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Black Studies

Why should I take this Trinity Elective?

College does not exist in a vacuum and staff and students alike are conscious of external events such as Black Lives Matter which need to be critically examined and contextualised within an academic forum. Conscious of the student demand for an elective of this type, this elective will take a multidisciplinary approach to provide a theoretical and empirical understanding of the field of Black Studies. Central to this is the need to highlight key moments of African history, its global diaspora and Black resistance.

The aims of the elective are to examine the origins, relevance and scope of Black Studies, and especially its relevance for students who will come to it in an interdisciplinary manner.

The elective will draw on understandings of Blackness in the diaspora through analysis of relevant texts to understand Black Studies as an intellectual examination of African history, current African political and intellectual processes and arts, as well as transformations of identities created by migration and interaction with Western culture.

What will I learn?

  • the place of Africa in world history
  • the current socio-cultural circumstances of Africa and its diaspora
  • major contemporary themes, such as Critical Race Theory, decolonising the curriculum and Black resistance movements (e.g. Pan Africanism, Civil Rights Movement, Decolonialism, Black Lives Matter)
  • contextualise the diasporic Black lived experience and the Black Irish experience (pre- and post-Celtic Tiger)

What will I do?

  • Attend a series of lectures and participate in discussions on topics covering ‘decolonising’ the curriculum, reading African history, African intellectual thought, the relationship between Ireland and Africa, Black politics and mass movements, gender, queer theory, health and digital blackness.

How will this be delivered?

  • 11 lectures with class discussions
  • 5 guest lecturer-led panel discussions
  • 6 Lectorials (guest lecturer-led lecture/tutorials)
  • Tutorial support

How will this be assessed?

  • Weekly online journal entries (200 words each). The best 5 journal entries for each student will contribute to the final module mark: 50%
  • Collaborative group project.  This will consist of one of the two following options:
    1. Campaign poster for an existing local, national or international campaign.
    2. Video presentation.
    Each student will also provide a 300-word individual reflective piece on the material used in the project. Group project and individual reflection: 50%.

Who can take this Trinity Elective?

  • Any student eligible to take a Trinity Elective can select this Trinity Elective.

More Information (PDF 145KB)