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Academic Year 2005/2006

Imperial Ideas: Africans, Europeans and the Transformation of Ideologies
HIST 353 SP

European colonial rule did not automatically transform Africans into Christians, Western-style liberals, or housewives. Nevertheless, over the course of the twentieth century, many Africans converted to Christianity, some Africans actively fought for forms of political independence, and others modified their ideas about the meaning of marriage and family. In this process, Africans and people of African descent exposed the contradictions within certain European ideas about labor, democracy, Christianity, and gender, for example. As a result, rather than only look at how Europe transformed Africa, this course also asks how Africa transformed Europe. Case studies include South Africa, Senegal, Pan-Africanism, independence struggles, and more recent civil wars.

MAJOR READINGS

Stephen Howe, EMPIRE: A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION.
C.L.R. James, THE BLACK JACOBINS TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE AND THE SANTO DOMINGO REVOLUTION.
Keletso Atkins, THE MOON IS DEAD! GIVE US OUR MONEY!: THE CULTURAL ORIGINS OF AN AFRICAN WORK ETHIC, NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA, 1843-1900.
David Robinson, PATHS OF ACCOMMODATION: MUSLIM SOCIETIES AND FRENCH COLONIAL AUTHORITIES IN SENEGAL AND MAURITANIA, 1880-1930.
Sembene Ousmane, GOD'S BITS OF WOOD.
Aimé Cesaire, DISCOURSE ON COLONIALISM.
Farah, GIFTS.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

2 short papers, take-home midterm, research paper.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006

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