ASRC 1600 - The Black Family and the Socialization of Black Children

(crosslisted)
(also HD 1710) (SBA-AS)

Fall. 3 credits.

T. Gosa.

This course explores the historic and contemporary dynamics of the African American family in U.S. society. We will begin our work by focusing on the sociohistorical, -political, and -cultural contexts of black family formations and functions in the African Diaspora. Students will be challenged to consider the continuation of African heritage in black family organization. We will review Afrocentric, feminist, and sociological frameworks for understanding black families. The course proceeds to consider more contemporary topics including gender roles, divorce and marriage dissolution, sexuality and love, mate selection, parenting and fatherhood, and the well-being of black children. We will pay special attention to how black families are (re)imagined in popular culture, including representations in the news, film and television, and music.