African Issues in Anthropological Perspective

In this course we engage with anthropological literature and films on the diverse ethnicities, cultures, and "traditions" of sub-Saharan Africa. We trace the histories and the processes of cultural, social, and political change, beginning with colonialism and ending with the contemporary period. We will deconstruct and debunk dominant Western ideas of Africa that present it as primitive and characterized by poverty, AIDS, famine, and violence. We will learn about how Africans see and represent themselves through reading ethnographies, engaging with African popular culture, and watching documentary films.