responsibility for in-class discussion as they are encouraged to generate and pose critical questions about course materials as opposed to answering questions posed by the instructor. 300-level course encourage students to narrate, both orally and textually, their own work’s relationship to the field of study and the various communities they are part of beyond the community.  Readings might average between 100- 180 pages per week on a MWF schedule. 

400-Level Courses: The content of these courses may be highly centralized (i.e. a course on the works of a singular writer or intellectual or a deep dive into an aesthetic, political, and/or cultural theory or movement).Students in these courses have sustained practice employing a research method  (multiple where appropriate) while also being responsible for narrating the advantages and limitations of a particular method throughout the course. Assessments for these courses are project-based or culminate in an original research paper that reflects the ability to apply key disciplinary concepts and situate one’s self within core debates in the field. A previous 300-level course is recommended.