African Civilizations (255-1-20)

Instructors

Akin Ogundiran
Akin Ogundiran is the Cardiss Collins Professor of Arts and Sciences, Professor of History, and Courtesy Professor of Anthropology and of Black Studies at Northwestern University. His research interests focus on the political, cultural, economic, and social histories of West Africa from 400 BC to the mid-nineteenth century. Ogundiran’s publications include The Yoruba: A New History (Indiana University Press, 2020), recipient of the Vinson Sutlive Book Prize. He directs the Material History Lab at Northwestern University. He is a Senior Fellow of Gardens and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks (Washington, DC), a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Meeting Info

University Hall 101: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

You have heard this before: Africa is the most culturally diverse continent, with more than 1,500 languages. It has the longest record of human history. In fact, it is the birthplace of humankind! What's more, the continent is home to some of the profound experiments and innovations in sociopolitical organization over the past 12,000 years. This course introduces students to the deep history of Africa and its people through the lens of governance—the practices, beliefs, dialogues, and institutions for managing and organizing societies and maintaining social order. We will use case studies from different parts of this storied continent to explore how ancestral Africans organized themselves, conceptualized governance, and negotiated power at different scales, from village level to empires. We will investigate how they managed environmental changes, food security, population growth, migration, diversity, wellness, and both abundance and scarcity. In the process, what debates did these ancestral Africans generate about human rights, social responsibilities, moral communities, balance of power, and democratic principles? What roles did gender, knowledge, and technology play in shaping power and governance in these different African case studies? Students will learn how to use a diverse set of primary sources, including material culture, epics, texts, and artworks, to answer these questions. Apart from eliciting and satisfying the curiosity of students about African history, the course is particularly useful for students who plan to pursue a career in development, teaching and education, academics, social policy, law, journalism, politics, global business, healthcare, cultural affairs, heritage and museum studies, community organizing, travel and hospitality, and international studies.

Learning Objectives

(1) Develop skills in interdisciplinary historical thinking and analysis, using the principles of change, continuity, causality, context, complexity, and contingency to investigate African cultures, sociopolitical organization, and ideas of belonging.
(2) Learn how to use non-documentary sources to develop historical narratives about the past and begin to develop skills for evaluating those narratives.
(3) Effectively and persuasively express critical analysis of historical texts in written and oral forms.

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): Africa/Middle East
History Minor Concentration(s): Africa

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
SoC Individual and Social Behavior Distro

Associated Classes

DIS - University Hall 412: Fri 11:00AM - 11:50AM

DIS - Harris Hall L28: Fri 1:00PM - 1:50PM

DIS - Harris Hall L28: Fri 2:00PM - 2:50PM