Spring 2007
Instructor: Dr. Bilinda Straight
Office: 1001 Moore Hall; Tel:
387-0409
Office
Hours: M 3:30-4:30; T 3:00-4:00 & by appoint.
Email: Bilinda DOT Straight AT
wmich.edu
Web Page:
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~bstraigh
So geographers
in Afric(an) maps
With savage
pictures fills the gaps
And oe'er
uninhabitable downs
Placed
elephants for want of towns
Jonathan
Swift
Africa has long represented
primitive mystery to the West, an impenetrable "Dark Continent" populated
by exotic people and gigantic animals. Even today, most people hear little of
life in Africa, beyond occasional horror stories of famine and civil war. What,
then, are the daily lives of Africans really like, living in the many varied
rural and urban settings across the continent? What are key features of the many cultures of Africa? How
have historical processes shaped the lives of Africans living today? How does
reality differ from the common stereotypes held about Africa? Drawing on
anthropological, historical, and literary accounts of African life we will seek
to understand the African cultures as important and valuable ones in their own
right, while at the same time understanding the role of Africa in the broader
world.
In doing
so, the course will aim for the following goals:
1.
To
gain an overview of contemporary life on the African continent, and the
historical processes which have shaped it.
2.
To
gain an in depth understanding of some specific African cultures.
3.
To
consider critically the ways in which Africa has been represented, and
continues to be represented: What are the stereotypes about Africa and African?
Who creates these stereotypes and why? What are the consequences of these
stereotypes?
4.
To
gain an understanding of specific domains of African life—for instance,
religion, aesthetics, gender systems—and examine them within specific
cultures of Africa.
Heart
of Darkness Joseph Conrad, edited by Paul B.
Armstrong. Norton Critical Edition. It must be this one!! Do not ask if other
versions will work – they lack the readings!!
Worlds of a Maasai Warrior Teplit ole Saitoti
The Joys of Motherhood Buchi Emecheta
The course
format will include films, discussions, lectures, and a very strong E-Learning
(Blackboard Learning System) component. In Blackboard, you will find links to
everything you need for this course except the three books you have to
purchase. The course is organized into Modules. The required readings for each
module are listed at the end of this syllabus. The calendar link in Blackboard
lets you know when each module must be read. For most modules, you will be
required to post to the class discussion board a response to questions asked in
the module, and a day later, to post a response to another studentÕs posting.
The calendar tells you when the postings are due. Final postings are always due
by 2pm (class time).
Preparation
for lectures happens in your home, reading the books, the lectures and
accompanying materials in WebCT, and participating in the Electronic Discussion
Board. In class, I will do little lecturing because you will read my lectures
BEFORE coming to class. In class, instead of listening to me lecturing, you
will have the opportunity to ask questions of my lecture, engage in critical
discussions, activities, and to push the materials further. If this means that
class doesnÕt always run the full length, thatÕs fine. This class is not about
filling up class time, pouring knowledge into your heads, or teaching to a
test. It is about exchanging and challenging ideas—yours and mine.
Electronic Discussion Board (ÒPostingsÓ)
This part of
grade will be on a point system: You will accumulate 1 point for each posting.
ThatÕs two points for each Module requiring posting because you do your
response to the questions and you respond to another studentÕs posting. NO LATE
POSTINGS WILL BE COUNTED, SO DO NOT ASK. Your grade will total points possible
divided by your points based on a 100% scale. There are fifteen modules
requiring postings, for a total of 30 possible points. So if you post 20 out of
30 times, you will have 66% for that part of your grade. Postings that do not
pertain to the subject matter or do not reflect careful consideration of the
readings and topic will not receive credit.
In Class Assignments This part of your grade will
also be on a point system, done in the same way as for the Electronic
Discussion Board. There are only a few assignments, so any missed ones will
count very heavily against you. Attending the library session will count as an
assignment. Turning in your chosen essay topic and source list will also count
as an assignment. Most assignments are not announced in the syllabus or
calendar however, and may be devised spontaneously, so while attendance will
not be taken, attendance matters.
Essay You will write an essay about a
topic of your own choosing. Due to the way in which the course is organized, we
will have plenty of time in class to discuss possible topics so that you are
not floundering. You will produce three drafts of your essay over the course of
the semester. This means that the toughest part of the semester will be when
you are preparing your first draft. Revising is work, and the revisions are
expected to demonstrate substantial improvement, but of course the first draft
is the toughest. This means that your workload for this course gets lighter as
the semester proceeds, which should be a relief when you are pushing hard in
your other courses.
Assignments will be weighted, as
described below, to produce your final grade.
Electronic
Discussion Board: 30
percent of final grade.
In Class
Assignments: 20
percent of final grade.
Essay: 50
percent of final grade
(You will lose
16% of your essay grade for each draft of the essay you do not turn in. No late
drafts will be accepted.)
You are responsible for making
yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the
Undergraduate Catalog (pp. 268-269)/Graduate Catalog (pp. 26-27) that pertain to
academic integrity. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification
and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse.
If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty,
you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the
opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible,
you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you
are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an
assignment or test.
Reading Schedule
Introduction. No reading or Discussion Board.
Module One:
Read Module.
Module Two:
Reading: Module and Heart of Darkness Critical Text Selections:
Chinua AchebeÕs ÒAn Image of
Africa: Racism in ConradÕs Heart of DarknessÓ (pp. 336-349)
Hunt HawkinsÕ ÒHeart of
Darkness and
RacismÓ (pp. 365-375)
Module Three:
Films: ÒLost City of ZimbabweÓ
and clip from ÒThe Gods Must Be CrazyÓ
Reading: Module and about half of Heart of
Darkness, novel
that is on pp. 3-77.
Module Four:
Reading: Module and other half of Heart of
Darkness that is on pp. 3-77.
Module Five:
Reading: Module and Heart of
Darkness
Critical Text Selections:
Alan SimmonsÕ Ò[Conrad,
Casement, and the Congo AtrocitiesÓ], pp. 181-192
Look at photos on pp. 193-207
Recommended Extra Reading: Roger
Casement: ÒThe Congo ReportÓ (pp. 131-160)
Module Six:
Film: ÒMaasaiÓ (BBC Diverse TV)
Reading:
Module and Worlds of a Maasai Warrior (by Saitoti) pp. 3-65
Module Seven:
Reading: Module and Worlds of
a Maasai Warrior
(by Saitoti) pp. 66- end
Module Eight:
Film: ÒBosnia HotelÓ
Reading: Module
Module Nine
Film: ÒXXXYÓ
Read: Module and Simone Weil
DavisÕ ÒLoose Lips Sink ShipsÓ (Feminist Studies, 2002) in e-reserves. Link to
Course e-reserves is in Module.
Module Ten:
Read: Module and Encyclopedia
article linked from module.
Module Eleven:
Reading: Module and Joys of
Motherhood (by
Emecheta) pp. 7-100
Module Twelve:
Reading: Module and Joys of
Motherhood (by
Emecheta) pp. 101-224
Module Thirteen:
Film: ÒThese HandsÓ
Reading: Module
Module Fourteen:
Reading: Module
Module Fifteen:
Lecture Activity: Rational
Choice Game
Reading: Module
Module Sixteen:
Film: ÒIn and Out of AfricaÓ
Reading: Module
Module Seventeen:
Reading: Module
Module Eighteen:
Reading: Module
Module Nineteen:
Lecture Activity: Second Spear
Reading: Module
Module Twenty:
Film: ÒMondayÕs GirlsÓ
Reading: Module
Module Twenty-One:
Reading: Module