Providence College

REQUIREMENTS

To complete the minor in Black Studies, students take one required course, "Introduction to Black Studies," and select an additional five courses from among program and departmental electives. For minors whose interests are not directly addressed in formal course offerings, the program also offers the opportunity for independent reading and research, at the student's initiative, with the support of a faculty sponsor.

Required course (1)

BLS 101 Introduction to Black Studies

Elective courses (5)
(Students take one course from each of the following series; see program director for exemptions.)

Series A - Race and Racism

BLS 416 Race and Politics in the Americas
BLS 305 Race and Ethnic Relations
BLS 320 Ethnicity and Social Diversity in America

Series B - Africa and the African World View

BLS 225 The African World View
BLS 334 Comparative African Government and Politics
BLS 335 The Economics of Developing Nations
BLS 343 History of Africa to 1850
BLS 344 History of Africa since 1850

Series C - African American History

BLS 210 Topics in African and African American History
BLS 304 Social Movements
BLS 325 African American Women
BLS 346 African American History to 1877
BLS 347 African American History since 1877

Series D - Contemporary Black Life

BLS 215 Dimensions of Contemporary Black Life
BLS 230 Faith and Spirit in the Black Family and Community
BLS 303 Urban Politics
BLS 307 Urban Sociology
BLS 323 Social Problems

Series E - Contemporary Black Culture and the Arts

BLS 107 The African American Artist
BLS 118 African Art
BLS 227 History of Jazz
BLS 365 Twentieth Century Black American Literature

Special Topics Series

(May meet requirements for any one of Series A through E, depending on topic)

BLS 480 Seminar in Black Studies
BLS 490 Independent Reading in Black Studies
BLS 491 Directed Research Project

BLACK STUDIES COURSES

BLS 101 - INTRODUCTION TO BLACK STUDIES

This course familiarizes the student with the foundations of Black Studies as a scholarly inquiry, introducing the diverse field's most important theoretical approaches, preparing the student for further courses in Black Studies while building analytical skills and fostering an understanding of Black life and culture in the Americas.

BLS 107 - THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTIST

An introduction to African-AMerican achievements in the visual arts, especially painting, from Colonial times to the present. Same as ARH 107.

BLS 118 - AFRICAN ART

A survey of the arts of sub-Saharan presented with an emphasis on social and religious context. Same as ARH 108 .

BLS 210 - TOPICS IN AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY

Black studies begins with Black history. African civilization, technology, and trade, European colonialism, slavery, the Civil War, Emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the northward migration, the civil rights movement, Black Power, and Black liberation - these are some important periods and themes which structure historical understanding of Africans in the United States.

BLS 215 - DIMENSIONS OF CONTEMPORARY BLACK LIFE

Social and cultural analysis provides an understanding of the structures and processes of social and political power. This course examines contemporary issues, achievements, and problems of African Americans, their families, and their communities, offering both questions and answers about the persistent inequality and conflict which characterize the Black experience in the late 20th century.

BLS 225 - THE AFRICAN WORLD VIEW

This course introduces African history and culture as an independent aspect of world civilization. Students consider diverse perspectives including, for example, Afrocentrism, postcolonialism, world systems analysis, dependency theory, colonialism, imperialism, state formation, and cultural exchange. The course helps students understand how distinctive African contributions have shaped - and continue to shape - the world's cultures, even as Africa itself and the African Diaspora are in turn influenced by contact and conflict with non-African cultures.

BLS 227 - HISTORY OF JAZZ

A study of the history of jazz from african music to contemporary trends and more popular forms. Emphasis will be placed on styles and performers. Analytical listening will be required. Same as AMS 227 and MSC 227.

BLS 230 FAITH AND SPIRIT IN THE BLACK FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

In Faith and Spirit, students look at the many ways in which religious practice and faith have contributed to the development of contemporary African American society and culture. Christian and non-Christian doctrines may be considered, including African and African-American Catholicism, conventional as well as evangelical Protestantism, Islam, traditional African spirituality, syncretic traditions of the Caribbean and South America, voudon, and contemporary mysticism.

BLS 303 - URBAN POLITICS

This is a survey course on urban politics. Students will be introduced to the political processes of urben and metropolitan areas in the United States. Topics include political organization, administration, and evaluation of urban public policy. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. Same as 303.

BLS 304 - SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

What was it like to be a part of the 1950s' and 1960s' civil rights movements? This course answers that question through an in-depth look at that movement. The course answers other questions about social movements such as: why do people join them, how are they organized, why they occur when they do, and why they succeed and fail . This course also extends the analysis to the 60s' students, women's, and anti-war movements and offers a critical evaluation of current theories of social and political movements. An important part of this course will be viewing and in-depth discussion of Eyes on the Prize, a documentary film series on the civil rights movement. Same as SOC 304.

BLS 305 - RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS

The course provides an analysis of race and ethinic relations in America with special emphasis on the historical and contemporary experience of the Native Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, and European Americans. Sociological theory and data are used to examine the structural sources and effects of racism, prejudice, and discrimination. Same as SOC 305.

BLS 307 - URBAN SOCIOLOGY

The course identifies the extent of, and reasons for, such urban problems as poverty, crime, and homelessness in cities such as Providence, New York, Boston, and Chicago. In generating explanations and developing solutions, the course draws on the theories of urban sociologists and on the personal experience of those who confront
urban problems. Same as SOC 307.

BLS 320 - ETHNICITY AND SOCIAL DIVERSITY

The purpose of this course is to assist students in examining and analyzing the impact of ethnicity and social diversity on American society and on social service organizations and human service professionals. Race, ethnicity, gender, social class, age, disabilities, sexual orientation, and spiritual diversity will be examined and their impact on human behavior in the social environment explored. Special attention will be focused on a strengths perspective when confronting social problems faced by diverse groups. Students will be instructed in ways to apply knowledge about diversity to the Generalist model of social work practice in order to develop a culturally sensitive, practice approach. Same as SWK 320.

BLS 323 - CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PROBLEMS

This course covers the major social problems of contemporary American society. Attention is given to the Black Studies 90 problems of poverty, racism, sexism, war, the environment, overpopulation, drug use, and crime. An analysis is made of the structural causes and consequences of these. Same as SOC 323.

BLS 325 - AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN

Focuses on sociological analyses of the constructions and reconstructions of African American women, examining the interrelationships of gender, race, caste, class, racism, and sexism in the United States, past and present. Topics will include the family, male-female relations, poverty, discrimination, social movements, with particular
emphasis on origins, consequences, social and individual changes and resistance to change, sociological, Afro-centric, and feminist theories. Same as SOC 325 and WMS 325.

BLS 334 - COMPARATIVE AFRICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

A comparative analysis of selected African political systems with attention to the following problems: nationalism, national integration, economic dependency and development, political development and political decay, single-party states, and civil-military relations. Fulfills the Comparative Government and Politics requirement.
Same as PSC 334.

BLS 335 - THE ECONOMICS OF DEVELOPING NATIONS

A survey of theories and policies of developing nations. Attention is given to geography, natural and human resources, the rural and industrial sectors, governmental administration and planning, monetary and fiscal policies, foreign trade and aid, balance of payments, sustainable development (environment and development), integration, and prospects of further development. Same as ECN 335.

BLS 344 - AFRICAN HISTORY SINCE 1850

This survey course will examine the partition of Africa, colonialism, the growth of African nationalism, independence movements, and the politics of the Cold War. Social and cultural issues will also be considered. Same as HIS 344.

BLS 346 - AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1877

This course will examine the experience of African Americans from the beginnings of the slave trade. Considerations will include the growth of the institution of slavery in North America, the development of the cotton economy of the South, the growth of the anti-slavery movement, free Blacks in the United States, Africa American religion, and the instances of slave rebellions. Same as HIS 346.

BLS 347 - AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1877

Continuation of BLS 346. Same as HIS 347.

BLS 365 - 20TH CENTURY BLACK AMERICAN LITERATURE

This course presents students with the works of leading black American writers of our century such as Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Nikki Giovanni, Eldridge Cleaver, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison. Critical examination of the works in relation to the black experience and American culture as a whole will be developed. Same as ENG 365.

BLS 416 - RACE AND POLITICS IN THE AMERICAS

This course studies the racial dimension of political power in the Americas, with the emphasis on the United States, and studies how political institutions are structured by, and in turn help structure, the racial dynamic. Fulfills the American Politics requirement. Same as PSC 416.

BLS 480 - SEMINAR IN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES

Intended primarily for juniors and seniors (others are admitted with the instructor's written permission), the capstone seminar in African American studies offers reading, writing and small-group discussion in a particular aspect of Black Studies. Collegial, collaborative, and reflective, the seminar format will prepare some students for graduate study in the field; others will use the experience to culminate and organize prior course work and research in Black studies. Seminar topics will vary from year to year, but will generally reflect the current research interests of the instructor.

BLS 490 INDEPENDENT READING IN BLACK STUDIES

Highly motivated students frequently discover that an area of interest is not addressed directly by existing, formal course offerings. Independent Reading in Black Studies allows the individual student to develop an appropriate reading list, and under the supervision of a sponsoring faculty member, design a one-semester program of reading, reflection, and writing in that area of interest. Written permission of the Program Director and the sponsoring faculty member is required.

BLS 491 - DIRECTED RESEARCH PROJECT IN BLACK STUDIES

Black Studies 315, Directed Research Project, gives students the opportunity (individually or in small groups) to design and carry out a significant research project in some aspect of Black studies. The final result of the project may be a long research paper, video documentary, dramatic script or presentation, computer program, or other major work which demonstrates mastery of theory, technique, or subject matter. The project is directed by an appropriate faculty sponsor who approves the overall project design, monitors progress, offers guidance as needed, and evaluates the quality of the resulting work. Written permission of the Program Director and the sponsoring faculty member is required.

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