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The Field of African Studies

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Curriculum

Courses 2009-2010

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Curriculum

(Courses 2009-2010)

The broad theme of the African Studies concentration is continuity and change in recognition of the faculty’s desire to instill students with an understanding of the internal and external forces ensuring continuity and change on the African continent. Students will be encouraged to take courses that help them place the region in its proper historical and global political economic context while understanding its internal intellectual, cultural and biophysical energies.

A concentration in African Studies consists of six Africa-related courses chosen with the assistance of an African Studies advisor. Three to five courses must have an exclusive African focus (see Tier One). A maximum of two courses may be taken in the following manner: one to two in an off-campus program; and/or one approved course that focuses only partly on Africa (see Tier Two). The sixth course must be an advanced research seminar in any department in which the student completes a substantial Africa-focused paper. The advanced research seminar may be achieved by taking a disciplinary senior seminar that includes a major paper focused on Africa; or an independent study with an African Studies faculty member resulting in a major paper focused on Africa.

Students are required to take Africa related courses at Macalester from at least two different departments, and encouraged to take them from at least three in order to foster an interdisciplinary understanding of the continent. It is suggested that students also take introductory courses in a number departments affiliated with the concentration (especially anthropology, geography, history, international studies, political science and several literature departments) so that they have a broader conceptual appreciation of the issues at play in the region as well as a basic understanding of the disciplinary theories and models frequently used to interpret African material. It also is highly recommended that students participate on a Africa-focused study abroad program in Africa to experience and study first hand some of the issues and ideas explored in the Macalester classroom. Students contemplating a study abroad experience in Africa are strongly encouraged to take at least one Africa related course (Tier One) before departure. Africanist course work taken elsewhere in the world (such as London, Paris or Lisbon) will also, when appropriate, count toward the concentration.

Tier One
Africa-focused coursework is regularly offered at Macalester on a term-to-term basis that is not captured in the list below.  Students are advised to check the Registrar's websites each semester upon registration, and/or contact the African Studies faculty director.

NOTE:

Tier Two
Courses featuring significant African content, or dealing with Africa-and-diaspora issues, are regularly offered at Macalester on a term-to-term basis that is not captured in the list below.  Students are advised to check the Registrar's websites each semester upon registration, and/or contact the African Studies faculty director.

ANTH 239 - MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
This course focuses on an ecological approach to health, disease and therapies. It examines relationships among environmental factors, historical events, and sociocultural definitions of health and illness. Case studies will be used to illustrate the complexity of these relationships in different cultural settings. Every year, spring semester. (4 credits)

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ANTH 250 - GENDER AND POWER IN AFRICA
This course uses gender as a lens to examine the changing context of the African family over time. By reading ethnographic and life history texts, students will grapple with themes such as “the status” of women in hierarchical vs. complementary conceptualizations of social power, the making of men, the meaning of “tradition” in historical perspective, the relationship between kinship, politics, and civil order in Africa, and the intersection of gender and patterns of production and reproduction. Special populations (children, widows, young male initiates) will be singled out for analysis. Students will have an opportunity to explore how classic ethnographic studies of African populations accord with contemporary African feminisms. Students will gain experience preparing and presenting their own academic research in a mini conference.

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ANTH 258 - PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF AFRICA
This course will present an overview of African cultures and societies as documented in the anthropological literature. Classic and contemporary ethnographies will be used to illustrate the social transformations which are occurring in Africa. Alternate years. (4 credits)

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ANTH 362 - CULTURE AND GLOBALIZATION
(Same as International Studies 363)
The world is far more interconnected today than ever before, but what does this mean in terms of culture? This course looks at the impact of globalization on cultures and at examples of global cultures such as tourists and immigrants, media and popular cultures, world cities, and transnational intellectuals, ethnicities and ideologies. It also looks at the way cultures interact at geographic borders and in the margins of society. Every year. (4 credits)

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ANTH 294 - GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
Development in Africa has many players—national governments, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations both international and domestic, private contractors, religious organizations, community-based organizations, individual development experts. In the midst of all the development policies, activities, projects and money, there is a very big question: how is development working out for the women and men of Africa, for their families and communities. In the course we will use the works of anthropologists and other scholars to examine this and related questions such as whose voices are heard when development agendas are set, who gains and who loses when development projects are mounted, what recourse exists for individuals and families who suffer losses as a result of development, and how have African women and men  organized to address these and other issues linked to development.    

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ENGL 342 - ANGLOPHONE LITERATURE
A study of works written in English from English-speaking countries other than the U.S. and Great Britain. Countries whose literature might be examined in this course include Canada, India, Australia, South Africa, and the English speaking countries of the Caribbean. Alternate years. (4 credits)

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ENGL 368 - LITERATURE OF THE AMERICAS
The literature of the United States exists in a broader hemispheric context which will be the subject of this course. The specific focus of this course will vary, but may include Caribbean literature (including francophone and hispanophone in translation), Latin American literature in a comparative U.S. context, Canadian literature, or other combinations in the writings of the Americas. Alternate years. (4 credits)

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ENGL 369 - AFRICAN LITERATURE
A study of the fiction and poetry of writers from sub-Saharan Africa. The focus will be on fiction since 1945, and readings will be taking both from anglophone writers and from francophone and other writers in translation. The specific content of this course may vary. Alternate years. (4 credits)

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FREN 407 - FRANCOPHONE STUDIES
This course focuses on cultures and literatures from the French-speaking countries. One version of the course focuses on the French-speaking Caribbean islands: Haïti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. The first part of the course will familiarize students with cultural particularities (music, religion, arts, society, economics, history) of the region. We will study the historical differences between the three islands (for instance the early independence of Haïti and the belated abolition of slavery in Martinique and Guadeloupe) and how each of them relates to France. The specificity of each island will be contextualized through the use of films, texts, pictures (photos and paintings), music, electronic means, and theoretical texts. Prerequisite, French 306 or permission of the instructor. Alternate years; next offered spring 2005. This course counts towards a concentration concentration in Latin American studies. (4 credits)

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FREN 409 - WEST AND EQUATORIAL AFRICAN CINEMA
Introduction to the history and socio-economic context of francophone
African Cinema (colonial and post-colonial). The course focuses on the
rich corpus of films by African directors from Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Cameroon, and Congo and on theoretical and critical readings on films and filmmakers. Fall (4 credits)

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FREN 494 - Représentations de l’Afrique dans les littératures française et francophones
This course will use a variety of modes and genres (ethnological travel accounts, poetry, novels, essays, films, etc.) to explore various representations of Africa and Africans through the notion of race. We will first examine how the notion of race in French literature, particularly in hamitic myth, served to juxtapose and contrast African cultures and Africans with the superior and civilized western world. Then, we will analyze African francophone texts that rejected the colonial discourse by anthropologists and travelers as a way of reinterpreting (rewriting) African history. Finally, we will discuss writings suggesting the “prise en charge” or the appropriation of “racial theories” by Africans through debates on citizenship, ethnic identity and democracy and the role they played in the rise of mass violence. - Prerequisite: French 306 or permission of the instructor. This class will be taught in French

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GEOG 243 - REGIONAL GEOGRAPY OF AFRICA
This class seeks to go beyond the superficial media interpretations of the vast African continent. As geographers, we will attempt to place contemporary African developments in a historical and global context. The course provides a basic background in African history and geography, leading to discussion of advanced topics in contemporary African studies. I take a systematic rather than regional approach, examining sets of issues, rather than regions or countries of Africa. We will cover a broad range of topics in the course, including: Africa in historical perspective; physical geography (physical landscapes, climate, vegetation, soils); human-environment interactions (forest degradation, desertification); population dynamics (population growth, distribution and mobility); culture and change (religion, modernization); development (ideology and economic development, Africa in the global economy); social geography (African women and development, education); medical geography (disease, health care and policy); agricultural development (traditional farming systems, cash crops, policy); urban economies (evolution of the urban structure, industry, housing); and political geography (democratization, conflict). This course fills the international diversity requirement. No prerequisites. (4 credits)

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GEOG 488 - Comparative Environment and Development Studies
(same as ENVI/INTL 477)
A concern for the relationship between nature and society has been one of the pillars of geographic inquiry, and has also been an important bridge between other disciplines. By the 1960s, this area of inquiry was referred to variously as 'human ecology' or 'cultural ecology.' Over the last decade certain forms of inquiry within this tradition have increasingly referred to themselves as 'political ecology.' The purpose of this seminar is to review major works within the traditions of cultural and political ecology; examine several areas of interest within these fields (e.g., agricultural modernization, environmental narratives, conservation, ecotourism); and explore nature-society dynamics across a range of geographical contexts. Towards the end of the course we will explore how one might begin to think in practical terms about facilitating development in marginal environments. Prerequisite: Geography 232 or permission of instructor. (4 credits)

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HIST 115 - AFRICA SINCE 1800
This course is designed to introduce students to the history of Africa in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It examines major themes relating to change in the colonial period such as European conquest and imperialism, the development of the colonial economy, African responses to colonialism and the rise of nationalist movements that stimulated the movement towards independence. Students will examine these themes by applying them to case studies of specific geographic regions of the continent. Not offered 2007–2008. (4 credits)

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HIST 194 - African Life Histories
This course is an introduction to personal narrative as a form of African historical expression. We will read several published life histories, from anthropological
recordings to slave narratives to autobiography and memoir. We will consult scholarly essays about life history as a genre, to help us discuss the methodology behind the production of these important texts. Our task is therefore twofold: as we learn about the lives of African men and women through their own stories, we will also examine the processes through which these stories are made available to us. The format of the
course will be a discussion seminar, with intermittent background lectures where necessary.

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HIST 211 - HISTORY OF AFRICA TO 1800
A study of the history of Africa before 1800, this course covers the major themes relating to the development of African societies and cultures from the earliest times. Students will engage with themes of state-building, trade and religion as catalysts for change and learn how historians have reconstructed the history of early Africa. This course will provide students with knowledge of specific case studies from North, South, East, West, and Central Africa. Not offered 2007–2008. (4 credits)

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HIST 235 - COMPARATIVE FREEDOM MOVEMENTS: THE U.S. AND SOUTH AFRICA
This intermediate course explores two of the most important movements to challenge institutional racism in the second half of the 20th century—the U.S. civil rights movement and the South African anti-apartheid movement. The course places both of these movements within their specific historical contexts and, therefore, opens with an examination of the historical role(s) of racism in each of these societies. It then explores dimensions of these movements in a comparative fashion: the leadership produced by both movements; the functioning of both movements and the roles played by particular cohorts (women, young people, workers, allies); the internal tensions within each movement, particularly around ideologies, strategies, and tactics; the uses of culture (music, theater, poetry, visual art) within each movement. We also explore the methodologies of comparative history, particularly the critique that insists that the movements’ influences on each other need to be considered. Finally, we assess the impact of each movement on its respective society. Alternate years. (4 credits)

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HIST 256 - TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
This class examines the Atlantic commerce in African slaves that took place roughly between 1500 and 1800. We will explore, among other topics, transatlantic commerce, the process of turning captives into commodities, the gendered dimensions of the slave trade, resistance to the trade, the world the slaves made, and the abolitionist movement on both sides of the Atlantic. Students will read a range of primary and secondary sources in order to gain a more complex understanding of the slave trade and how it changed over time. Alternate years. (4 credits)

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HIST 294 - FARM AND FOREST: AFRICAN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
This course will explore the complex interaction between the African physical world or "nature" (plants, soils, water, climate) and “culture" (human society) over time, from the pre-colonial period through colonization and independence. We will also seek to understand the cultural and symbolic meanings historically associated with the African natural world, both for African societies and for non-Africans who have been engaged with the continent. We will delve into controversies about land use, population growth, wildlife conservation, desertification and other topics. Each student will gain insight into a particular issue or case study through an independent research project.

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HIST 305 - COMPARATIVE FREEDOM MOVEMENTS: the U.S. AND SOUTH AFRICA
Two of the most important movements to challenge institutionalized racism in the second half of the 20th century were the civil rights movement in the United States and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.  This course will explore these two movements in a comparative fashion: the nature of institutionalized racism, structures, ideologies, and identities in each society; the leadership produced by both movements; the functioning of both movements at a grassroots level; internal tensions, conflicts, and diversity within each movement; the roles of particular cohorts-women, workers, youth, allies-in each movement; the uses of culture-music, theater, poetry, visual art, etc.-in each movement.  We will also be interested in the ways that the power structure, particularly the state, responded to the challenges raised by these movements.  In addition to our comparative structure, we will also be interested in how the movements influenced each other, became interwoven, and can be understood in a transnational, diasporic sense.  We will rely on scholarly readings, memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, primary documents, music, documentary and dramatic films, and guest speakers to help us explore both of these movements. Offered each Spring Semester (4 credits).

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INTL 367 - POSTCOLONIAL THEORY
(Same as ENGL/HMCS/POLI 367)
Traces the development of theoretical accounts of culture, politics and identity in Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean and related lands since the 1947–1991 decolonizations. Readings include Fanon, Said, Walcott, Ngugi and many others, and extend to gender, literature, the U.S., and the post-Soviet sphere. The course bridges cultural, representational, and political theory. Prior internationalist and/or theoretical coursework strongly recommended. Alternate years; next offered 2007–08. (4 credits)

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MUSI 72 - AFRICAN MUSIC ENSEMBLE
The Macalester African Music Ensemble performs traditional African music using voices and authentic instruments including drums, xylophones, flutes, bells and rattles, mbiras and gourds. The ensemble performs music reflecting a variety of African musical occasions and situations. (1 credit)

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MUSI 131 - AFRICAN MUSIC
Study of music in various African traditions within a social and historical context. Interrelationships between music and society (function, context, structure, gender roles, political considerations). Instruments, life-cycle rites, genres, musical organizations, traditional musicians, contemporary popular music. Fall semester. (4 credits)

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POLI 242 - DEVELOPMENT POLITICS
Analysis of theories, patterns, and policies of development in the Third World with emphasis on North-South political-economic and cultural relationships. Political Science 140 recommended. Every year. (4 credits)

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POLI 294-09 - INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN POLITICS
The goal of this course is to contextualize the study of African politics within broader themes of democracy and development. We will identify similarities and difference between the countries and across various themes. In particular, we will consider the implications of colonial rule for African states and nations, the politics of independence and the nature of African nationalism in the post-colonial period. Contemporary African politics tends to center on critical issues such as: 1) equality, citizenship and identity politics (ethnicity, race, gender, class & religion), 2) economic development, 3) political liberalization and popular participation, 4) patrimonialism and corruption, and 5) civil wars and transnational conflict. We will consider these topics, with specific reference to country case studies (South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia) which best illustrate the dynamics involved. Finally, HIV/Aids, the impact of globalization and the global “war on terror” will also be discussed. Popular fiction, poetry, films and music will be used to highlight the diverse voices in the democratization process across the continent. Spring Semester. (4 Credits)

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SOCI 280-01 - INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ MOVEMENTS IN GLOBAL CONTEXT
During the last three decades, a global indigenous rights movement has taken shape within the United nations and other international bodies, challenging and reformulating international law and global cultural understandings of indigenous rights. The recognition of indigenous peoples' rights in international law invokes the tensions between sovereignty and human rights, but also challenges the dominant international understandings of both principles. In this course, we examine indigenous peoples' movements by placing them in a global context and sociologically informed theoretical framework. By beginning with a set of influential theoretical statements from social science, we will then use indigenous peoples' movements as case studies to examine the extent to which these theoretical perspectives explain and are challenged by case studies. We will then analyze various aspects of indigenous peoples' movements and the extent to which these aspects of the movement are shaped by global processes. Every other year. This course qualifies as a Tier II African Studies course if a student’s case study is on an indigenous peoples’ movement from Africa (there are more than 30 African organizations that have participated in the proceedings of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations). Spring Semester. (4 Credits)

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SOCI 370-01 - POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY
What is the nature of power within society and how does it relate to the development of nation-states? What are the relations between states and those who are subject to state rule? This course explores the development and operation of nation-sates, examines how civil society and sate practices relate to one another, and questions what these developments mean for people who live in these nation-states. We consider the changing nature of citizenship and how we should understand national citizenship given the development of international processes. We also pose questions about democratic development and participation. * This course qualifies as a Tier II African Studies course if a student's final course project focuses on Africa.

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THDA 21 - AFRICAN DANCE
The African Dance class covers the traditional dance and music forms from several countries on the African continent. This physically rigorous class is accompanied by a drummer. Students learn about the origins of the dance forms and create in-class projects. Attendance at a concert off-campus is required.

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 African Studies Program · Macalester College · 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105  USA · 651-696-6332
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