In this advanced seminar, students will be introduced to a variety of approaches to African American literatures, and to a wide spectrum of methodologies and ideological postures (for example, The Black Arts Movement). The course will present an assortment of emphases, some of them focused on geography (for example, the Harlem Renaissance), others focused on genre (autobiography, poetry or drama), the politics of gender and class, or a particular grouping of authors. Previous versions of this course have included "African American Autobigraphy," "Backgrounds of African American Literature," "The Black Narrative" (beginning with eighteenth century slave narratives and working toward contemporary literature), as well as seminars on urban spaces, jazz, migration, oral narratives, black Christianity, and African-American music. See Africana Studies Department's website at https://africana.sas.upenn.edu for a description of the current offerings.

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.

Continuation of Elementary Amharic I.

Beginning with discussion of various perspectives on social change and law, this course then examines in detail the interdependent relationship between changes in legal and societal institutions. Emphasis will be placed on (1) how and when law can be an instrument for social change, and (2) how and when social change can cause legal change. In the assessment of this relationship, emphasis will be on the laws of the United States. However, laws of other countries and international law relevant to civil liberties, economic, social and political progress will be studied. Throughout the course, discussions will include legal controversies relevant to social change such as issues of race, gender and the law. Other issues relevant to State-Building and development will be discussed. A comparative framework will be used in the analysis of this interdependent relationship between law and social change.

Topics vary: See the Africana Studies Program's website at www.sas.upenn.edu/africana for a description of the current offerings.

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