AFST 071 - Literatures of Africa and the African Diaspora

Institution:

University of Pennsylvania

Subject:

Description:

Distribution Course in Arts & Letters. Class of 2009 & prior only. Staff. This course will serve as an introduction to a particularly rich arena of literature in English. It will also help students to begin to understand many of the racial subtexts underlying the culture wars in America, where too often in the full glare of cameras, an anguished voice informs the audience that "as an African, I cannot expect justice in this America." One of the things at work here is the assumption of a common Africa diasporic identity -- understood as an excluded, marginalized subtext of identity in the new world. But why is Africa being involed here What does "Africa" mean in this new world context What is the larger global context of these assumptions about "Africa" and what is its history Does the term "Africa" itself have a history What is "African literature " This course, therefore, will also help students not only to ask fundamental questions about identity but also to understand identity as a moving and dynamic construct. How, for example, does "Africa" travel to South America, to the Caribbean Archipelago, and to Europe See the English Department's website at www.english.upenn.edu for a description of the current offerings.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.upenn.edu

Phone Number:

(215) 898-5000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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