This course explores the creation and transformations of the American constitutional system's structures and goals from the nation's founding through the period of Progressive reforms, the rise of the Jim Crow system, and the Spanish American War. Issues include the division of powers between state and national governments, and the branches of the federal government; economic powers of private actors and government regulators; the authority of governments to enforce or transform racial and gender hierarchies; and the extent of religious and expressive freedoms and rights of persons accused of crimes. We will pay special attention to the changing role of the Supreme Court and its decisions in interpreting and shaping American constitutionalism, and we will also read legislative and executive constitutional arguments, party platforms, and other influential statements of American constitutional thought.

This course will deal with law and society in Africa. After surveying the various legal systems in Africa, the focus will be on how and to what extent the countries of Africa "re-Africanized" their legal systems by reconciling their indigenous law with western law and other legal traditions to create unified legal systems that are used as instruments of social change and development. Toward this end, the experiences of various African countries covering the various legal traditions will be included. Specific focus will be on laws covering both economic and social relations. This emphasis includes laws of contracts and civil wrongs, land law, law of succession, marriage and divorce and Africa's laws of International Relations, among other laws. Throughout this course a comparative analysis with non-African countries will be stressed.

In the past In the past few decades, many African nations have overthrown colonial regimes and police states in favor of some form of democratic governance. But what doesthis ideological and political shift mean for a country's youth? In this course we will use anthropological texts to explore the ways in which young Africans are both socialized into and also play an active role in negotiating the terms of democracy. In doing so, we will look both at the great diversity in democratic ideals across the continent as well as the perceived failures of many African nations to transition to constitutional democracies. We will use a variety of examples from recent history to examine these issues, such as the recent youth uprising in Egypt and its use of social media as a tool of democracy, the role of youth in apartheid-era political protest in South Africa, and the complex intersection of indigenous politics and democratic legislation in Tanzania. This course will engage key debates in current anthropological analysis, asking about both young people's capacity for agency as well as the formation of political subjectivity.


In the past few decades, many African nations have overthrown colonial regimes and police states in favor of some form of democratic governance. But what doesthis ideological and political shift mean for a country's youth? In this coursewe will use anthropological texts to explore the ways in which young Africans are both socialized into and also play an active role in negotiating the terms of democracy. In doing so, we will look both at the great diversity in democratic ideals across the continent as well as the perceived failures of many African nations to transition to constitutional democracies. We will use a variety of examples from recent history to examine these issues, such as the recent youth uprising in Egypt and its use of social media as a tool of democracy, the role of youth in apartheid-era political protest in South Africa, and the complex intersection of indigenous politics and democratic legislation in Tanzania. This course will engage key debates in current anthropological analysis, asking about both young people's capacity for agency

An advanced Amharic course that will further sharpen the student's knowledge of the Amharic language and the culture of the Amharas. The learner's communicative skills will be further developed through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. There will also be discussions on cultural and political issues.

The Elementary Amharic I course can be taken to fulfill a language requirement, or for linguistic preparation to do research on Ethiopia/Africa-related topics. The course emphasizes communicative competence to enable the students to acquire linguistic and extra-linguistic skills in Amharic. The content of the course is selected from various everyday life situations to enable the students to communicate in predictable commom daily settings. Culture, as it relates to language use, is also part of the course content.


Students will acquire the speaking, listening, reading, and writting skills at the mid-high novice level, based on the ACTFL scale. The mid-high novice level proficiency skills that the students will acquire constitute threshold capabilities of the second semester range of proficiency to prepare students for Elementary Amharic II course materials.

Topics Vary. See the Africana Studies Department's course list at https://africana.sas.upenn.edu for a description of the current offering.

During the semester we will focus on people and communities of sub-Saharan Africa and on the ways people represent, reflect on, and react to various aspects and issues in their lives and the institutions which dominate their communities. We will focus particularly on the history, contemporary expression, and inter-relationships among politics, religion, and aesthetic practice. Members of Penn's African Studies community will share their expertise with the class and introduce the University's Africa resources. Texts consist of weekly readings, films, and recordings; and class members will be expected to attend several lectures outside of class.

The elementary Swahili course can be taken to fulfill a language requirement, or for linguistic preparation to do research on East Africa/Africa-related topics. The course emphasizes communicative compentence to enable the students to aquire linguistic and extra-linguistic skills in Swahili. The content of the course is selected from various everyday life situations to enable the students to communicate in predictable commom daily settings. Culture, as it relates to language use, is also part of the course content.


Students will acquire the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills at the mid-high novice level, based on the ACTFL scale. The mid-high level proficiency skills that the students acquire constitute threshold capabilities of the second semester range of proficiency to prepare students for Elementary Swahili II course materials.

This course will study the history of African-Americans from their first encounter with Europeans in the 16th century to their emancipation during the Civil War. This course will concentrate on the variety of black responses to capture, enslavement, and forced acculturation in the New World. the difference in the slave experience of various New World countries, and the methods of black resistance and rebellion to varied slave systems will be investigated. The nature and role of the free black communities in antebellum American will also be studied.