Peoples
and Cultures of Africa
H421/H521 (C443/C459)
Professor: Didier
Gondola Office
Hours: MW: 1:30-2:30
Time: TR: 1:00-2:15 Email:
gondola@iupui.edu
PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY AND REFER TO IT AS OFTEN AS
NECESSARY
Nota
bene: This syllabus and other course materials can
be found on the web page (http://oncourse.ui.edu)
and on the homepage of the Department of History. To get to the History Department homepage: from http://www.iupui.edu click on ACADEMICS; then
SCHOOLS; then IU SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS; then RELATED PAGES; then DEPARTMENT OF
HISTORY; then COURSES and CLASS MATERIALS, then H421-H521.
H421/H521
is a dual course offered to undergraduate (H421) and graduate students
(H521). Graduate students who wish to
take this course for graduate credit may not take H421 but rather H521. The course is designed to give students an
overview of a wide scope of cultural issues African societies are facing
today. It focuses on the most original
cultural phenomena, which define African societies and how they have evolved
from precolonial times onward. Various taken-for-granted antagonistic concepts,
e.g. tradition vs. modernity, city vs. village, the group vs. the individual,
are revisited and deconstructed. The course does not follow a chronological
order but uses rather a thematical approach to understand the cultural, economic
and political characteristics of modern Africa. The class is run as a seminar with short lectures followed by
class discussions. Questions concerning
the subject matter of the course are welcome at any time.
A.
Regular
class attendance and participation in class discussions (20%). Students will be asked to relate their
questions and comments to the assigned readings in order to facilitate
productive discussion and engagement of the course materials.
B.
Mid-Term
Exam (20%).
C.
Three
Quizzes (10%). The lowest grade of your quizzes will be dropped.
D.
Final
Exam (20%) includes only materials and topics covered since midterm. There is no comprehensive final exam.
E.
Final
Paper, 10-15 double-spaced pages
(30%).
History
521, Graduate Students:
A.
Regular
class attendance and participation in class discussions (20%). Students will be asked to relate their
questions and comments to the assigned readings in order to facilitate
productive discussion and engagement of the course materials.
B.
Oral
presentation (10%). Students are
encouraged to be creative and/or provocative in their oral presentations. You may use the board, audio-visual
materials, handouts, etc. Presentation
should be no more than 30 minutes and, whenever possible, should not be
read. Topics are open.
C.
Mid-term
exam (20%).
D.
Two
(2) book reviews [Belinda Bozzoli,
Women of Phokeng (1982). Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1983)], 3-4 double-spaced pages (2@10%).
E.
Final
paper, 10-15 double-spaced pages (30%).
Books [available at the University bookstore. Each student should purchase and read
according to the schedule dates the books are required. All required readings for the course are available
at the bookstore and I suggest you purchase all the recommended books. Additional texts and articles we will
discuss in class are on E-reserves (Please check with the library for their
location). I strongly recommend that
you read them at least twice before coming to class. Make notes in your texts or on a separate sheet of paper and
highlight or underline the specific passages you want to discuss.
Martin & O’Meara.
Africa.
Manning. Slavery and African Life
Achebe. Things Fall
Apart
·
Zaire,
the Cycle of the Serpent (Zaire, 1992, 58 minutes, in French & Lingala
with English subtitles, director: Thierry Michel)
·
Women
with Open Eyes (1993, 51 minutes, in French with English subtitles).
·
A
Republic Gone Mad: Rwanda 1894-1994 (Belgium, 60 minutes, 1996,
director: Luc de Heusch)
·
Oba
Koso: Nigerian Music and Dance Drama (The king did not hang: Dance-drama with Yoruba Festival music /
Duro Ladipo)
The
classroom is an environment of learning par
excellence. Not only do students
learn from the instructor and by their own critical analysis of the material
but they also learn from fellow students.
It is, of course, an intimate and ever-changing space where students are
constantly asked to share opinions and critically analyze the issues as they
are being presented by the instructor and fellow students. Participation in class discussions is
instrumental in the student’s ability to analyze and assimilate
information. Do not feel shy to ask a
question, raise an issue or interject a thought. There are several ways to get prepared for class discussions. Here are some tips on how students can
enrich discussion of the course materials: (1) Spend time before each class
preparing for discussion by making notes in your texts or on a separate sheet
of paper pertaining to specific passages from the readings that you want to
discuss. (2) During class discussions, when raising a question or point about
the assigned readings, make specific references to texts, authors and page
numbers in question. (3) Listen carefully to an interlocutor’s question and
position before responding and making your own comment. Try not to make
assumptions about your interlocutor’s intentions or motivations based on
his/her gender or origin. Never
hesitate to ask your interlocutor to clarify or restate her/his position.
The
purpose of the presentations is to encourage critical reading and
thinking. I usually let students choose
their own topic provided that it’s related to the issues covered in class. Given the short timeframe allowed for
presentation (20-30 minutes), it’s usually more appropriate to cover a very
specific issue instead of trying to cover all the ins and outs. When deciding what particular aspect of your
topic you want to present in class, always think of something original and
thought-provoking that might engage the class in a productive discussion. I encourage you to be creative and
responsible. You may use the board,
audio-visual materials, etc.
I
believe that a grade is less a reward for or a penalty against the student’s
intelligence than a reflexion of the student’s proficiency to write clearly and
persuasively a paper on a given topic.
Organization and pertinence of ideas, as well as grammar and clarity,
are among some the chief criteria I use in grading a paper. With this in mind I give the following
grades:
D.
is
for a paper written with a level of grammatical errors that sometimes hinders
the comprehension. Ideas exist but are arranged without a clear logic. Some of
them are obscure and unintelligible. Sentences are confusing…
F.
is
for a paper quickly and poorly written, with incomplete sentences, and often
off-subject. This grade signifies an unacceptable performance in writing a
specific assignment. Usually the
content can hardly be grasped because of a lack of clarity and organization.
Letters
Numbers Letters Numbers Letters Numbers Letters Numbers
A+ 97-100 B+ 85-88 C+ 73-76 D+ 61-64
A 93-96
B 81-84 C 69-72 D 57-60
F 52
Here are some writing tips:
1.
“Have
something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of
style” (Matthew Arnold).
2.
“The
great enemy of clear language is insincerity” (George Orwell).
3.
When
writing a paper, do not make unsupported assertions. Try to present the most convincing case for your argument. Think carefully and thoroughly about the
evidence you will use to support your position. Always anticipate opposing critiques of your position and
opposing arguments. Try to answer or address opposing positions as you present
your own position. This will demonstrate
that you are aware of alternative viewpoints and that you are capable of
proposing and defending a thesis.
4.
Your
paper should not be a first-draft presentation and organization of your
thoughts. Give yourself ample time to
read the assigned materials and to consult appropriate sources before making
final decisions about your thesis statement and the supporting evidence which
will provide structure for your argument and conclusion. For example, you might begin writing your
final paper by making very strong statements about a point you aim at
defending. However, in consulting the
works of scholars in the field, you may see the need to modify your original
thesis, or you may be compelled to abandon it altogether. This is to be expected in scholarly research
and writing. You should not feel
reluctant to change your argument if your reasons for changing it are more
convincing than your original reasons for posing it.
5.
Please
take advantage of all the resources available to you when planning to write
your paper. Never hesitate to ask
reference librarians for help in trying to locate scholarly sources. Never hesitate to ask me for extra help in
thinking through your ideas for the paper. Discusing a topic before researching
and writing can help you think of new ideas and new approaches and sources. It
can also save time.
6.
Always
use page numbering and a 12 inch-font. Do not hesitate to use footnotes I you
think they might clarify your demonstration.
A bibliography should always figure at the end of your paper. Double-spacing is a requirement.
7.
Last
but not least, always proofread your paper before you hand it in to be graded.
Not only does proofread help rid your paper of any grammatical errors and typos
that can make its content less comprehensible and appealing, but it also helps
to consider re-wording a sentence or improving an existing idea. Proofreading
can make a difference in your grade.
pla.gia.rize \vb
–rized; -riz.ing vt [plagiary] (1716)
: to steal and
pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own
: use (a
created production) without crediting the source ~ vi
: to
commit
literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product
derived from
an existing source — pla.gia.riz.er n
—
From the Merriam Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary, Tenth Edition, 1997, p. 888.
We’ve entered
an age where the amount of information generated and the technology available
to retrieve it have made it easier for anybody to take verbatim words and ideas belonging to somebody else, without the
author’s permission, without reference to the authorship, and by passing them
as his or her own. This is
unacceptable, especially in the academic environment where copyright laws are
supposed to be known and respected by all.
Please always abide by the following rules:
a. Never use and idea that you have
borrowed, without referring to the authorship.
b. Figures, when not your own, should always
be referenced.
c. There is nothing wrong in inserting
quotes in your work, but always give the source (author, work, date and place
of publication, publisher and page number)
While it is
hard for some of us to assimilate that words and ideas are also property and as
such are subject to copyright laws, we should always remember the Golden Rule.
(Also refer to
the Indiana University Bulletin, 1998-2000: School of Liberal Arts, p.
20-21)
The Principles of
Undergraduate Learning are the essential ingredients of the undergraduate
educational experience at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.
These principles form a conceptual framework for all students' general
education but necessarily permeate the curriculum in the major field of study
as well. More specific expectations for IUPUI's graduates are determined by the
faculty in a student's major field of study. Together, these expectations speak
to what graduates of IUPUI will know and what they will be able to do upon
completion of their degree.
Core
Communication and Quantitative Skills
[Definition:] The ability of
students to write, read, speak and listen, perform quantitative analysis, and
use information resources and technology--the foundation skills necessary for
all IUPUI students to succeed.
[Outcomes:] This set of
skills is demonstrated, respectively, by the ability (a) to express ideas and
facts to others effectively in a variety of written formats, (b) to comprehend,
interpret, and analyze texts, (c) to communicate orally in one-on-one and group
settings, (d) to solve problems that are quantitative in nature, and (e) to
make efficient use of information resources and technology for personal and
professional needs.
Critical
Thinking
[Definition:] The ability of
students to analyze carefully and logically information and ideas from multiple
perspectives.
[Outcomes:] This skill is demonstrated
by the ability of students (a) to analyze complex issues and make informed
decisions, (b) to synthesize information in order to arrive at reasoned
conclusions, (c) to evaluate the logic, validity, and relevance of data, (d) to
solve challenging problems, and (e) to use knowledge and understanding in order
to generate and explore new questions.
Integration and
Application of Knowledge
[Definition:] The ability of
students to use information and concepts from studies in multiple disciplines
in their intellectual, professional, and community lives.
[Outcomes:] This skill is
demonstrated by the ability of students to apply knowledge (a) to enhance their
personal lives, (b) to meet professional standards and competencies, and (c) to
further the goals of society.
Intellectual
Depth, Breadth, and Adaptiveness
[Definition:] The ability of
students to examine and organize disciplinary ways of knowing and to apply them
to specific issues and problems.
[Outcomes:] (a) Intellectual
depth describes the demonstration of substantial knowledge and understanding of
at least one field of study; (b) intellectual breadth is demonstrated by the
ability to compare and contrast approaches to knowledge in different
disciplines; (c) adaptiveness is demonstrated by the ability to modify one's
approach to an issue or problem based on the contexts and requirements of
particular situations.
Understanding
Society and Culture
[Definition:] The ability of
students to recognize their own cultural traditions and to understand and appreciate
the diversity of the human experience, both within the United States and
internationally.
[Outcomes:] This skill is
demonstrated by the ability (a) to compare and contrast the range of diversity
and universality in human history, societies, and ways of life; (b) to analyze
and understand the interconnectedness of global and local concerns; and (c) to
operate with civility in a complex social world.
Values and Ethics
[Definition:] The ability of
students to make judgments with respect to individual conduct, citizenship, and
aesthetics.
[Outcomes:] A sense of values and ethics is demonstrated by the ability
of students (a) to make informed and principled choices regarding conflicting
situations in their personal and public lives and to foresee the consequences
of these choices; and (b) to recognize the importance of aesthetics in their
personal lives and to society.
August
22: African History: Myths and
Stereotypes
Martin & O’Meara 1
27: Hegel (1831) and “Africa
that Never Was”
Hegel: Geographical Basis of World
History
(From Lectures on the Philosophy of World History)
Curtin: “Africans’ Place in Nature”
August
29: African Civilizations
Martin & O’Meara 5, 11
September 3: African Religions
Martin & O’Meara 9
Mbiti: “What is African Religion?”
Mungazi: “The Role of Religious
Practices”
Mungazi:
“The Influence of Family in Society”
Achebe: Things Fall Apart
3.
Slavery and African Societies
Manning 1
Martin & O’Meara 6
Manning 2
19:
Did Africans Participate in the Slave Trade?
M’bokolo: “Who Was Responsible?”
24:
Slave Trade: Socio-Economic & Cultural Changes
Manning 7
26:
EXAM #1 (Mid Term)
October 1: Slavery and Racism
Davidson: “Africa and the Invention
of Racism”
3: From the Slave Trade to Colonization
Martin & O’Meara 4
Manning 9
8: How did Colonization
affect African peoples and Cultures?
Discussion: Achebe, Things Fall Apart
Martin & O’Meara 7
10:
Colonization: Cultural Changes
15:
Colonization: Economic Changes
17:
Colonization: Political Changes and Decolonization (QUIZ #2)
Martin & O’Meara 8
5.
Gender Issues
October 22: Women, Colonization, and
Urbanization
24:
Marriage and Polygamy
Mbiti: “Marriage and Family Life”
Mungazi:
“The Influence of Family in Society”
31:
FGM on Trial
November 5: African Traditional Arts (Oba
Koso)
Martin & O’Meara 14
7:
Contemporary African Arts
Martin & O’Meara 14
12:
Case Study: La Sape (QUIZ #3)
Gondola: “Dream and Drama”
Friedman:
“The Political Economy of Elegance”
14:
Development and Underdevelopment
Rodney: “How Europe Underdeveloped
Africa”
Martin & O’Meara 20
19:
The Roads to Democracy
TERM
PAPER DUE
21: Case Study: The Rwandan Crisis
Newbury: “Understanding Genocide:
Rwanda, 1994”
November 26: Recolonize Africa?
Mazrui:
“Recoloniza Africa”
Pfaff:
“New Colonialism – Europe Must Go Back Into Africa”
Thanksgiving Break Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving Break
December 3: South Africa: From Apartheid to Democracy (the TRC)
Martin & O’Meara 21
5:
EXAM #2