MCCCD Program Description

Introduction to African-American Studies

Course: AFR110

First Term: 2009 Summer I

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Introduction to the study of the African-American experience. Interdisciplinary approach includes historical underpinnings; population and cultural characteristics; social, economic, and political issues; and implications for the future

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Describe the impact of slavery, the Civil War, and reconstruction on African-Americans today. (I) 2. Explain the institutionalization of White supremacy in America. (I) 3. Identify and describe the major factors contributing to the Black revolt. (II) 4. Trace the continuation of White resistance after the Civil War and its role in the development of the civil rights movement. (II) 5. Explain relative deprivation among African-Americans after World War II including the influence of the civil rights movement and the Black power revolution. (II) 6. Describe the characteristics of the current African-American population in the United States, including population size and growth, fertility and mortality rates, age and sex composition, and geographical distribution. (III) 7. Describe the impact of education and technology, occupational status, and income on the socioeconomic status of African- Americans today. (IV) 8. Compare and contrast the impact of American social institutions, such as the family, politics, and religion on African-Americans and other groups. (V) 9. Identify the critical health issues facing African-Americans today, including mortality and morbidity rates and major chronic diseases such as AIDS, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. (VI) 10. Examine the factors that impact African-Americans` ability to access and afford health care. (VI) 11. Explain the implications for African-Americans of social problems such as poverty, homelessness, adolescent pregnancy and childbearing, substance abuse, domestic violence, homicide, and other violent crimes. (VII) 12. Examine the interaction of African-Americans within the criminal justice system, including adult crime, juvenile crime, racial profiling, and racial brutality. (VIII) 13. Describe and interpret the experience of racism in the enforcement of formal sanctions, including inconsistencies in laws and norms, differences in forms of legal representation, unequal application of sanctions, and capital punishment. (VIII) 14. Distinguish among various levels of assimilation, including cultural, structural, marital, identification, attitudinal, behavioral, and civic. (IX) 15. Review the factors leading to the decline of affirmative action, including the significance of specific legal cases, the influence of Black conservatism, and the implications for a diverse America in the future. (X) 16. Describe liberal and conservative perspectives for the future of African-Americans. (XI)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Historical Background A. Slavery B. Civil War C. Reconstruction D. Institutionalized White supremacy II. Major Factors of the Black Revolt A. White resistance B. Civil rights movement C. Relative deprivation D. Black power III. Characteristics of the Population A. Size and growth B. Fertility rates C. Mortality rates D. Age and sex composition E. Geographical distribution IV. Socioeconomic Status A. Education and technology B. Occupational status C. Income V. Social Institutions A. Family B. Politics 1. Government agencies 2. Military organizations C. Religion VI. Health Issues A. Mortality and morbidity rates B. Major chronic diseases 1. AIDS 2. Hypertension 3. Heart disease 4. Diabetes C. Health care 1. Access 2. Affordability VII. Social Problems A. Poverty B. Homelessness C. Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing D. Substance abuse E. Domestic violence F. Homicide G. Other violent crimes VIII. African-Americans and the Criminal Justice System A. Adult crime B. Juvenile crime C. Racial profiling D. Racial brutality E. Racism in the enforcement of formal sanctions 1. Inconsistencies in laws and norms 2. Differences in forms of legal representation 3. Unequal application of sanctions 4. Capital punishment IX. Assimilation A. Cultural B. Structural C. Marital D. Identification E. Attitudinal F. Behavioral G. Civic X. Decline of Affirmative Action A. Legal cases 1. Allan Bakke 2. Brian Weber B. Black conservatism C. Future implications 1. Rethinking affirmative action 2. Affirmative action vs. diversity XI. Implications for the Future of African-Americans A. Liberal perspectives B. Conservative perspectives

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 5/27/2003

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.