The Minor Program in African and African Diaspora Studies is designed for students interested in the cultures and experiences of the peoples of African descent on the continent, or elsewhere. The minor includes study of socio-economic and political systems as they reflect the African continent and/or areas of the African Diaspora, and the histories, languages and literatures of Africans and peoples of African decent elsewhere. All of Africa falls within the geographical scope of the minor. A student may concentrate on a particular region or on any of the broad groupings of African cultures, such as Arabic-speaking, Anglophone, Francophone, or Lusophone Africa. Equally, a student choosing to focus on the African Diaspora may concentrate on any group of African-descended populations in the Americas. Students focusing on either principal area (Africa or the African Diaspora) must also take at least one subject which deals with the other area or with interactions between them. The goal of the minor program is to emphasize the importance of Africa and people of African descent in world cultural, socio-economic, and social developments, and to provide a balance between language, humanistic, historical, and contemporary study.
The Minor Program in African and African Diaspora Studies consists of six subjects (at least three of which must be MIT subjects) arranged in four areas of study:
Area I: Language
Area II: Humanities and the Arts
Area III: Social Sciences
Area IV: Historical Studies
As with all HASS Minors, only five of the six minor subjects may be counted toward the 8-subject Institute HASS Requirement. Of these five, at most one (1) shall count toward satisfaction of the HASS Distribution Requirement.
AREA I: LANGUAGE
Students are expected to have two intermediate (Levels III and IV) subjects in either the official language of the region of study or in an indigenous African language. In cases where the student is specializing in Anglophone Africa or an English-speaking region of the diaspora, and does not undertake study of an indigenous language, or is a native speaker of the official language(s) of a country or region of emphasis, this component would be replaced by literature or other humanities subjects.
Language subjects offered at MIT:
21F.303 French III, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.304 French IV, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.703 Spanish III, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.704 Spanish IV, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.803 Portuguese III, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
21F.804 Portuguese IV, HASS-H, HASS-D Language Option
Language subjects offered elsewhere:
Courses in African languages are available to our students at Harvard University and/or Wellesley College. Courses in African languages may be taken at other institutions with prior permission of the Advisor.
Areas II, III, IV:
At least four subjects are to be selected from at least two of the remaining areas. Where the exception in Area I applies, the student will take all six subjects from these three remaining areas, with at least one subject in each area.
AREA II: HUMANITIES AND THE ARTS
21L.007 World Literatures, HASS-H, HASS-D, CI-H
21L.504J Race and Identity in American Literature [WGS.140], HASS-H
21M.030 Introduction to World Music, HASS-A, HASS-D, CI-H
21M.226 Jazz, HASS-A, HASS-D
21M.293 Music of Africa, HASS-A
21M.863 Advanced Topics in Theater Arts (when applicable - minimum of 9 units) ‡
21W.742J Writing About Race [WGS.231], HASS-H, HASS-D, CI-H
24.912J Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies [WGS.190, 21A.114, 21H.106, 21L.008, 21W.741], HASS-A/HASS-H, HASS-D, CI-H
WGS.142 Narrative and Identity: Writing and Film by Contemporary Women of Color, HASS-H
AREA III: SOCIAL SCIENCES
3.988 Africa -- Past and Present: An Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials Perspective, HASS-S
9.75J Psychology of Gender and Race [WGS.228], HASS-S
17.311 Politics, Race, and Science, HASS-S
17.523 Ethnic Conflict in World Politics, HASS-S
17.571 African Politics, HASS-S
17.907 Reading Seminar in Social Science (when applicable - minimum of 9 units)
24.912J Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies [WGS.190, 21A.114, 21H.106, 21L.008, 21W.741], HASS-A/HASS-H, HASS-D, CI-H
STS.046J The Science of Race, Sex, and Gender [21A.242, WGS.225], HASS-S
STS.048 African Americans in Science, Technology, and Medicine, HASS-H
STS.089 Technology and Innovation in Africa, HASS-H
AREA IV: HISTORICAL STUDIES
21H.204J The Civil War and Reconstruction [STS.029], HASS-H
21H.229 The Black Radical Tradition in America, HASS-H
21H.390 Seminar in Historical Methods (when the topical focus of the course is pertinent), HASS-H
24.912J Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies [WGS.190, 21A.114, 21H.106, 21L.008, 21W.741], HASS-A/HASS-H, HASS-D, CI-H
Courses offered elsewhere:
A substantial number of courses dealing with Africa and the African Diaspora are available to our students at Wellesley College, offered through their program in Africana Studies and other departments, and Harvard’s Department of African and African American Studies. Students may take relevant courses at these institutions provided they receive permission in advance from the HASS African and African Diaspora Studies Minor Advisor.
Students that have taken the following subjects that are no longer offered can count these subjects toward their minor:
11.023 Bridging Cultural and Racial Differences
17.305J Race, Gender and Law [SP.604]
17.53 Democratization of Asia, Africa, and Latin America
21A.240 Race and Science
21A.460J Medicine, Religion, and Politics in Africa and the African Diaspora [SP.620]
21H.705 Introduction to the History of Modern Africa
21M.621J Theater and Cultural Diversity in the US [WGS.192], HASS-A, HASS-D
21M.712 African American Performance, HASS-A
21M.775 Hip-Hop, HASS-A
21W.766J Contemporary US Women of Color: Writing & Reading Short Stories [SP.574], HASS-A
24.908 Creole Languages and Caribbean Identities, HASS-S, CI-H
[ ] Jointly listed subjects
(G) Graduate subjects which are open to qualified undergraduates, with the permission of the instructor
‡ Subject offered on a variable schedule, please check with department
Additional information can be obtained from the Minor Advisor:
Professor Christopher Capozzola, E51-284, x2-4960
Massachusetts Institute of Technology