Senegal: History, Politics and Culture

3 units

This course will study the history of Senegal in the modern period, beginning withthe formation by French traders and Lebou/Wolof women of the Four Communes. It will then explore Senegal's unique position as the founding place of two major Islamic brotherhoods and the legacy of French assimilation polity. As the course moves into the contemporary period, it will give some attention to the Senegalese Diaspora, particularly in large urban centers such as New York, Detroit, Paris, and Milan. It will explore themes of caste, colonialism, assimilation and identity, negritude, Islam, gender relations, the 1960's arts movement, and the cultural life of Dakar, a major center of Francophone African culture. There will be an emphasis on the relationship between Islam and politics in contemporary society. This course is designed for students participating in the Dakar Summer Program in French and African Studies.