Spring 2023 African Studies Courses

African American and Diaspora Studies 

CAS AA 112 Black Power in the Classroom: The History of Black Studies: Centers Black experiences, cultures, knowledge production and identity formation in the United States and in the African Diaspora across time and space. Examines and traces the genealogies of Black Studies as a discipline: its political, ideological, and practical foundations on college campuses and in communities. Also explores earlier traditions and contemporary work in Black radical thought and activism that lay the groundwork for and build on the founding principles of Black Studies by mobilizing an intersectional and diasporic lens. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS AA 207 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity: This course examines the fundamental theoretical and empirical approaches regarding race/ethnicity and the current state of race relations in the U.S. that explore both contemporary social problems and the deep historical roots of those problems through a sociological lens. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Also offered as CAS SO 207. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, The Individual in Community, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS AA 215 Arts of Africa and Its Diaspora: Exploration of a diversity of visual and performing arts from Africa, including royal regalia, masquerades, and contemporary painting. Examines how the dispersal of Africans, due to the transatlantic slave trade and immigration, contributed to the cultural richness of the Americas. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.

CAS AA 234 African Americans in Global Perspective: Slavery and the Creation of Race: A study of how chattel slavery in the Americas led to racialization as a primary tool in the creation of American society and New World capitalism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking

CAS AA 335 Sociology of Race, Class & Gender: No one of us is one thing, one identity, nor motivated by one singular interest, nor privileged or subjugated by one singular form of power, but how do those multiple forms of ourselves affect how we are advantaged, disadvantaged, viewed, and understood by the social world? Our social world, is, by default, a vast web of social intersections between and across groups with shared, overlapping, and conflicting identities. Race, class and gender affect nearly all of our lived experiences and greatly complicate and nuance concepts of diversity and difference. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression , The Individual in Community, Historical Consciousness. Prereq: At least one prior 100- or 200-level sociology course, or CAS WS 101/102.

CAS AA 363 Race and the Development of the American Economy: A Global Perspective: Prereq: CAS EC 101; or consent of instructor.Surveys the economic history of African Americans within the context of the development of the American and global economies. Topics include the economics of slavery; race and industrialization; the Great Migration; anti- discrimination legislation; and the historical origins of contemporary racial inequalities. Also offered as CAS EC 363. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry II.

CAS AA 385 Atlantic History: Examines the various interactions that shaped the Atlantic World, connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas between 1400 and 1820. Begins by defining the political interaction, then emphasizes cultural exchange, religious conversion, and the revolutionary era.

CAS AA 489 The African Diaspora in the Americas: Prereq: consent of instructor. History of peoples of African descent in the Americas after end of slavery from an international framework. Examines development of racial categories, emergence of national identities in wake of the wars of independence, diverse Black communities in the twentieth century. Also offered as CAS HI 489.

African Studies Center

CAS ID 116 Africa Today: The Beat of Popular Culture: Provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the dynamics of contemporary Africa. Examines Western preconceptions, then turns to contemporary literature, film, television, music, dance, and the visual arts from across the continent as a means of listening to diverse African voices. Core course in the African Studies minor. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, The Individual in Community, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS LD 112 Amharic 2: This second semester four-skill Amharic course leads toward proficiency in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, cultural understanding, and writing using the Amharic alphabet. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.

CAS LD 116 Zulu 2: Second-semester four-skill Zulu course leading to proficiency in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. Course combines face-to-face classes with internet instruction. Students require a computer with microphone, webcam, and a reliable Internet connection. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.

CAS LD 120 Igbo 2: Second-semester four-skills Igbo course leading to proficiency in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. This course builds on the first semester, expanding students’ ability to communicate in everyday contexts. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.

CAS LD 212 Amharic 4: This fourth-semester four-skill Amharic course develops competence and confidence in use of Amharic in reading, writing, speaking and listening in culturally acceptable ways. Students learn to communicate at an intermediate high level of proficiency. Satisfactory completion of LD 212 fulfills the CAS language requirement. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

CAS LD 216 Zulu 4: Prereq: CAS LD 215. This four-skills African language course in fourth-semester isiZulu develops communicative competence and confidence in the use of isiZulu in reading, writing, speaking and listening in culturally acceptable ways. Students learn to communicate at an intermediate high level of proficiency. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

CAS LD 220 Igbo 4: This fourth semester four-skills Igbo course develops communicative competence and confidence in the use of Igbo in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in culturally acceptable ways. Students learn to communicate at an intermediate high-level of proficiency. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

CAS LD 312 Amharic 6: Sixth semester four-skills Igbo course leading to proficiency in speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Study of contemporary Igbo social and cultural issues explored through the reading of advanced traditional and contemporary Igbo literary texts.

CAS LD 320 Igbo 6: Sixth semester four-skills Igbo course leading to proficiency in speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Study of contemporary Igbo social and cultural issues explored through the reading of advanced traditional and contemporary Igbo literary texts.

CAS LD 316 Zulu 6: This sixth-semester course builds on Zulu 5, helping students to develop their proficiency in the language at the advanced level. Continuing study of various language and cultural issues pertaining to Zulu society.

CAS LD 416 Zulu 8: Fourth-year course develops fluency in all language skill areas, builds vocabulary and idiomatic knowledge. Weekly presentations focus on themes linked to students’ research interests. Recorded dialogues, television news, dramas and comedies strengthen listening skills and cultural appreciation.

CAS LD 420 Igbo 8: A continuation of CAS LD 419, Igbo 7, leading to an advanced-mid level of proficiency based on ACTFL standards in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. Also strengthens students’ knowledge of Igbo grammar and culture.

CAS LD 492 Directed Study in African Languages and Linguistics: Prereq: consent of instructor and department and approval of CAS Advising. Study of the linguistic structure of an African language, or the typology of African language families, or linguistic problems related to African languages.

CAS LD 416 Zulu 8: Fourth-year course develops fluency in all language skill areas, builds vocabulary and idiomatic knowledge. Weekly presentations focus on themes linked to students’ research interests. Recorded dialogues, television news, dramas and comedies strengthen listening skills and cultural appreciation.

CAS LD 420 Igbo 8: A continuation of CAS LD 419, Igbo 7, leading to an advanced-mid level of proficiency based on ACTFL standards in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. Also strengthens students’ knowledge of Igbo grammar and culture.

CAS LE 112 Swahili 2: Prereq: CAS LE 111. This four-skill African language course in second-semester Kiswahili leads toward proficiency in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, cultural understanding, and writing. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community. [ 4 cr.]

CAS LE 212 Swahili 4: This four-skill African language course in fourth-semester Kiswahili emphasizes oral communication skills and the development of reading and writing skills. It exposes students to all compound tenses of the language, and develops students’ reading skills in traditional Kiswahili literature. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

CAS LE 312 Swahili 6: Discussions and compositions relating to East African themes and based in readings from traditional literature, political treatises from Kenya and Tanzania, and a modern novel. Advanced grammatical analysis.

CAS LE 452 Swahili 10: A continuation of CAS LE 451, Swahili 9, leading to a superior level of proficiency (based on ACTFL standards), where the student’s linguistic and cultural competence approximates that of native speakers.

CAS LE 492 Directed Study: Swahili: Directed study in a topic in Swahili (Kiswahili). Special Topic for Fall 2016, Section H1: Swahili with a Health Focus 2. (Pre-requisite: CAS LE 491 H1) Relevant for students interested in health-related research in East Africa. This four-skill Kiswahili course leads toward proficiency in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, cultural understanding, and writing.

CAS LE 530 Swahili with a Health Focus 2: Building on CAS LE 529, this course continues to develop a student’s conversational Swahili skills in global health settings. Second course in sequence designed for public health students who intend to work internationally or have an interest in a cross-cultural understanding of health.

CAS LF 309 French in the World: Prereq: CAS LF 212; or equivalent; or placement test results. Advanced study of French through the analysis of images, short stories, excerpts of novels and films that explore topics pertaining to the Francophone World. Specific regions vary by semester, but can include Africa, the Caribbean or North America. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Oral and/or Signed Communication. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication (OSC), Historical Consciousness.

CAS LM 112 Second-Semester isiXhosa: Prereq: CAS LM 111. This four-skill African Language course in second-semester IsiXhosa leads toward proficiency in oral expression, second-semester listening comprehension, reading, cultural understanding, and writing. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.

CAS LM 212 Fourth-Semester isiXhosa: This fourth semester four-skills IsiXhosa course develops communicative competence and confidence in the use of IsiXhosa in speaking, reading, writing, and listening in culturally acceptable ways. Students learn to communicate at an intermediate high level of proficiency. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

CAS LW 112 Wolof 2: This four-skill African language course in second-semester Wolof leads toward proficiency in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, cultural understanding, and writing (using both the Latin alphabet and the Arabic-based script known as Wolofal or Ajami). Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.

CAS LW 116 Akan Twi 2: Second-semester four-skill Akan Twi course leading to proficiency in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. Course combines face-to-face classes with internet instruction. Students require a computer with microphone, webcam, and a reliable Internet connection. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.

CAS LW 212 Wolof 4: This fourth semester four-skills Wolof course develops communicative competence and confidence in the use of Wolof in speaking, reading, writing, and listening in culturally appropriate ways. Students learn to communicate with native speakers at an intermediate mid level of proficiency. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: The Individual in Community.

CAS LW 216 Akan Twi: Fourth-semester four-skill Akan Twi course continues emphasis on oral expression, listening, reading and writing skills, focusing on the culture and day-to-day life of both urban and rural Akan people. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

CAS LW 312 Wolof 6: Study and discussion of various contemporary issues in Wolof society and culture, including traditional and contemporary Wolof literature (folk tales, stories, proverbs, etc.) written in both Latin and Ajami scripts.

CAS LW 412 Wolof 8: Continues to develop students’ proficiency at the advanced-high level in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, and writing in both Ajami and Latin scripts, and enables students to apply their language skills to professional fields, the humanities, and social sciences.

CAS LW 492 Directed Study: Wolof: Continues to develop students’ proficiency at the advanced-high level in oral expression, listening comprehension, reading, and writing in both Ajami and Latin scripts, and enables students to apply their language skills to professional fields, the humanities, and social sciences.

CAS LW494 Directed Study: Twi: Directed study in Akan Twi

Art History and Architecture

CAS AH 215 Arts of Africa and Its Diaspora: Exploration of a diversity of visual and performing arts from Africa, including royal regalia, masquerades, and contemporary painting. Examines how the dispersal of Africans, due to the transatlantic slave trade and immigration, contributed to the cultural richness of the Americas. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.

Anthropology

CAS AN 240 Legal Anthropology: An introduction to the anthropologist’s approaches to law. Investigates the relationship among society, culture, and law focuses on how different societies generate and structure competition and conflict. Examines the range of social and symbolic mechanisms for regulating dispute. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. (Counts towards African Studies minor.) Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.

CAS AN 285 Coping with Crisis in Contemporary Africa (area): Explores the ways ordinary Africans are coping with problems of security, environmental degradation, forced migration, economic decline, and disease. Readings and lectures contrast outsiders’ interpretations of these “crises” with the way they are experienced by those they affect. Staff. 4 cr. Either sem. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I.

CAS AN 594 Seminar: Topics in Cultural Anthropology: Topic for Spring 2022: Anthropology of Empires. Covers the political, economic, and social structures of empires in Eurasia and North Africa from an anthropological perspective. Examines how they became and remained the world’s largest polities for 2500 years only to all vanish in the early 20th century.

Archaeology

CAS AR 100 Great Discoveries in Archaeology: Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Course covers the whole of human prehistory around the world. Archaeological methods are described, along with the great ancient sites: Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian pyramids, Machu Picchu. This course carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Digital/Multimedia Expression.

CAS AR 206 Ancient Technology: Introduction to the emergence of culture and the reconstruction of early lifeways from archaeological evidence. Topics include early humans in Africa, Asia, and Europe; Neanderthals; the first Americans; and the prelude to agriculture. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Teamwork/Collaboration.

Cinema and Film

CAS CI 362 Africa on Screen: Introduction to the history and analysis of African film. Topics include traditional practices and social change; education; popular culture; immigration; gender roles; sexuality. Discussion of films by Sembene, Mambety, Faye, Folly, Teno, Kobhio.

Economics 

CAS EC 363 Race and the Development of the American Economy: A Global Perspective: Prereq: CAS EC 101; or consent of instructor. (Meets with CAS AA 363.) Surveys the economic history of African Americans within the context of the long run development of the American and global economies. Topics include basic features of American economic growth in the long run; the economics of slavery; the Civil War and the aftermath of slavery; the evolution of racial inequality from the end of the Civil War to the present. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry II.

Earth and Environment

CAS EE 201 World Regional Geography: Overview of the special combination of environmental, historical, economic, and organizational qualities of the regions of the Old World, including Western and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, East and South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Emphasis on current issues of regional and global development. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.

English

CAS EN 129 Introduction to African American Literature: Prereq: First-Year Writing Seminar (WR 120 or equivalent) What is the African American literary tradition? In this course, we will read poetry, slave narratives, essays, speeches, tales, short stories, and novels and consider how culture, politics, and history shape African American literature. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.

CAS EN 386 Topics in Anglophone Literature: Section A1: Post-colonial Theater. A cross-cultural study of national theater movements during decolonization, reading plays by world-class Anglophone dramatists of the twentieth century in three different settings: Gregory, Synge, and Yeats (Ireland); Walcott and his Trinidad Theatre Workshop; Soyinka and Ladipo (Nigeria).

History 

CAS HI 112 Black Power in the Classroom: The History of Black Studies: Centers Black experiences, cultures, knowledge production and identity formation in the United States and in the African Diaspora across time and space. Examines and traces the genealogies of Black Studies as a discipline: its political, ideological, and practical foundations on college campuses and in communities. Also explores earlier traditions and contemporary work in Black radical thought and activism that lay the groundwork for and build on the founding principles of Black Studies by mobilizing an intersectional and diasporic lens. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.

CAS HI 290 Topics in History: Section B1: Warfare in Africa. Explores antiquity, the Slave Trade, Imperialism, and Insurgency. How Africans have waged war through history, beginning with ancient Egypt and proceeding through the course of the building of states and Empires, to the military culture that underlay the slave trade.

CAS HI 347 Bodies, Drugs, and Healing: A Global History of Medicine: An introduction to the history of medicine in global contexts, offering a broad perspective on the ways that bodies, healers, drugs, and health have been conceptualized, from antiquity to the present day, in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Ethical Reasoning.

CAS HI 348 Colonialism in Africa: Impact and Aftermath: Uses case studies of particular African societies or nations to examine patterns of European conquest and African resistance; forms of colonial administration and socioeconomic consequences of colonial rule; decolonization and contemporary African liberation movements; economic and political developments since independence; and contemporary social and cultural change.

CAS HI 350 Atlantic History: 

CAS HI 489 The African Diaspora in the Americas: History of peoples of African descent in the Americas after end of slavery from an international framework. Examines development of racial categories, emergence of national identities in wake of the wars of independence, diverse Black communities in the twentieth century. Also offered as CAS AA 489.

CAS HI 490 Blacks and Asians: Encounters Through Time and Space: Exploration of historical encounters between Africans and people of African descent, and Asians and people of Asian descent. How such people imagined themselves, interacted with each other, viewed each other, influenced each other, and borrowed from each other. Also offered as CAS AA 490.

CAS HI 595 Morocco: History on the Cusp of Three Continents: Prereq: consent of instructor. Explores the range and limits of social mixture — cultural, political, economic — as three civilizations met at the northwest corner of Africa and influenced one another from the 8th to the 21st centuries. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.

CAS IR 251 Introduction to Comparative Politics: Undergraduate core course. Meets with CAS PO 151. Examines different patterns of political development and contemporary politics in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Introduces the comparative method in political science and competing theories of political development and political change. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.

CAS IR 300 Topics in International Relations: Section A1: Nation Building and Erosion in Africa. There have been multiple movements against the State in contemporary Africa. Some of these have appeared as secession movements. Others have appeared as the militias of religious zealots. Explores how these movements interact with nation-building.

CAS IR 312 Comparative Development in the Middle East: This course surveys pertinent topics relating to the socio-economic and political development of the Middle East and North African throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will explore and critical analyze themes relating to colonialism and state formation and statebuilding, regime types, oil and rentierism, civil society, authoritarianism and democratization, military spending, gender relations, Islamist movements, elections, revolutions and social movements, territorial disputes, foreign intervention, and sectarianism and identity politics. Effective Spring 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Critical Thinking.

CAS IR 343 African Politics Today: (Meets with CAS PO 373.) An introduction to the issues dominating African political life today. Core course debates revolve around recent trends in African economic growth, democratic governance, and armed conflict, in addition to several other issues of contemporary concern.

CAS IR 352 International Human Rights: Applying Human Rights in Africa: Meets with CAS PO 378. Studies the growing international influence on politics of human rights principles, documents, and organizations, drawing especially on African cases such as Congo, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. The class explores the relationship between civil and political rights and economic, social, and culture rights. We consider debates over claims of universality vs. cultural relativism, individual vs. group rights, and ways to improve human rights enforcement well respecting local cultures. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.<

CAS IR 500 Topics in International Relations: Section A1: Race in Africa. How do we recognize when race has been on the scene? This course explores race in Africa through analyzing the multiple formations of racial and ethnic differentiation on the continent and the various methods people have developed to understand them.

Linguistics

CAS XL 386 Africa on Screen: Introduction to the history and analysis of African film. Topics include traditional practices and social change; education; popular culture; immigration; gender roles; sexuality. Discussion of films by Sembene, Mambety, Faye, Folly, Teno, Kobhio.

World Language and Literatures

CAS LY 112-492 Modern Arabic: Details on Modern Standard Arabic courses are available on the Arabic program website.

CAS LY 283 Arab Culture Through Film (in English translation): Explores Arab culture with a focus on key historical and social issues through the lens of Arabic films, both as historical artifacts and artworks. Diverse cinematic works from Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and beyond are discussed and analyzed. No prior knowledge of the Arab world or Arabic is required.

Political Science

CAS PO 151 Introduction to Comparative Politics: Undergraduate core course. Meets with CAS IR 251. Examines different patterns of political development and contemporary politics in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Introduces the comparative method in political science and competing theories of political development and political change. Carries social science divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.

CAS PO 328 North-South Relations: Employs a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the relations between the industrialized nations of the “North” and the developing nations of the “South.” Addresses historical and current issues in North-South relations, including trade, investment, migration, regional economic integration, and the environment.

CAS PO 330 Special Topics in Comparative Politics W1 Urban Citizenship and Governance: The majority of the world’s population now lives in cities. Course considers how conceptions of citizenship, the state, and claims to basic rights have been challenged by the histories and politics of urban life. Focuses primarily on the global sout

CAS PO 373 African Politics Today: An introduction to the issues dominating African political life today. Core course debates revolve around recent trends in African economic growth, democratic governance, and armed conflict, in addition to several other issues of contemporary concern.

CAS PO 378 International Human Rights: Applying Human Rights in Africa: Meets with CAS IR 352. Studies the growing international influence on politics of human rights principles, documents, and organizations, drawing especially on African cases such as Congo, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. The class explores the relationship between civil and political rights and economic, social, and culture rights. We consider debates over claims of universality vs. cultural relativism, individual vs. group rights, and ways to improve human rights enforcement well respecting local cultures. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.

CAS PO 530 Readings in Comparative Politics: Section W1: Decolonization and Democracy. Looks at comparative legacies of colonialism, race, and decolonization in North and Sub-Saharan Africa and their implications for democracy and inequality today. Focus on incorporating African scholars and voices in addressing comparative social science questions.

CAS PO 571 Government and Politics of Contemporary Africa: Prereq: junior standing or consent of instructor. Analysis of independent black Africa; factors of continuity and change in modern Africa, problems of political order, ambiguities of independence. Case studies of individual countries selected for additional emphasis on specific issues and problems of the developing countries.

Religion

CAS RN 105 Introduction to the World’s Religions: Explores the symbols, beliefs, stories, and practices of the world’s religions with attention to both ancient history and contemporary practices, including spiritual autobiographies and online communities. Possible traditions include: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and African/African diaspora religions. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.

Sociology

CAS SO 242 Globalization and World Poverty: Addresses enduring global poverty and race, ethnic, gender, and class inequalities, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Focuses on colonialism and post-colonialism, strategies of development, urbanization, immigration, religion, politics, women, drugs, social justice, and health issues. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning.

Theater

CFA TH 202 Dramatic Literature 3: 1950 to 1990: A survey of important plays and trends from 1950-1990, with an emphasis on the play’s significance within the given culture. We will examine North American, British, European, and African writers, with a balance between recognized canonical works, and plays by writers historically excluded from the canon due to gender, ethnicity, or aesthetic orientation. Students should expect frequent writing assignments. 3.0 credits. Spring semester only. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Critical Thinking.</span>

Music

CFA MH435 Music of Africa: No prereq; open to all students. A survey of traditional and popular music traditions throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and the diaspora. Emphasis is on music making within its cultural context. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills one unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Digital/Multimedia Expression, and Creativity/Innovation. 4 cr

CFA MH 561 World Music Ensemble: Learn to perform traditional world music in the context of an ensemble taught by specialists of African, Balinese, Latin American, and many other types of world music. The specific musical style and type of group will change with each semester. Improve your rhythmic skills; lower performance anxiety. Enrollment is open to all students. No previous musical experience is necessary. 1 cr. May be repeated for credit.

African American and Diaspora Studies

AA 885 Atlantic History: Examines the various interactions that shaped the Atlantic World, connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas between 1400 and 1800. Begins by defining the political interaction, then emphasizes cultural exchange, religious conversion, and the revolutionary era. Also offered as GRS HI 750.

Art History and Architecture

AH 822 Seminar: African Art: Grad Prereq: graduate standing or consent of instructor. Fall 2022 Topic: Benin Bronzes in Context With a focus on collections-based learning, this seminar explores the historical and cultural context of art of the Benin Kingdom beginning with the material culture of Ile-Ife and concluding with contemporary conversations concerning repatriation, ethical stewardship, and institutional critique.

GRS AN 719 Anthropology of Muslim Cultures and Politics (Area): Explores Muslim societies’ ongoing struggle over the forms and meanings of Muslim culture and politics. Examines the implications of these struggles for religious authority, gender ideals, citizenship, civil society, and democracy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

GRS AN 782 Wealth, Poverty, and Culture: Grad Prereq:CAS AN101 or equivalent. Explores vital cultural dimensions of production, exchange, and consumption in varied settings. Asks how social ties relate to property, wealth, and poverty. Examines how people classify, control, and allocate resources, and how resources in turn influence people.

Earth and Environment

GRS EE 600 Environment and Development: A Political Ecology Approach: Theory and practice of development with an explicit focus on environmental issues. Introduces history of development and the environment; explores select themes in development and environmental studies (e.g. rural livelihoods, conservation, urbanization, and climate change); and considers alternative development paradigms. Meet with EE 400.

English

GRS EN 666 Critical Studies in Literature and Society:Topic for Fall 2017: Literature of the Early Atlantic. This course considers the first century of Atlantic literature, including poetry and prose by Phillis Wheatley, Olaudah Equiano, Mary Prince, and Frederick Douglass. How did these writers represent the early modern world? How did they work to change it?

GRS EN 740 Science, Technology, Media: and Contemporary Criticism: Prereq: Graduate standing. This course focuses on racial engagements with science, technology and media. Topics range from genomics to artificial intelligence, medicine and popular culture. Though rooted in literary and cultural criticism, these interdisciplinary texts will also provide an introduction to various methodologies.

GRS EN 788 Transnational Modernism: Grad Prereq: Graduate standing. This interdisciplinary course explores how globalization shaped the emergence of modernist styles in the U.S. and the Caribbean. Topics include transatlantic migration; the effects of mobilization and world war; the rise of black internationalism; and modernist indebtedness to Asian cultures.

Pardee School of Global Studies

Section B1: Finance for Development in Africa. This short course will canvas the set of development challenges that the countries in Africa face and the avenues and opportunities for mobilizing the necessary financing in order to meet the region’s development goals. Section C1: Public Speaking and Speechwriting. Develops students’ skills in speechwriting and delivery for policy, government and political contexts. Students study historical examples, write and deliver their own speeches, and critique their own speeches and those of fellow students. Covers structure, content, rhetoric and style.

GRS IR 735 Global Health Diplomacy: Grad Prereq: graduate standing. Examines how diplomatic action has addressed global health challenges, the strengths and weaknesses of these efforts, including in the COVID pandemic, and how global health has emerged as a field for competition among states and other stakeholders.

History

GRS HI 903 Directed Study: African History: Directed study on a topic in African history.

GRS HI 973 Directed Research: African History: Directed research on a topic in African history.

Philosophy

GRS PH 636 Gender, Race, and Science: Examines issues in feminist philosophy, philosophy of race, and philosophy of science. Is “race” a genuine scientific category or a social construct? How have views about gender and race changed? Why are there still so few women and minority scientists?

Religion

GRS RN 750 Topics in Religion, Science, and Medicine: Topic for Spring 2023: HIV/AIDS, Art, and Religion in America. Examines the history of the AIDS crisis in the U.S., including religious, racial, and moral constructions amid the infamous “culture wars.” Special attention to feminist/queer activists and artists who fostered alternative moral and political visions of disease, sexuality, and health. Effective Fall 2021, this course carries a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Historical Consciousness, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Critical Thinking.

Linguistics

GRS XL 742 Travel Writing and the Muslim World: How have Muslim travelers past and present written about places and people they saw abroad, and how have Western travelers in the Muslim lands described their travels in “the East”? Readings include Nasir Khusraw, Ibn Battuta, Eliza Fay, and Robert Byron.

Gastronomy

MET ML 629 Culture and Cuisine of the African Diaspora: The foodways of the people displaced from the African continent are interwoven with many societies, cultures, and cuisines across the globe. In this course, we will study five geographic regions of Africa; north, central, east, west and south. The list of the countries that encompass each region will follow. Cookbooks, maps, songs, poems, and even some folklore will be used as texts to analyze and add context to the history of the people of the diaspora. This course will have real, and courageous, and respectful conversations including race and power and how those two elements are embedded into the food systems in North America, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Europe. We will trace ingredients that came with the enslaved people and track their integration into cuisines and cultures (agriculture, pop culture, aquaculture etc.) as a collective group and then independently as a capstone course project.

Health Science

SAR HS 300 Epidemiology I: Examines the distribution of health and diseases across the population, and the factors that impact health. Which group of people is more likely to experience a heart attack or develop diabetes? Do our level of education, race or income impact our health and our life expectancy? This course studies how we approach understanding disease distribution within the population. Through in class presentations, real world examples, exercises and discussions students become proficient in research methods, disease screening, and infectious disease outbreak investigation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II.

SAR HS 325 Introduction to Global Health: This course will provide students with an overview of the complex social, economic, political, environmental, and biological factors that structure the origins, consequences, and possible treatments of illness worldwide, as well as the promotion of health. Students will learn about the major themes and concepts shaping the interdisciplinary field of global health, and will gain an understanding of solutions to health challenges that have been successfully implemented in different parts of the world. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration.

SAR HS 345 Global Environmental Public Health: Environmental health is associated with recognizing, assessing, understanding and controlling the impacts of people in their environment and the impacts of the environment on the public health. The complexity of the problems requires multidisciplinary approaches. This course will provide an introduction to the principles, methods, and issues related to global environmental health. This course examines health issues, scientific understanding of causes, and possible future approaches to control of the major environmental health problems internationally. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.

SAR HS 441 Neglected Tropical Diseases: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of viral, parasitic, and bacterial diseases that affect more than 1 billion people worldwide and disproportionately burden those with the fewest resources. They can cause significant disability, chronic illness, and death in both children and adults. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of each of the NTDs including transmission, disease progression, treatment, epidemiology, and control strategies. In addition, we will examine their public health importance and the effects they have at the individual, community, and national level. We will also discuss societal contexts and ethics around treatment, research, advocacy, and prevention.

SAR HS 442 Healthcare Interventions in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries: This course will introduce students to healthcare delivery in low (LICs) and lower middle income countries (LMICs). Students will become familiar with aspects of surgical interventions, pharmaceutical provision, cell phone technology, and global health programming. We will examine healthcare delivery and practices through case studies focused on the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Through this course, students will learn from past and existing healthcare delivery techniques, difficulties, and successes for some of the largest global health challenges such as: cholera, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, tobacco use, aging populations, and malnutrition. Students will use these skills to develop healthcare delivery strategies of their own. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration.

SAR HS 444 Child Health Programs in Low Resource Settings: This health science senior seminar will explore programs and policies that impact child health in Low and Middle Income Countries. We will cover infectious diseases – including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea – as well as major non-infectious causes of child morbidity and mortality, including nutrition, early child development and mental health. We will discuss the full life cycle of global health programs from building the evidence base through epidemiological studies through implementation science and monitoring and evaluation.

Law

LAW JD 696 Transitional Justice (S):Atrocity crimes–including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity–continue to rage around the world. This course examines origins, operations, and outcomes of historical and contemporary measures to address such heinous offenses. We will consider the full range of judicial, legislative, and executive options available to policymakers as societies emerge from periods of violence and repression. These “transitional justice” mechanisms include war crimes tribunals (such as the International Criminal Court), truth commissions, amnesties, lustration, exile, indefinite detention, lethal force, and inaction. The course draws on various case studies, including present-day Ukraine, Syria, and Myanmar; Rwanda and the Balkans in the 1990s; and World War II. Readings address the legal, political, and philosophical underpinnings of justice; questions of institutional design; and how different societies have balanced competing legal, policy, and moral imperatives. UPPER-CLASS WRITING REQUIREMENT: This class may be used to satisfy the requirement. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.

LAW JD 936 International Development and Project Finance (S):Capital-intensive public and private development projects throughout the world, including large-scale infrastructure, transportation, energy, agriculture, technology and environmental projects depend upon project financing as the primary funding mechanism. Understanding and resolving the political, legal and financial risks associated with the planning and implementation of these projects, and often in emerging and unstable economies, is the critical first step in developing project finance opportunities. The seminar will combine theory and practice and focus on the negotiation and structure of actual project finance and concession agreements and transactions and the minimization of exposures and risks associated with these transactions. Each step of the project finance process will be analyzed, including the rationale and sources for the project finance, the legal framework for the project finance, the organizational and governance structure, risk allocation and mitigation and dispute resolution. An interdisciplinary analysis from the legal, finance and public perspective will be used to assess the views that investors, lenders, designers, contractors, governmental participants, citizens and other stakeholders bring to an infrastructure project. Several of the world’s largest and most complex civil engineering and infrastructure mega projects including the English Chunnel, the Chad Cameroon Pipeline, the Dabhol Power Project and Boston’s Central Artery Tunnel Project will serve as models for analysis of project finance and risk. A final research paper will be required in lieu of an examination. UPPER-CLASS WRITING REQUIREMENT: This class may be used to satisfy the requirement. **A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.

SSW MP 789 Global Social Work Practice: A RightsBased Perspective: This course prepares clinical and macro students for effective practice in a global context. The course covers three broad areas: the first part lays out the framework for the rights-based perspectives; the second encompasses rights-based programing; the third looks at building sustainable systems. The focus of the course will be on applying social work theories and skills to provide a context for social work practice in a global environment. Students will be exposed to “rights-based approaches” to social work practice mainly in countries of the global south. Areas of focus include working with working with marginalized populations such as children in a variety of settings, gender issues, migration as well as working with various NGOs, governmental and United Nations systems. Students will build on basic policy and skills courses to apply fundamental social work principals and practice to global context areas. Students will apply critical thinking with respect to understanding global context areas and their interrelatedness with domestic policies and actions. Special emphasis will be placed on working with diverse client populations including the roles that gender, age, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, spirituality, economic, political and sexual orientation play in influencing life chances for marginalized individuals/groups. Students will engage in class discussion based on the readings, media extracts, experiences of professionals in the field of international social welfare, and current global events impacting social service provision in a global context.

Theology

STH TS 815 God and Money: This course offers philosophical, theological, ethical, and religious study of the nature and role of money in contemporary societies. It is not about stewardship of personal money, but about the peculiar dialectics of the monetary structures and forces that frame existence and actively confront persons, peoples, classes, gender, races, and economies in today’s world. It explores various transdisciplinary discourses of money not only to highlight the important role of money in constructing meaning and relationships, but also to uncover the central role of monetary systems in fostering economic inequality and social injustice. This course will shine a bright theological-ethical light on the motion of money in both national and global spheres so as to highlight the serious ethical issues that pertain to the production, circulation, control, and use of money in the structures and organizations of economic life. The class will reflect on how to nudge the structures and organization of monetary life toward creating and maintaining an embracing, inclusive economic community that brings unity-in-difference into perpetual play and also fosters more ethical relationality without stifling its creativity and galvanizing force. (Clusters 1 and 2)