Course Syllabi

This interactive discussion-based course examines the history and culture of skateboarding from its nascence in the late 1950s to its influence in design, fashion, music, and popular culture today. Course instruction blends readings with videos, podcast interviews, and guest lectures of skateboarders, photographers, and industry leaders. This course is situated in anthropology but introduces students to the related fields of history, sociology, ethnomusicology, art, business, marketing, landscape architecture, and design. By the end of the quarter, students will gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural significance of skateboarding and its place in contemporary society. Additionally, students will be introduced to various methods in modern anthropology.

This course has two key functions: 1) to explore the complex contours of the relationship of anthropology with people of African descent; 2) to serve as a mentoring tool for undergraduate anthropology majors. As such, the course will incorporate both discussions on the important role of communities of African descent in the historical and theoretical development of the field of anthropology, as well as the use of anthropology by Black scholars, with discussions on key strategies for navigating the major. The overall mission is to empower cohorts of undergraduate students, ease their experience in anthropology, and build a community of scholars.  

This course covers the thematic and methodological approaches associated with the historical archaeology of Africa and the African diaspora. Students interested in African and African diaspora studies, archaeology, slavery, and race should find this course useful. In addition to an overview of the development of African diaspora archaeology, students will be introduced to the major debates within the sub-field as well as its articulation with biological and socio-cultural anthropology. The course covers archaeological research throughout the wide geographical breadth of the African diaspora in Latin America, North America, the Caribbean, East and West Africa, and the Indian Ocean. Themes covered include gender, race, identity, religion, and ethics in relation to the material record. Lectures will be supplemented with documentary films and other multimedia sources.

P. Olisanwuche Esedebe defines Pan-Africanism as “a political and cultural phenomenon that regards Africa, Africans, and African descendants abroad as a unit. It seeks to regenerate and unify Africa and promote a feeling of oneness among the people of the African world.”  Adding to Esedebe’s definition, this course will expound upon Pan-Africanism as a political and cultural movement as well as an ideology, tracing its development from the late 19th century thought of Henry Sylvester Williams and W.E.B. Du Bois into the 21st century. The course is outlined chronologically and divided into several themes as delineated in the Course Outline. Geographically this course will focus heavily on Pan-Africanism in the United States and the U.K. as well as Africa and the Caribbean. The course will also touch briefly on Pan-Africanism in Latin America and Asia. In addition to the concept of Pan-Africanism, we will explore related themes such as Black Nationalism, Ethiopianism, and Negritude while situating critical figures of the African diaspora within the intellectual genealogy of Pan-African thought. 

* Course syllabus adopted by faculty at Kansas City Kansas Community College

In this course, we will explore various Black and Indigenous epistemological and methodological approaches to archaeology and sociocultural anthropology. We will examine questions of ethics, accountability, and relationality between research, community, and environment as we investigate case studies from Africa, the Americas, Oceania, and the Caribbean. Central to this course is our understanding that working in collaboration with communities often requires us to engage in practices beyond the traditional bounds of the discipline of anthropology. Thus, we will survey how various anthropological researchers have implemented an ethic of “respect, reciprocity, and responsibility” into their work. By the end of this course, students will have an applied understanding of multiple perspectives, tools, and methodologies to aid in the development and implementation of their research for, by, and with communities.

This course will provide an introductory overview of Archaeology of the Caribbean from the period of first human occupation into the era of modern colonialism. We will explore the range of archaeological research documenting the history of Taino, Kalinago communities, and their ancestors. This course will also cover ecological transformations and showcase the latest research in Caribbean archaeology. Throughout the course we will cover a range of themes including of social organization, Caribbean architecture, trade networks, and heritage climate change.