Southern Studies Concentration

A concentration in Southern Studies offers students the opportunity to gain a rigorous interdisciplinary perspective on the rich and varied culture and history of the American South. Students receive training in different disciplines, including southern history and literature, learning in their senior year to integrate these discipline-specific approaches in a writing-intensive senior capstone experience in Southern Studies.

The Southern Studies concentration consists of ENG/SST 236, ENG 357 and 358, HIS 356, 361, 362, and 363, AFR 359 and 360, SST 480, and two courses approved by the Southern Studies Committee. Students may attain honors in Southern Studies by maintaining a minimum overall 3.5 grade point average in their undergraduate program, achieving a minimum 3.5 grade point average in courses in the concentration, and successfully completing a Senior Research Project at a level judged worthy of honors by the Southern Studies Committee. A committee of Southern Studies faculty members oversees the administration of the concentration.

SST 236. The Study of a Literary Theme: (variable topic) (3 hours)
(Same as ENG 236)
Prerequisite: FYS 101.
This course examines a particular theme in various literary forms. In addition to learning how to read a literary text closely and carefully, the student will be required to develop an ability to read, think, and write critically. (Every year)

SST 280. Special Topics in Southern Studies: (Subtitle) (1-3 hours)
Prerequisite: to be determined by the instructor.
A study of some significant topic in Southern Studies that is not covered in the regular course offerings. May be repeated with different topics. (Occasional)

AFR 359. African American Literature: Beginnings to 1965 (3 hours)
(Same as ENG 359)
A survey of classic writings in African American literature presented in their historical contexts. The course includes essays analyzing the political and social status of African Americans at various points during the period and representative works by major poets and fiction writers. Reading lists vary from year to year, but generally include such authors as Brown, Chestnut, Harper, the Grimkes, Larsen, Bontemps, DuBois, Washington, Harlem Renaissance writers, Ellison, and writers of the early civil rights era. (Every year)

AFR 360. African American Literature: 1965 to Present (3 hours)
(Same as ENG 360)
A chronological study of the development of African American literature since 1965. The course attempts to place African American literature in the context of world and American literature by examining prevalent themes and traditions as presented in fiction, poetry, and drama. Reading lists vary from year to year, but generally include such authors as Wright, Baldwin, Morrison, Angelou, Sanchez, Baraka, McMillan, Walker, and Wideman. (Every
year)

ENG 357. Literature of the South to 1945 (3 hours)
A study of southern literature from the antebellum period to the end of World War II. The course includes such writers as the Frontier Humorists, Twain, Ransom, Tate, Faulkner, Warren, Wolfe, and Toomer. Topics such as tradition, change, and race relations are considered. (Every two years)

ENG 358. Literature of the South after 1945 (3 hours)
A study of southern literature in the contemporary period. The course includes such writers as O'Connor, Welty, Percy, Ellison, Walker, and Dickey and selected contemporary southern poets and dramatists. Topics such as tradition, change, and race relations are considered. (Every two years)

HIS 356. The Civil War and Reconstruction (3 hours)
(Same as AFR 356)
A study of the causes of the American Civil War, the major military campaigns and engagements, and the problems of the nation after the war. (Every two years)

HIS 361. The Old South (3 hours)
(Same as AFR 361)
The study of the American South from the beginnings of European settlement to the Civil War. Slavery, the development of southern culture, and other topics are emphasized. (Every two years)

HIS 362. The New South (3 hours)
(Same as AFR 362)
A study of the American South from Reconstruction to the present. Race relations, the evolution of southern culture, and other topics are emphasized. (Every two years)

HIS 363. African American History (3 hours)
(Same as AFR 363)
An overview of the African American experience with emphasis on the following topics: life under slavery; conditions among free blacks during the antebellum period; actions of blacks during the Civil War and Reconstruction; reactions of blacks to the rise of virulent white racism after Reconstruction; and the roots, achievements, and transformation of the civil rights movement. (Every two years)

SST 380. Special Topics in Southern Studies: (Subtitle) (1-3 hours)
Prerequisite: to be determined by the instructor.
A seminar involving reading and discussion of a specific topic in Southern Studies that is not covered in the regular course offerings. May be repeated with different topics. (Occasional)

SST 480. Senior Seminar in Southern Studies (3 hours)
A course designed to fulfill the exit requirement for students seeking a concentration in Southern Studies. Emphasizing supervised research projects, this seminar enables students to compare methodologies and perspectives to examine specific problems in Southern Studies, and sharpen their skills as researchers and writers. This course is required for the Southern Studies concentration. (Every third semester)