Introduction to Topics in History (292-0-20)

Topic

African Histories of Science

Instructors

Helen Tilley
Helen Tilley studies African colonial and postcolonial history with a particular focus on medical, racial, environmental, and anthropological themes. She is finishing a book on the history of traditional medicine and its relationship to African decolonization, global governance, and ethnoscientific research during the Cold War.

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L04: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

This interdisciplinary seminar explores several kinds of scientific ingenuity and technical know-how that have developed in the African continent across the centuries. For the era before European conquest, you'll learn about metallurgy and artistry, landscapes and foodways, architecture and urban aesthetics, and mining and trade, including trans-Saharan and Atlantic trade in people. For the era during and after European conquest, you'll study mapping and human origins research, racial and biomedical studies, transport infrastructures (roads, railways, telegraphy), algorithms and digital tech (radio, cellphones), and large and small scale development projects. We'll do a range of exercises that help you place case studies in their widest context, geographical, linguistic, and sociocultural. We'll discuss what it means to make and create useful arts, to know and manage environments, and to cultivate well-being. We'll also examine different yardsticks that have been used to measure - and often denigrate - African accomplishments. We'll likely hold at least one seminar in the Material History Lab.

Learning Objectives

1. Develop historical reasoning skills. 2. Place case studies across several centuries in context. 3. Learn some basics of African history. 4. Practice doing object histories. 5. Learn to critique primary sources.

Evaluation Method

No Gen-AI use on readings/essays: Essays; history of a museum object or instrument; weekly paragraphs on readings; a solo or group multimedia project; contributions to seminar.

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): Global, Africa/Middle East
History Minor Concentration(s): Science and Technology

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is restricted to History Majors and Minors only until the end of pre-registration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites (if any)