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

  • 1/11/11 Orientation to Course, Personal Introductions, Brief historical overview of the experience of African Americans.
    • Video Slide Show, Look Where We’ve Come, Hollis Sumo, Music, Mary Boyles, Design
    • Video: Martin Luther King Speech: “ I have a Dream”
    • What Do You Know About Your Families?
    • Family History Slides and Albums
    • Write or call your family members for information for Family Genealogy Project, Guidelines for this assignment, p. 4 of Syllabus and HDFS Angel Lessons
  • 1/18/11 MSU Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Events Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives listed on the HANDOUT and on the HDFS 842 Link under Lessons. These events can
    be used to write the Experience Papers # 1.
  • 1/25/11 Due: Experience Paper # 1, Discussion of Experience Papers
    • Historical Events in the Lives of African Americans
    • Contributions of African Americans in Building America
    • Kwanza
    • Video, Black In America
  • 2/1/11 Preparing for Research
    • Burroughs, Black Roots, pp. 13-70
    • Historical Conceptualization of Black Families
    • McAdoo, Black Families, pp. 3-47
    • The Michigan Genealogist, Library of Michigan, History, Arts and Libraries, Volumes 1-5 can be accessed on line.
    • Start phone calls and letters to relatives, older ones first for information to be used for Family Genealogy Project, See Guidelines for this assignment, p. 4 of Syllabus and HDFS 842, Angel, Lessons
    • Beginning Steps for Research, Burroughs, Black Roots, pp 71-145
    • Begin Working On African American Family Interviews, See Guide pp. 3,4 of Syllabus
  • The College of Osteopathic Medicine, Eleventh Annual Visiting Faculty Lecture Series, and Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey, See Attached Announcements 2/3-17/11
  • 2/8/11 Beginning Steps
    • Burroughs, Black Roots, pp. 146-227
    • Continued Theoretical Conceptualizations of African American Families
    • McAdoo, Black Families, pp. 49-94,
    • Video: Black In America
  • 2/15/11 NO CLASS: Time to be spent completing Experience # 2
    • Slavery to Freedom and Writing Assignment
    • Beginning Family Research by, Visiting Local Libraries, Library of Michigan, 702 W. Kalamazoo, Lansing, Hours M-F, 19:00 a.m-5:00 p.m.;
    • Mormon Family Center, 431 E. Saginaw St., East Lansing, You will have to schedule a time during the day for your research
    • Read for Library Visits, Burroughs, Black Roots, pp. 228-374
  • 2/22/11 Due: Experience #2Paper from Faculty Lecture Series Library Research
    • Discussion of Library
    • Burroughs, Black Roots, pp. 228-374
  • 3/1/11 Family Patterns and Socialization
    • McAdoo, pp. 157-247
    • Writing the Family History and Putting it all Together
    • Burroughs, Family Roots, pp. 375-392, 400-412
  • 3/8/11 SPRING BREAK
  • 3/15/11 Family Interviews Due, Discussion of Family Interviews
    • African Americans In the Military
    • Video: African American War Heroes
    • Spirituality, Religion, Health and Relationships in African American Families
      • I WILL PRESENT ON THIS MATERIAL
    • McAdoo, Black Families, pp. 95-153, pp. 248-278, pp. 281-315
  • 3/22/11 Social Policies: Implications for African American Families
  • 3/29/11 Social Policies: Implications for African American Families
  • 4/5/11 Presentations of Family Genealogy Research
  • 4/12/11 Presentations of Family Oral Histories and Family Tree
  • 4/19/11 Presentations of Family Genealogy Research
  • 4/28/11 Presentations of Family Genealogy Research

Grading Scale

  • 15% Family Interviews
  • 15% Discussion Leader Participation
  • 20% Experience Event papers
  • 50% Genealogy/Family History Work, Archival data Collection

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.