2009-2010 COURSE REGISTER - University of Pennsylvania

Aime Cesaire. Examples of a thematic
approach: writing and national identity,
postcolonial conditions, autobiography.
SM 610. (HIST610) Colloquium in
American History. (A) Staff.
This course is cross-listed with HIST 610
when the subject matter is related to
African, African American, or other
African Diaspora issues.
See the Africana Studies Program's website
at www.sas.upenn.edu/africana for a
description of the current offerings.
SM 624. (SOCI624) Race Relations in
American Cities. (M) Staff.
The ethnograhic study of race relations in
the United States. The social life and
culture of urban race relations in the United
States will be emphasized, stressing
conceptual and methodological issues.
Selected ethnographic literature will be
read and discussed. Students will be
expected to carry out an ethnographic site
study.
SM 640. (ENGL600) Proseminar in
Africana Studies. (E) Beavers, Charles,
Jackson, Thomas, Zuberi.
This course focuses on the historical and
cultural relationship between Africans and
their descendants abroad.
SM 701. (AFST701, ANTH701,
ENGL775, HIST701) African
Aesthetics. (B) Ben-Amos, Hardin.
Interdisciplinary seminar for discussion of
issues of special interest to graduate
students and faculty in African Studies.
Topics vary according to the interests and
expertise of instructors.
SM 705. (AFST705, ANTH705,
FOLK715, MUSC705) Seminar in
Ethnomusicology. (A) Muller.
In the contemporary jazz canon women
rarely feature as significant players in the
production of jazz history: jazz is a field of
artistic and popular production largely
determined by male performers, critics and
scholars. Combining close reading and
close listening, this seminar will consider
ways in which women might begin to be
written into the larger jazz narrative, both
within the United States and abroad, by
expanding the criteria by which "jazz" is
defined, and examining the archive out of
which jazz narratives are constructed. A
portion of the seminar will focus on jazz
performers of the twentieth century African
Diaspora.
SM 706. Introduction to Africa and
African Diaspora Thought. (C) Staff.
This course examines the processes by
which African peoples have established
epistemological, cosmological, and
religious systems both prior to and after the
institution of Western slavery.
SM 708. Cultural and Literary Theory
of Africa and the African Diaspora.
(C) Staff.
This course introduces students to the
theoretical strategies underlying the
construction of coherent communities and
systems of representation and how those
strategies influence the uses of expressive
culture over time.
SM 710. Political Economy and
Social History of Africa and the
African Diaspora. (E) Zuberi.
This course provides the opportunity for
students to investigate the relationship
between the emergence of African peoples
as historical subjects and their location
within specific geopolitical and economic
circumstances.
SM 770. (COML773, ENGL770) Afro-
American American Literature. (M)
Staff.
An advanced seminar in African-American
literature and culture.
SM 771. (FOLK770, MUSC770)
Seminar in Afro-American Music. (M)
Ramsey.
This seminar treats selected aspects of the
history, aesthetics, criticism and
historiography of African-American music.
Topics will vary each time this course is
offered.
SM 798. (SWRK799) Advanced
Topics. (M) Staff.
This course is cross-listed with SWRK 799
(Advanced Topics) when the subject matter
is related to African, African American, or
other African Diaspora issues. A recent
topic is "Critical Race Theory."
See the Africana Studies Program's website
at www.sas.upenn.edu/africana for a
description of the current offerings.
African Language Courses
170. (AFST170, AFST517)
Elementary Yoruba I. (A) Staff. Offered
through Penn Language Center.
This is an introductory course in Yoruba
whose goals are to introduce students to the
history, geographical location of the people
AFRICANA STUDIES
who speak Yoruba, their culture, customs,
and traditions; and to enable students to
develop communicative skills through
listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
171. (AFST171, AFST518)
Elementary Yoruba II. (B) Staff.
Prerequisite(s): AFAM 170 or permission
of the instructor. Offered through the Penn
Language Center.
This course continues to introduce basic
grammar, vocabulary, and the reading and
writing of Yoruba to new speakers.
180. (AFST180, AFST580)
Elementary Swahili I. (A) Staff. Offered
through the Penn Language Center.
Beginning level of Swahili which provides
training and practice in speaking, reading
and writing with initial emphasis on
speaking and listening. Basic grammar,
vocabulary, and cultural skills learned
gradually with priority on the spoken
language. Especially during the second
term folktales, other texts, and films will be
used to help introduce important aspects of
Swahili culture.
181. (AFST181, AFST581)
Elementary Swahili II. (B) Staff.
Prerequisite(s): AFAM 180 or permission
of the instructor. Offered through the Penn
Language Center.
This course continues to introduce basic
grammar, vocabulary, and the reading and
writing of Swahili to new speakers. During
this term, folktales, other texts, and film
selections are used to help introduce
important aspects of Swahili culture and the
use of the language in wide areas of Africa.
185. (AFST185, AFST585)
Elementary Swahili: Accelerated. (C)
Staff. Offered through the Penn Language
Center.
An intensive beginning level course
covering materials in AFRC 180 & 181
emphasizing spoken language and
conversational skills. It provides training
and practice in speaking, reading, and
writing with initial emphasis on speaking
and listening. Basic grammar, vocabulary,
and cultural skills are learned gradually
through practice in speaking, listening,
reading, and writing, with priority on the
spoken language. Folktales, other texts,
and film selections will be used to help
introduce important aspects of Swahili
culture and the use of the language in wide
areas of Africa.
240. (AFRC540, AFST240, AFST540,
NELC481) Elementary Amharic I. (A)
Staff. Offered through the Penn Language
Center.
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