NIGHT April 25: Black Sociology continued

Hank Williams
Image: Ernie Barnes “The Sugar Shack.” 1976 oil on canvas.

NOTE THAT THIS IS THE UPDATE FOR THE NIGHT SECTION: IF YOU’RE IN THE DAY SECTION, SEE THE POST FOR YOUR CLASS

First, a few housekeeping details:

Course Announcements:

  • Prof. Williams Zoom live chat hours: Monday/Wednesday from 4-5 PM! on Zoom here. Or call: +1 929 205 6099 then add meeting ID: 528 450 5381. Or drop by Carman 291.

Quick highlights April 18 class:

  • Midterms returned
  • Covered first part of chapter 6: sections 6.1, 6.2, part of section 6.3
  • Music: Roy Ayers: “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”–on YouTube here

DO THIS for Tuesday April 25:

  • Please bring the readings/books with you to class!
  • RE-READ up to section 6.6 (pp. 249-268) of chapter 6 (Black Sociology) in Maulana Karenga’s Introduction to Black Studies. (18 pages total)
  • FOCUS on sections 6.4 and 6.5 (culture and families)
  • READ section 6.7 (quality relationships)
  • RE-READ Joyce Ladner’s “Tomorrow’s Tomorrow: The Black Woman” from The Death of White Sociology. (15 pages: PDF document on the Readings page. We’ll discuss this in class

What to read for:

The middle section of the chapter deals with two main issues: 1) how mainstream social science research has misunderstood (or slandered) Black culture and argued that it’s the root of issues Black people face in the US — 2) how it’s done the same to Black families/family structures. The last section of the chapter presents what good quality relationships might look like. Try to understand:

  • culture and the different models
  • issues of studying Black family relations and the various approaches
  • the “pathological/pathogenic school”
  • the “adaptive vitality school”
  • Kawaida theory as alternate model
  • The 4 “connections” that form quality relationships

From the PDF reading, think about how Ladner critiques dominant social science theories of approaching research. Reflect on how these issues have been presented in your own classes.

ATTEND class on Tuesday April 25

General reading strategies:

  • Underline/highlight key points in the text
  • Focus on the specific chapter sections outlined here
  • Start with the table of contents at the front of the book for a chapter outline. Write the assigned sections down in your notebook. This is your outline for the chapter
  • Use the reading questions at the back of chapters to focus you: read those first
  • Next read the assigned chapter sections
  • Try to understand the definitions of the key concepts listed at the back of the chapter
  • Make a note to ask the instructor to clarify anything you don’t understand
  • Note key issues, approaches, and dilemmas/challenges Dr. Karenga outlines

Discussion questions

  • See chapter/essay highlights above

Additional resources:

  • Book: Joyce Ladner The Death of White Sociology.
  • Book: Ira Katznelson When Affirmative Action Was White.

What’s Next?

Quiz on chapter 6; start Chapter 7 in Introduction to Black Studies

 

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