Spring 2006 ANG 4354 ANTHROPOLOGY OF MODERN AFRICA Tues. 8, Thurs.8, 9 periods Section #6289 Credits: 3 Dr. Anita Spring T 8 119 Little Hall; R/Th 8-9 117 Little Hall Office Hrs: Tues. 12-1:00 PM, Thurs. 12-2:00 PM & by appointment, 392-7201 (x 308) aspring@ufl.edu springanita@yahoo.com for attachments This course studies African cultures, focusing on rural and urban societies in the modern period in terms of contemporary problems and trends. The course covers the following topics: Conceptions and misconceptions about Africa; Classification schemes old and new (geographic, Africanity, civilizations; triple heritage); Kinship and family; Rural and Urban societies and economies; Environment and natural resource management; Gender issues, women in development; Religious and philosophical systems; Ethnic conflict and the new states; Bureaucracies, corruption, development; Refugees, human rights; South Africa: end of apartheid and contemporary problems; Population, health, sexuality, HIV/AIDS; Entrepreneurship and business. To benefit from this course, it is necessary that students become fully involved in it. The course will be taught using multimedia techniques, lectures, audiovisual materials, and student participation. The reading assignments are an integral part of the course and should be completed before coming to class. Requirements: (1) Participation, map quiz, and good spirits (10%) (2) Two papers about 5-6 pages (25% each = 50%) (3) Short briefs (1-2 pages) on Taking Sides issues, films and Internet sites (15%) (4) Final exam take home (25%) Required Books (book, Reader/Workbook at Orange and Blue Textbooks) 1. Reader: consists of Articles and Workbook (maps, newspaper articles, lecture notes of multimedia presentations, etc.) 2. Taking Sides 1
COURSE OUTLINE BY TOPIC R = Reader: Articles; W = Workbook; TS = Taking Sides Weeks 1&2 MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES, CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES: Jan. 10-12; AFRICANITY, CIVILIZATIONS OF AFRICA 17-19 Multimedia presentations Reader: Keim: Africans live in tribes, don t they? R1.1 Maquet: The Contents of Africanity R1.2 Peil and Oyeneye: Cities R1.3 Workbook: Maps, etc. (W1-17); Multimedia Lectures W1-2; New Articles F3-4 Week 3 Jan. 24-26 THE TRIPLE HERITAGE, GEOGRAPHY OF THE CONTINENT Slides: Zambia and Ethiopia Reader: Nyang oro: Africa s Environmental Problems R2.1 Workbook: Multimedia Lectures W3-5 Week 4 ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, RURAL Jan.31-Feb.2 ECONOMIES; AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY Reader: Dorm-Adzobu & Ampadu-Agyeu: Women in the Mobisquads, Ghana R2.2 Picard: Listening to and Learning from African Women Farmers, R3.1 Spring: Ag. Commercialization and Women Farmers in Kenya R3.2 Taking Sides: Issue 7: Is Food Production Incapable of Keeping up with Population Growth? Issue 10: Is Sub-Saharan Africa Experiencing a Deforestation Crisis? Workbook: Maps 5, 13; News Articles D1-3 Map Quiz: Jan. 31 Week 5 Feb. 7-9 Week 6 Feb. 14-16 KINSHIP, FAMILY AND AGING Film: Two Families Reader: Edwards: Morality & Change: Family Unity and Parental Authority R5.1 Cattell: The Discourse of Neglect: Family Support for the Elderly R5.2 Hakansson and LeVine: Gender and Life Course R5.3 Ssennyonga: R4 Workbook: Multimedia lectures W 6-8 News articles C6-7, 10; D18 GENDER ISSUES: TRADITIONAL ROLES & CURRENT CONFLICTS Slides: Gender Issues in Agricultural Development--Malawi Reader: Gordon: Women s Responses to Capitalist Development R6.1 Ogden: Producing Respect, Proper Woman in Kampala R6.2 2
Morell: The Times of Change: Men and Masculinity 9.3 Workbook: C1-5, 8-9; D16 Week 7 Feb. 21`-23 Continued Reading: Taking Sides: Issue11: Should Female Genital Cutting Cutting be Accepted? Issue 16: Are Women in a Position to Challenge Male Power Structures? Paper #1 due Feb. 21 at the beginning of class Week 8 EDUCATION, YOUTH, SEXUALITY Feb.28-Mar.1 Reader: Peil and Oyeneye: Education R4.5 Komba-Malekela and Liljestrom: Looking for Men R6.3 Larkin: Indian Films and Nigerian Lovers (to be emailed) Workbook: News Articles B3, 5; C1-2; D10 Week 9 POPULATION, MALARIA AND HIV/AIDS Mar. 7-9 Reader: McFadden: Sex, Sexuality and AIDS in Africa, R7.1 Dilger, Sexuality, AIDS and the Lures of Modernity, R7.2 Workbook: News Articles on Malaria and HIV/AIDS D4-19 Taking Sides: Issue 13: Is Overpopulation a Major Cause of Poverty? Issue 12 Should International Drug Companies Provide HIV/AIDS Drugs Issue 14: Is Sexual Promiscuity a Major Reason for HIV/AIDS? Week 10 Mar. 21-23 RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEMS Slides: Luvale Puberty Ceremonies Reader: Moyo: Religion in Africa R4.1 Ntukula: The Initiation Rite R4.2 Renders: Muslim Organizations and the Discourse of Development in Senegal R4.3 Workbook: Multimedia Lectures 9-11; News Articles E 1-7 Week 11 BUREAUCRACIES, CORRUPTION, ETHNICITY, DEVELOPMENT Mar. 28-30 Reader: Peil and Oyeneye: Differentiation R5.5 Mbaku: Institutions and Reform in Africa R8.2 Eames: Navigating Nigerian Bureaucracies R8.1 Workbook: News Articles Politics and the Economy D4, E3, 5-6 Taking Sides: Issue 19: Are African Governments Inherently Disposed to Corruption? Issue 4: Are NGOs more Effective at Facilitating Delopment? Paper #2 due March 28 at the beginning of class 3
Week 12 April 4-6 CONFLICT, REFUGEES, HUMAN RIGHTS, SLAVERY Multimedia presentation (Weak States) Videos: Forced Exile Reader: Workbook: Multimedia Lecture 12; Articles on Human Rights and Slavery B1-8; C8-9 Week 13 SOUTH AFRICA: END OF APARTHEID AND CONTEMPORARY April 11-13 PROBLEMS Video: Multimedia presentations Reader: Furlong: South Africa R9.1 Bratton: After Mandela's Miracle in South Africa R9.2 Workbook: Multimedia Lecture 13; News Articles on South Africa A1-8 Week 14/15 ENTREPRENEURSHIP, BUSINESS AND GLOBALIZATION April 18-20; 25 Multimedia presentation Reader: Spring and McDade: Entrepreneurship in Africa: Traditional and Contemporary Paradigms (will be emai1ed) MacGaffey: Creatively Coping with Crisis in Zaire (DRC) R10.1 Spring: Gender and the Range of Entrepreneurial Strategies R10.2 Hansen: Salaula: The World of Second-hand Clothing in Zambia R10.3 Workbook: E1-2, 5 Take Home Exam due on or before May 5, 2006 at 4:00 in my mailbox in the Anthropology Office, 1112 Turlington. Please ask one of the secretaries to certify the day and time. 4
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