AFST 299 - Research Methods in Africana Studies

Credits: (3)
This course offers an introduction to the methods and methodologies that scholars in Africana Studies use to create knowledge about the African diaspora. Instead of focusing on “what we know,” this class asks students to think seriously about the issue of “how we know.” We cover the qualitative techniques and theoretical perspectives that many academics use in order to conduct research in Africana Studies. Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary discipline, thus, in order to accurately represent the techniques of the field we must cover interdisciplinary research methods and methodologies. The course does not provide a traditional chronological survey of a topic or focus primarily on one geographic area. Instead, the selected readings either describe or model a specific method or methodology. By the end of the semester, each student will create an original research prospectus.