20801214African American Literature
Course Information
Description
African American Literature introduces students to the rich, complex, and varied literary traditions reflected in the works of African American writers. Studies developments and achievements in voice, genre, and style and explores issues of language, cultural identity, historical witness, and social and political experience. Individual sections may focus on a particular theme, genre, or period for emphasis.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies
  1. Analyze the major cultural, historical, political, rhetorical, and literary conditions that have shaped contemporary African American and Caribbean textual traditions
    Assessment Strategies
    by attending class and completing assigned readings
    by participating in small and large group discussions and projects
    by meeting instructor's criteria on tests, in journals, and in a paper or project
    Criteria
    you identify conditions that African-American and Caribbean authors had to overcome in order to begin and continue to publish their works.
    you assess the place of major figures in African-American and Caribbean textual traditions
    you explore the present scope of African-American and Caribbean textual traditions

  2. Articulate in oral and written form the ideas, images, themes, motifs, and techniques present in African-American and Caribbean textual traditions
    Assessment Strategies
    participating in small and large group discussions and projects.
    meeting instructor's criteria on tests, in journals, and in a paper or project.
    by completing homework assignment(s) and readings.
    Criteria
    you identify major themes and rhetorical devices used in the traditions
    you apply reading strategies to respond to texts
    you analyze major themes and rhetorical devices used in the traditions by applying critical terminology

  3. Respond independently and critically to issues of identify, race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, difference, prejudice, language and imaginative voice within cultural context
    Assessment Strategies
    by attending class and completing assigned readings
    by participating in small and large group discussions and projects
    by meeting instructor's criteria on tests, in journals, and in a paper or project
    Criteria
    you identify political contexts of texts studied
    you interpret the significance of the political contexts of texts studied
    you identify cultural contexts of texts studied
    you interpret the significance of the cultural contexts of texts studied
    you identify social contexts of texts studied
    you interpret the significance of the social contexts of texts studied
    you identify historical contexts of texts studied
    you interpret the significance of the historical contexts of texts studied
    you identify literary contexts of texts studied
    you interpret the significance of the literary contexts of texts studied

  4. Analyze the relationship between representation, subjectivity, and strategies for empowerment for authors from marginalized positions
    Assessment Strategies
    by attending class and completing assigned readings
    by participating in small and large group discussions and projects
    by meeting instructor's criteria on tests, in journals, and in a paper or project
    Criteria
    you identify the conditions that authors had to overcome in order to begin and continue to publish their works
    you analyze the relationship between dominant and marginalized traditions
    you interpret your own relationship to cultural, historical, and political forces present within tradition