American Minority Studies

Departments/Programs:

American Minority Studies Minor (18 hours)
Required Courses	9 hours
SOC 003 Introduction to Sociology	3 hours
SOC 116 Race Relations and Minority Groups	3 hours
SOC 216 Seminar: Racial-Ethnic Experiences*	3 hours
Select from three different areas of study	9 hours

African-American Studies	6 hours
HIST 154 African-American History	3 hours
HIST 210 Voices of Slavery	3 hours

Hispanic/Latino Studies	3 hours
SOC 150 Hispanics and Latinos in U.S. Society	3 hours

Native American Studies	3 hours
ANTHR 154 Native American Cultures or HIST 156 American Indian History	3 hours

Humanities	3 hours
Select from the following: ENG 280 African-American Literature MUSIC 140 African-American Music COMM 050 Intercultural Communication	3 hours
*Prerequisite: SOC 003 Introduction to Sociology and SOC 116 Race Relations and Minority Groups. Completion of 6 additional hours in the minor is recommended.

SOC 003 Introduction to Sociology (3 hours)

This introductory course presents the basic processes of human interaction in everyday life while introducing students to the theories and methods governing social inquiry. The sociological perspective is used to study the impact of the forces of culture, socialization, social stratification, race, gender, and population on human thoughts and actions.

(Normally offered each semester.)

SOC 116 Race Relations and Minority Groups (3 hours)

An analysis of the characteristics and problems of racial and minority groups with special emphasis on the themes of prejudice and discrimination. This course focuses primarily on race relations and minority experiences in the United States.

(Normally offered each semester.)

SOC 216 Seminar: Racial-Ethnic Experiences (3 hours)

Intended as a capstone course for students minoring in American Minority Studies, this seminar assumes significant prior knowledge and interest on the part of the student. It features experiential learning and strong student involvement focused on the meaning and significance of race and ethnicity. Responsibility for classroom activity will be shared by students and instructor. The course also requires field experience in the community. Topics covered include stratification, family structure, subcultural variation, religion, heritage, social psychology, interpersonal communication, and conflict resolution.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 003 Introduction to Sociology and SOC 116 Race Relations and Minority Groups or approval of the instructor.

(Normally offered alternate years.)

HIST 154 African-American History (3 hours)

A broad survey of the major themes and issues in African American history from the early slave trade through emancipation to the present. Major topics include the creation of a diverse African American culture, resistance to the dehumanization of slavery, Civil War and Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the movement from Civil Rights to Black Power and contemporary issues such as reparations for slavery.

HIST 210 Voices of Slavery (3 hours)

A study of chattel slavery in the United States through the words and remembrances of enslaved people from 1600-1877. The course will focus on slave narratives from the Colonial and Antebellum era. Topics include African slavery, the slave trade, slave culture, family life, motherhood, methods of resistance, religion, self-emancipation and the Reconstruction period. The course also explores regional differences between slavery in the urban north, the Chesapeake, the South Carolina low-country and rice country.

SOC 150 Hispanics and Latinos in U.S. Society (3 hours)

This course is designed to introduce students to the diverse relationships between minority groups of Spanish speaking ancestry and U.S. society. Mexican-American experiences will be featured along with the topics of immigration and bilingualism. The course will also cover the contributions and experiences of Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans, and people of Central and South American ancestry.

(Normally offered each fall semester.)

ANTHR 154 Native American Cultures (3 hours)

This course examines a wide range of Native American cultures. It includes an exploration of cultures before contact by European populations and contemporary issues facing both reservation and urban Native American populations.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

HIST 156 American Indian History (3 hours)

This course will serve as an overview of American Indian history from precontact to the present. It will explore numerous themes including cultural diversity, initial contact with Europeans, the different styles of interactions (Spanish/English/French), accommodation and dispossession, the American treaty process, concentration, wardship, education, land allotment, termination and relocation, and modern American Indian issues. Utilizing assigned readings, discussion, and some short films, this class will eradicate misconceptions about American Indians and therefore eliminate the roots of discrimination and prejudice against the original Americans.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

ENG 280 African-American Literature (3 hours)

This course supplements the basic American survey courses. Its aim is to acquaint students with representative autobiography, fiction, drama, poetry, literary criticism, and essays by African-American writers from Frederick Douglass to Toni Morrison.

Prerequisite(s): ENG-001 and a Masterpieces of Literature course (ENG 101 Masterpieces of Literature, HIST 116 Western Civilization through Literature 1500 - Present, MLANG 134 Masterpieces of European Literature, or THTRE 101 Masterpieces of Dramatic Literature).

MUSIC 140 African-American Music (3 hours)

A study of the history of African Americans in the United States, as seen through their musical life, and the place of black concert, popular, and folk music in African American society.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

COMM 050 Intercultural Communication (3 hours)

The study of cultural differences that influence the exchange of meaning between individuals and groups of different cultural and/or racial backgrounds. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the uniqueness of cultures and the resulting variations in communication styles and preferences, and to provide strategies and skills for successfully communicating across cultural barriers. Students will spend at least 20 hours during the semester working with community agencies serving clients from different cultures.

Course Catalogs

Minor:

American Minority Studies

Departments/Programs: