Department of Political Science

Department of Political Science

Norfolk State University

POS 315: Blacks in the Political Process (3 credit hours)

Course Outline

Summer 2014Mini-TermInstructor:

Dr. Rudolph Wilson, Professor

Office Location:Brown Hall, Room B-212

Phone Number:Office: 823-9575

Email:

rwilson@nsu.edu

Office Hours:

Class Meeting:

Course Description

This course is designed to provide an overview of African Americans in the American political process with a special focus on the development of a frame of reference to analyze that process. The student will be asked to read a wide variety of materials.

This course will utilize both lecture-discussion and seminar techniques. Grades will be based on oral and written seminar examinations especially, the mid-term and final exams. Class discussion will constitute a significant part of the grade.

Course Rationale

African American Politics is offered as a cultural elective as partial fulfillment of required courses in the core curriculum. It is intended to enhance students knowledge of the African American experience as central to understanding the American democratic experience both historical and contemporize by revealing the political aspects of those experiences.

Course Goals and Objectives

To familiarize the student with the various frames of reference used to describe the context of the African-America politics;

To provide a general scope of the types of political participation Africa-Americas have engaged in throughout American history;

To familiarize the student with the various political institutions and economic structures that has impacted African-American political participation;

To familiarize the student with the role relationship between state and national laws and African-American political participation.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will learn how to analyze and identify specific content that pertain to the African American political experience within the following contexts

a. identify and evaluate frames of reference that best explain the African American political experience

b. determine and describe how history is used to properly place the African American experience

c. to recite and interpret with historical specificity significant political events that have shaped the African American experience

d. to explain and compare the roles of state and national governments in shaping the African American political experience by examining, constitutional provisions, congressional acts, state statutory restrictions, and US court decisions and presidential actions

e. to compare the role of social movements and political organizations in shaping the political behavior of Americans across race and ethnicity

f. to provide a synthesis of future patterns of political behavior that will likely shaped African American politics based upon various chapters taught in the course

Course Materials/Required Text(s)

Hanes Walton Jr. and Robert C. Smith American Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom 5th Edition. Pearson Education Inc.Primary Method(s) of Instructions/Methods to Engage Students

Lectures, group assignments, internet assignments, oral presentations and research assignments for the production of term papers. This is also a blended course therefore much of the course instruction materials will be accessed through BlackboardCourse Outline/Calendar

Week 1: May 18- 24 Introduction and Overview

L.S. Stavrianos. Global Rift: The Third World Comes of Age. pp. 74-98. NotesTheSociological Imagination: Uses of History, C. Wright Mills. (Summary notes)

A. Lerone Bennett "The First Generation, in Lerone Bennett, The Shaping of Black America pp. 5-35 (summary notes)

B.Vincent Harding, "American Bondage, American Freedom: Vincent Harding, There is a River. pp 24-51. (Required reading)

Chapters 1-3 Textbook by Walton and Smith

Week2: May 25- May 31Frames of reference four models.Freedom on the Boarder, African Slaves and American Indians Coalition. See course document section of virtue meeting roomWeek 3: June 1- June 7A historical review of Black Politics 1863- 1905The Civil Rights Record by Richard Bardolph, required reading), course document section of course roomJ Morgan Kousser, The two Reconstruction, required reading, course document section of course room.Read chapters 4 -7 Textbook by Walton and SmithWeek4: June 8- 14Jim Crow and African American Political Empowerment

V.O. Key, Southern Politics (chapter one, course document section black board)

The Supreme Court and The Politics of Uncertainty (located in course document section of course room).Week5: June 15- 21 African American Interest Groups, Barker, Jones and Tate, African Americans and The American Political System (chapter seven located in virtue reading room)

Chapters 7-10 textbook Walton and Smith Week 6: June 22-28Materials on Black Nationalism and Black Reparations and Final ExaminationRelated University-Wide and Course-Specific Requirements

This Course has a service-learning component infused in to the Syllabus which offers experiential opportunity as an enhancement for elating class theories to the real world and connects disciplines rationale to the career skills that may be used in your future areas of employment. This service activity benefits the students, the community and the university.

This activity will include the following competencies, as appropriate or for assessment purposes in this course.

Writing (Reflection journaling, essay structure, content and format)

Information technology literacy (necessary for required research paper)

Oral communication (interacting with the community)

Critical Thinking (application of problem solving skills)

Co-Curricular requirements (civic engagement, attending cultural activities and attending lectures

Project Objectives

1. To become more civically and socially involved in affecting change and engaging in dialogue and collaborative opportunities within the community to serve.

2. To develop critical and creative thinking skills for addressing and making meaningful decision about national and international service.

Evaluation/Assessment Methods

1. Each student will be required to submit a type-written research paper on a major African American politics problem (10 double spaced typed pages)

2. Four examinations during the semester period. Testing will be in the form of essay questions. Dates of examinations will be announced.

3. Every student is expected to participate actively in class discussion and class projects.

Class Participation. 5%Written Reports..................................................10%

Four Exams.........................................................75%

Grading Standards/Evaluation Criteria

A+ 95%-100%A- 90%-94%

B+ 85%-89%

B 81%-84% B- 78%-80%

C+ 75 %-77%

C 71%-74%C- 68%-70%

D+ 65%-67%D 62%-64%

D- 60%-61%F Below 60%

Academic Integrity Standards

Students attendance is based on university policy. Roll will be taken to monitor class attendance. Students who are late for class 15 minutes or more will be counted absent on the third offense.

Blackboard Instructions

Students taking this course online through blackboard should do the following:

Log onto blackboard by using your NSU email address (ex. j.s.doe@nsu.edu). Once the student is onto blackboard, follow the links that provide for announcements, course information, assignments, etc. In addition, students should anticipate email messages on assignment and other information about the course accessible through blackboard.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement

In accordance with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, if you have a disability or think you have a disability, contact Supporting Students through Disability Services (SSDS) for information regarding programs and services to enhance student success

Location: 2nd Floor/Lyman B. Brooks Library, Room 240

Contact Person: Marian E. Shepherd, Disability Services Coordinator

Telephone: 757-823-2014

University Assessment Statement

As part of NSUs commitment to provide the environment and resources needed for success, students may be required to participate in a number of university-wide assessment activities is to determine the extend to which the universitys programs and services maintain a high level of quality and meet the needs of students. Students will not be identified in the analysis of results. Unless indicated otherwise by the instructor, results from University assessment activities will not be computed in student grades.