This course will apply African-centered values and principles in historical and contemporary context to the implementation of traditional methods in practice with African American individuals, families and communities. The course is bounded by a strengths and resilience framework in which students will 1) obtain an overview of the African worldview and the history, culture, and contributions to world civilization of African-descended people; 2) become familiar with literature that exemplifies the integration of the Afrocentric perspective in practice with African American families; and 3) utilize the case study method to apply knowledge gained. The course will be offered in a seminar format in which students have an active role in structuring their own learning, building on content delivered by guest lecturers and utilizing relevant reading materials, experiential activities and electronic media.
Pathway Elective For
- Global Social Work Practice
- Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host)
Objectives
- Explain the pre-colonization and pre-enslavement history and contributions of indigenous African people.
- Explain the history and residual effects of colonization, enslavement, and continued oppression on Black people.
- Explain traditional African Affirmative values and principles (i.e. African-centered worldview or perspective) and their potential or implications for the healing of the residual effects of historical and contemporary race-based oppression.
- Discuss the African-centered world view or perspective from a broader social justice standpoint (beyond people of African descent).
- Demonstrate the integration of the student’s current knowledge of African-Affirmative values and principles with the student’s historic experience as it relates to African descent people.
- Discuss the elements (principles and methods) of at least one published theory-based model of African Affirmative (African-centered) practice.
- Describe a published example of the application of African Affirmative/African-centered practice..
- Describe actual or planned application of African Affirmative/African-centered practice to a case study situation in your chosen method and practice concentration areas.
Design
This course is designed as a weekly 2hr 45min class session. In-person and web-based participation will be required. The seminar is devoted to integrating materials from the text and other sources with the practice framework. There will be lectures, individual and group exercises, films, community engagement, occasional guest speakers, etc.
Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)
Throughout the course, students examine values and ethics as well as issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, religion, and ability as these relate to practice with African American individuals, families, and communities.