African Cultures

(4 Credits)

This course introduces the great diversity of peoples, places, and cultures in the African continent. Students use a variety of sources, historical texts, literature, and film to explore the paradigms of traditional cultures of pre-colonial societies, and the disruptions of those structures by the incursions of Islam and European colonialism. The course also explores the decolonization of the continent with its attendant struggles for independence, and post-liberation problems. Modernity?s impact on cultural roles and the transformation of African cultures in the Diaspora may also receive attention.