Core 8 - Intercultural Studies II - Africa - Term 102
Core 8 Faculty
- Susan Chattin - History (Director of Core 8)
- John Kennedy - Business
- Charles Kerlin - English
- Linda McFarland - Business
- April Toadvine - English
- Karen Venditti - Education
- Peter Watkins - Political Science
- Jody Taylor-Watkins - Anthropology
Core 8 Required Texts
Required Texts
- Amadi, Elechi. The Concubine. Great Britain: Heinemann, 1966.
- Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994, c1959.
- Erdman, Sarah. Nine Hills to Nambonkaha: Two Years in the Heart of an African Village, Picador, 2003.
- Gobodo-Madikizela, Pumla. A Human Being Died That Night: A South African Woman Confronts the Legacy of Apartheid. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
- Hari, Daoud. The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur. Random House, 2008.
Syllabus Readings (Reprinted With Permission)
- Sparks, Allister. Beyond the Miracle: Inside the New South Africa. Chicago University Press,2009.
Collegial Agreements
- Students are required to attend all lectures and discussion sections.
- Students are required to write a minimum of 15 typed pages during the semester.
- Among the required pages of writing, students must complete a research paper that is 8-10 pages in length, and is thesis-driven. This paper will be graded according to the writing rubric contained in the syllabus. Please see your individual instructor for the specifics of this assignment.
- Students will be held responsible for reading and lecture material through exams, quizzes, writing assignments and discussion.
- Students are required to view at least one film and complete an assignment on it. Your instructor will provide details about the assignment.
- Students will have a mandatory graded final exam or other project during finals week, the specifics of which will vary by instructor. This final assignment will help you and your instructor assess what you've learned from some significant portion of the course.
Lecture and Reading Schedule
Unit I: Images
1/10 lecture - Images of Africa - Susan Chattin
- 2nd discussion class: The Concubine, pages 1-66
Unit II: Traditional Society & Institutions
1/17 lecture - Traditional African Religion - Don Davison, CP.P.S.
- 1st discussion class: The Concubine, pages 67-136
- 2nd discussion class: The Concubine, pages 137-end
1/24 lecture - Kinship Ties in Traditional African Societies - Susan Chattin
- 1st discussion class: Things Fall Apart, pages 1-35
- 2nd discussion class: Things Fall Apart, pages 36-86
Unit III: Historical Overview
1/31 lecture - Things Fall Apart - Charles Kerlin
- 1st discussion class: Things Fall Apart, pages 87-125
- 2nd discussion class: Things Fall Apart, pages 130-167
2/7 lecture - Colonialism and Its Aftermath - Peter Watkins
- 1st discussion class: Things Fall Apart, pages 172-209
- 2nd discussion class: No Reading
***We will be showing a series of films by Africans or about Africa on the evenings of Monday, 2/7 through Thursday, 2/10 at 7:00 p.m. in the Shen Auditorium. You are required to view at least one of these films.****
Unit IV: Contemporary Africa
2/14 lecture - Volunteerism and Enculturation - John Kennedy and Andrew Hicks
- 1st discussion class: Hills to Nambonkaha, pages 1-60
- 2nd discussion class: Hills to Nambonkaha, pages 61-110
2/21 lecture - Islam and Women in Africa - April Toadvine
- 1st discussion class: Hills to Nambonkaha, pages 111-163
- 2nd discussion class: Hills to Nambonkaha, pages 164-203
2/28 lecture - Healthcare in Africa: The Challenge of Aids - Video
- 1st discussion class: Hills to Nambonkaha, pages 204-253
- 2nd discussion class: Hills to Nambonkaha, pages 254-318
Spring Break
3/14 lecture - Frontline - Not On Our Watch: Crisis in Darfur
- 1st discussion class: The Translator, Appendix 1 and 2, pages 1-47
- 2nd discussion class: The Translator, pages 48-91
3/20 lecture - African Politics and International Relations - Susan Chattin
- 1st discussion class: The Translator, pages 92-145
- 2nd discussion class: The Translator, pages 146-193
3/28 lecture - Apartheid In South African - Peter Watkins
- 1st discussion class: A Human Being Died That Night, pages 1-47
- 2nd discussion class: A Human Being Died That Night, pages 48-104
4/4 lecture - Truth and Reconciliation after Apartheid - Jody Taylor-Watkins
- 1st discussion class: A Human Being Died That Night, pages 105-133
- 2nd discussion class: A Human Being Died That Night, Epilogue
4/11 lecture - South Africa As a Model of Hope - Linda McFarland
- 1st discussion class: Syllabus: Beyond the Miracle, pages 1-14, 329-342
- 2nd discussion class: Online Video: South Africa Journal
4/18 lecture - African Influences in Music: American Jazz - Paul Geraci
- 1st discussion class: Online Video: The Drums of Dagbon
- 2nd discussion class: Online Video: African Art
Monday, 4/25: No Classes
Core 8 Internet Sources
- African Art Museum - Has many images of African masks and statues. You can select many of these by tribe or ethnic groups.
- African Studies - This is well worth the trip, a great resource from University of Pennsylvania.
- Secretary General's Report to the UN Security Council - On sustainable development in Africa.
- African Governments on the web
- Religious Traditions of Africa and the African Diaspora - A good site with a number of links for religions of the various regions of Africa and beyond.
- Traditional African Religions
- U.S. Department of State - Organized in categories.
- U.S. Central Intelligence Agency - This site contains publications of the CIA, including World Fact Book, available in Publications.
- African Music Encyclopedia
- The International Library of African Music - (site was down at last check) A nice site sound files from several indigenous instruments.
