HDFS 842

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    As a precursor to viewing this study history, please read my Philosophy of the Syllabus Post [here]

    • CLASS: HDFS 842
    • SEMESTER: Spring 2011
    • CLASS TITLE: African American Families
    • TIME & LOCATION: Tuesdays 6:00pm – 8:50pm, MSU Union Lake Ontario Room
    • INSTRUCTOR: Julia R. Miller, PhD, Past Dean of the College of Human Ecology
    • EMAIL: jrmiller@msu.edu
    • PHONE: (517) 353-9475

    Texts

    Assignments

    • Discussion of reading assignments. Each week one student will be responsible for leading the discussion on reading assignments. During the first class students will select the weeks and topics that they will be responsible to cover. Each member of the class will still be responsible for completing all readings to enable a dynamic discussion among all class members.
    • Two experience papers, each 4 pages long, will be required to report on events outside of class. These experiences are to reflect on-campus Martin Luther King Initiatives sponsored by: Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives ( January 15-17) and College of Osteopathic Medicine Eleventh Slavery to Freedom Annual Visiting Faculty Lecture (February 3, 19, 17).
      • GUIDELINES FOR EXPERIENCE PAPERS – Two experience papers, each 4 pages long, will be required for experiences outside of class
        • 1/25/11 Experience paper # 1
        • 2/22/11 Experience Paper # 2
      • Guidelines to follow for writing papers include the following:
        • Write a brief description of the experience
        • Were ideas presented during the experience new? Explain how you know? What problem(s) were addressed/solved?
        • What, social, economic, political and/or environmental forces affected the ideas presented?
        • Did the experience exemplify reality of past or current societal thought?
        • How did the experience challenge your thinking, culturally, spiritually, socially and/or politically?
        • Did the experience change your way of thinking? Did it provide information that changes the way you deal or will deal with people and situations? Explain how your thinking or behaviors will change.
        • Is there anything in your past experiences, culture or ethnic background, or identity that resonates or clashes with the experience? Explain.
        • As you reflect on the experience were there questions raised in your mind about the experience? Explain.
        • Did the experience meet your expectations? Explain.
        • How applicable was the experience to the content of this course? Explain.
        • Is there anything in your past experiences, culture or ethnic background, or identity
    • African American Family Interview. To familiarize you with these families, you will be asked to spend time with a family other than your own discussing their lives. All families should be African Americans, who have lived the majority of their lives in the United States, must have two or more children of either gender. For non-African American students you may select any African American family. For African American students you must select a family whose SES and religion are different from yours
      • Key Points for Family Interviews -Talk to parents separately and one of the children separately. You will not have to talk with older relatives separately. Discuss:
        • Family history: geographic mobility, SES status over years
        • Present situation: housing, jobs, recreation
        • Religion: as child, as adult, importance of religion/spirituality in lives
        • Education and degrees
        • Contacts with other relatives and siblings
        • Child: friends, school experiences
        • Any other relevant information
      • You will be expected to share this information in class. Length of papers should be 5 pages.
      • DUE DATE: 3/8/11
    • PERSONAL FAMILY GENEAOLOGY PROJECT
      • General Guidelines for Personal Family History Project. For Specific Guide go to HDFS 842 Angel Site. DUE: According to Assigned Presentations
        • An archival and genealogy study of student’s own family will be conducted and presented to the class.
        • Discussion with the oldest member of the family should be started immediately, via telephone, letters or in person. Visit or telephone the oldest members of the family to get histories, stories and pictures. Tape your interviews, Check your family Bible. Use vacation week for visits and oral histories.
        • Visit the Michigan Historical Library and other Libraries. You will have to schedule time during the day for research to use archival records.

    Course Description

    This seminar will focus upon the major historical and contemporary theoretical frameworks and events, demographic trends and empirical data that exist related to African American Families. Students will be exposed to
    classic books and referred journal articles that have been written by scholars. Research experiences will be gained in archival, oral history, survey, case study, empirical, and in the critique of published articles on African American Families.

    Course Objectives

    1. examine and investigate historical frames of reference of African heritage and African American families,
    2. explore the diverse traditional and non-traditional conceptualizations and representations that are and have been presented related to African American families,
    3. determine and analyze the formation and implementation of national policies that impact African American families and people of color,
    4. recognize, compare and contrast the origins of and existing implications of scientific racism and sexism,
    5. apply a variety of research applications: archival, case analyses, policy analyses, family interviews, and oral histories,
    6. participate in seminars and other events presented by scholars actively involved in research on families and societal issues, from a variety of multidisciplinary frame of references, that stimulate interests in the further development of research on African American families.

    COURSE OUTLINE

    Grading Scale

    Please note that MSU releases any liability for personal injury when students are attending off campus libraries and home of families for projects.

    Students with disabilities should contact OPHS I disability Resource Center), 120 Bessey Hall or phone (527) 353-9642 or (527) 355-1293 for evaluation of needs for reasonable accommodations, if any. Allowances for religious or cultural observations will be made.

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