Contemporary African Worlds (255-0-1)
Instructors
Adia Benton
847/491-2852
1812 Hinman #101
Meeting Info
Parkes Hall 214: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
From antiquity until today the "West" (itself a troubled concept) imagined many things in Africa. Power, weakness, wealth, poverty, beauty, savagery, knowledge, ignorance, light, darkness. We are all heirs of these incoherent visions; a bequest that appears in widely held and constantly renewed beliefs and assumptions about the "Dark Continent." Visions of Africa today revolve largely around a set of tropes developed in the 19th century - Africa as benighted, undeveloped, female, chaotic, famine-ridden, and incapable of self-governance. However, as with all instances when one position gazes at another, the result is both accurate and inaccurate. In this class, we will turn our gaze on contemporary Africa from a cultural anthropological perspective. Using the tools of anthropology, we will visit several arenas critical to contemporary African cultures - music & dance, cinema, literature, sport, the body, technology, politics and development, among others. Through these various lenses, we will attempt to better understand cultural choices and what we can say about Africa/ns from our perspective. That is, to recognize and value both internal and external views of the continent. Through these arenas and these perspectives, we will better know issues of power, gender, hierarchy, spirituality, and economics. Will you arrive at an entirely accurate view of Africa and Africans? Never. The journey, however, will take you closer.
Class Attributes
Ethics & Values Distro Area