Higher Learning......................
- African American Studies MA & PHD--- What…..? Okay, where does one work in the private sector with this degree? Is there a demand outside of Academia for this degree? The University of Georgia says this about it:The Role of African American Studies Situate students within a learning environment that encourages appreciation of the history and culture of African Americans.
- Develop critical and analytic tools of inquiry necessary for research and publication.
- Develop professionals.
- Teach the economic, psychological, and social situation of Blacks past and present.
- Inquire historically into the profound cultural gap between American ideals of the constitution and American practices.
- Test the contemporary hypothesis that conscientious dissenters of any color or creed are unpatriotic Americans.
- Liberate American thought from simplistic stereotypes.
- Explore the diversity and range of thought in the African Diaspora.
- Expand the range of academic inquiry about humanity and who is human.
- Foster interdisciplinary study in the humanities, arts, and sciences.
- Provide laboratory experiences in a cultural exchange to enrich the professions of business, law, economics, social work, education, and agriculture.
- Facilitate life-long enlightenment about theories and forms of African Americans.
I believe a college degree of any type should transcend ethic backgrounds, or else why seek one in the first place.Now, let’s flip the script as they say in “The ‘Hood.” Can a black boy from wam-ba-lo Georgia obtain a degree in say, Native American studies, and be taken seriously? Naw, these degrees are (okay, here comes some Bold as Love non-politically correct terminology) racially proprietary. That’s right, Racially Proprietary. What I am putting forth is, a person not of color will not be given the same credence as someone of color? Why, simply because of the politically correct society we live in.
I hear some of you saying European history is taught by professors of European descent, and they inherently have a lock on the subject, and people of color should enjoy that status also. Think about it, European history is also taught by professors of color, and they are recognized and acknowledged for their expertise in the field. I have noticed that these days it is not a two way street, white men are discouraged from professing any insight on minority issues whatsoever- I guess since most Liberals feel white men are the problem to start with, they can’t possibly be part of any solution. The following is what sums up my doubts about this degree. Do we need another layer of racial bullshit to add to the layers we already have. I thought our goal was to build a society that was based upon character, not racial identity.
What the hell is “Situating students within a learning environment that encourages appreciation of the history and culture of African Americans” going to really do? You do not have to appreciate a damned thing about anyone’s culture here in America, just do not violate that persons constitutional rights and all will be fine and dandy. It is terribly competitive on a global level these days. This degree and others are gumming up the works of American colleges. While American students are getting these degrees, the rest of the world is obtaining degrees in the hard sciences and getting shit done. While we sit around mulling over the complexities of the African American experience in America, other countries are turning out students that design the tools of the future. Just damn, enough already.
Later’
posted by bold as love at 3:56 AM
2 Comments:
Bold,
As education becomes more costly, there should be a commensurate increase in scholarship.
My experience has been that the so called "Afrocentrists" who advocate for Arfican-American studies tend to either have a chip on their shoulder, or trying to paint a picture of "Camelot" in Africa.
03 29 06
Bold:
You do have a point about the ethnic propriety of certain degrees, although experience shapes perception. Look at the faculty of UC Berkeley's African/Black Studies Dept. At one point, there were quite a few Whites in the dept and I think at some point, more White Profs than not. Now I find that odd, but they wrote books and gave talks and were well respected! At SFSU, that imbalance has never occured. One of my Profs in a Black Studies course had two PhDs and one was in Black Studies, while the other was in economics. He used the econ together with the Black studies to create economics modules for building communities etc. This knowledge was applicable across different community structures, but particularly suited to urban renewal etc.
Other Profs were similarly degree laden. One Prof was a trained Constitutional attorney and taught on the side and her bent was civil liberties and adherence to the Constitution. Another Prof had the equivalent of two Masters degrees; one in physics, one in chemistry and I think another degree in Black Studies. So there are a diverse group of people attracted to ethnic studies, yet all of them have other qualifications...
I have mixed feelings about a pure degree in Ethnic Studies, but my mother got an African American Studies degree from Berkeley in the 70's and is one of the most intelligent people I know. She has been a teacher for years now, so has done well with it. And I will say that my Black Studies teachers were big on critical thinking, which is applicable to all disciplines.
Ultimately, specialization in a degree isn't what makes a person marketable per se. The person also must be able to think outside of the box and think critically. I have known people that get paid quite well simply because they have a personality and can think critically. On that note, this was a thought provoking post!
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