REGIONAL
ISSUES
IREU 424
AFRICAN SOCIETY AND POLITICS
THURSDAY 10::00 - 13:00
Instructor: Tugrul Keskin
Office: Department of Political Science
and International Relations
Cell: (533) 607-8465
Office Hours: Wednesday 1:00 - 4:30 PM or by appointment
E-mail: tugrulkeskin (at) maltepe.edu.tr
(PLEASE include “Regional Issues” in
the subject line)
When the Missionaries
arrived, the Africans had the land and the Missionaries had the Bible. They
taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the
land and we had the Bible.
— Jomo Kenyatta
— Jomo Kenyatta
Course Description and Objective:
In
this course, we will explore the social, political and economic transformations
that have taken place in Africa following the Berlin Conference and will also touch
on the traditional social, political and economic structures of the region. Over
the last 150 years, Africa has faced extensive challenges, which were created
and then maintained through their historical experience of colonial conditions.
Specifically, the early 15th century discovery of the Americas and
the 19th century emergence of the modern capitalist economy in Europe led to direct
negative consequences for the African continent and people.
In
general, slavery, which took place from the 16th century through the
late 19th century was a localized phenomenon, exercised mostly in
the coastal areas of Western Africa. European colonialism had not reached
Central and South Africa, due to transportations and diseases. The European
need for labor in the newly discovered Americas led to the establishment of the
slave trade from Africa to a new continent; however, new technological
innovations in Europe and the emergence of modern capitalism at the beginning
of the 19th century eliminated the institutional practice of slavery, but generated other obstacles
for the continent. European imperialist powers no longer required slaves, but sought
natural resources such as coffee, rubber, agricultural products, for their
growing capitalist economies. The European states met in Berlin in 1884-85 in
order to plan their invasion of the entire African continent. According to
post-colonial scholars, the Scramble for Africa, which took place between 1885
and 1914, has had more damaging repercussions than the 400 year-old slave trade.
However, the economic crisis in Europe and the US, and WWI and II led the
Africans to search for their own destiny. As result of these unintended
consequences of European and American economic and political crisis, strong Pan-African
anti-colonialist movements began to emerge in the 1940s. Under these social,
political economic conditions, the African Nation States were born.
It is far better to be
free to govern or misgovern yourself than to be governed by anybody else.
— Kwame Nkrumah
From
the early 1950s to today, we have witnessed the birth of new nation-states in
Africa; however these still relatively newly
independent states are heavily dependent on the European and American financial
and political systems. Financial dependency has produced
particularly harmful consequences for the African states, such as increasing the
gap between the rich and poor, chaotic urbanization, sweatshops, and foreign
debt. Also, over the last 20 years, the growing needs of the Chinese economy have
again resulted in a major power attracted to Africa for its vast natural
resources. China or the PRC has been in business
with every African country, searching for cheap labor, natural and energy
resources, and new markets.
In
this course, we explore the social, political and economic consequences of
European colonialism in Africa following the Berlin conference, and later, the
impact of American and Chinese market expansion on the African continent. This
course is not just intended to teach students about Africa, but instead focuses
on what Africa can teach us!
Course Philosophy:
The goal of this course is to become familiar with the state
and society in Modern Africa. The success of this course depends on your
continued and sustained reading and participation. The course will be based on
a four-dimensional method of learning, and this includes inquiry and critical
thinking; communication; and will draw on the diversity of human experience;
and ethics and social responsibility. First, I would like you to critically
analyze what you learn in this class or have learned so far through the media
and your education, because in today’s world, truth is a relative concept.
Throughout human history, critical thinking is one of the most important
factors that have contributed to human development. In order to become
active, self-motivated, and empowered learners and future leaders, you will
need to have the ability to think critically, and therefore your criticism,
feedback and suggestions are necessary. Second, I would like for you to enhance
your writing and oral communication skills in this course. Therefore, it is
important to clearly elaborate your arguments in class discussion as well as in
the written assignments.
Third, we are each part of the human mosaic, and all have
different experiences based on our unique social, political and economic
differences. We can all learn from and respect each other and benefit from our
diversity. Please try to learn from and understand those with different
perspectives from your own. Lastly, we need to learn that we are all part of
this intellectual community and part of a larger society, and all have social
and ethical responsibilities to our family, community, classmates, and
humanity. We live in a globalized world and therefore, we need to be aware of
events in our community, and the world today. In order to enhance our knowledge,
we must critically examine our social, political and economic environment in
order to apply this knowledge to our experience.
Required Reading:
- Vincent B. Khapoya. 2013. The African Experience. Pearson.
ISBN-13:
9780205851713
- Basil Davidson. Modern Africa: A Social and Political History. Longman, 1995.
Other
Readings will be sent it to you by email!
Recommended Books and Articles:
- Basil Davidson. Modern Africa: A Social and Political History. Longman, 1995.
- Franz Fanon. Toward the African Revolution. New York, NY: Grove Press, 1964.
- Delores P. Aldridge and Carlene Young. Out of the Revolution: The Development of Africana Studies. Lanham, MD: Lexington, 2003. ISBN 0-7391-0547-7.
- Maulana Karenga. Introduction to Black Studies. University of Sankore Press, 2010.
- Peter Gran. Beyond Eurocentrism: A new view of modern world history. Syracuse University Press, 1996.
- Michael George Hanchard. Black Transnationalism, Africana Studies, and the 21st Century. Journal of Black Studies, Nov 2004; vol. 35: pp. 139 - 153.
- James L. Conyers. The Evolution Of Africology: An Afrocentric Appraisal. Journal of Black Studies, May 2004; vol. 34: pp. 640 - 652.
- Mark Christian. Black Studies in the 21st Century: Longevity Has Its Place. Journal of Black Studies, May 2006; vol. 36: pp. 698 - 719.
- Molefi Kete Asante. A Discourse on Black Studies: Liberating the Study of African People in the Western Academy. Journal of Black Studies, May 2006; vol. 36: pp. 646 - 662.
- A. Adu Boahen. African Perspectives on Colonialism. John Hopkins University Press 1989.
- David Birmingham. Decolonization Of Africa. Routledge 1995.
- Frederick Cooper. Africa since 1940: The Past of the Present. Cambridge University Press, 2002.
- Terry Kershaw. Toward a Black Studies Paradigm: An Assessment and Some Directions. Journal of Black Studies, Jun 1992; vol. 22: pp. 477 - 493.
- Mervat Hatem. Africa on My Mind. International Journal of Middle East Studies. (41) 2009.
- Carolyn Somerville. The “African” in Africana/Black/African and African American Studies. International Journal of Middle East Studies. (41) 2009.
- Terence Walz. The Fruit of the Africanist Contribution. International Journal of Middle East Studies. (41) 2009.
- John O. Voll. Reconceptualizing of the “Regions” in “Area Studies”. International Journal of Middle East Studies. (41) 2009.
- Appiah, Kwame Anthony. 1992. “The Invention of Africa.” Pp. 3-27. In My Father’s House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. 2003. Racism Without Racists: Color-Blind Racism And the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.
- Comaroff, Jean and John. 1991. “Africa Observed: Discourses of the Imperial Imagination.” Pp. 86-125, Of Revelation and Revolution: Christianity, Colonialism, and Consciousness in South Africa. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Grant-Thomas, Andrew and john a. Powell. 2009. “Structural Racism and Color Lines in the United States. Pp. 118-144 in Twenty-First Century Color Lines: Multiracial Change in Contemporary America. Edited by Andrew Grant-Thomas and Gary Orfield. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
- Mazrui, Ali. 2005. The Re-invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond. Research in African Literatures 36 (3): 68-82.
- Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1998.
- Achebe, Chinua. A Man of the People. New York: Anchor, 1967, 1989.
- Maier, Karl. Into the House of Ancestors: Inside the New Africa. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1998.
- Peterson, Scott. Me Against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda. New York: Routledge, 2000.
Recommended Documentaries:
· On Orientalism-Edward
Said
·
General Idi Amin Dada (A self Portrait) by Barbet Schroeder
Recommended Movies:
· Lion of the Desert
(1981)
·
Catch a Fire (2007)
·
Masai: The Rain Warriors (2004)
·
Bamako (2005)
·
Lumumba (2000)
·
Kenya A White Man’s Country http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwlsck9OIrU&feature=related
·
Jomo Kenyatta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRlZbi-xnYE&feature=related
·
The Wind of Change http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaQdqjVz4d0
Recommended News on
Africa
Recommended Websites:
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJe1W_HIWmA&feature=related
European Imperialism in Africa
COUNTRIES
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African
Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Congo Democratic Republic
Congo Democratic Republic
Djibouti
Egypt
Equitorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and
Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Western Sahara
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Republic of
South Sudan
Course Requirements:
To prevent confusion later, please read the following
information:
Grades: Your grade for this course will be based
on your performance on the following components, shown below with their dates
and respective weights.
Item Date Weight (%)
Quizzes
(5) 30.0
Short Analytical Paper May 15 20.0
Class Participation/Attendance 10.0
Newspaper Articles 10.0
Final Exam: You will take the final exam on
Thursday, May 26th. I will ask 30 multiple-choice/true and false
questions and you will have two hours to finish the exam. If you have any
questions or concerns, please let me know as soon as possible.
Quizzes: You will have 5 quizzes. The quizzes will
have 12 questions from each week’s class readings and discussions. Each Quiz is
worth 6 points and each question is worth 0.5 point. You will find the schedule
of quizzes below. Please carefully review the quiz schedule. If you have
schedule conflict, drop the class. If you have any questions or concerns,
please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Analytical Paper: In this requirement, you will select a
country and will critically analyze it based on our textbook. This paper should
be at least 2000 words in length. You must provide a word count at the
end of your paper. The paper is due on Sunday May 15th. Everyone
will select a different country. Your selection must be approved and registered
by me; therefore, you must contact me directly regarding your selection. The
deadline for selecting/registering your country with me is Sunday, April 3rd.
The deadline for submitting your review is Sunday May 15th. Late
submissions will not be accepted.
You
will use the following format in your paper (Country Analysis):
1.
Introduction (At least 100 words)
2.
A Brief History of the country: Before WW I, (At least 500
words)
A Brief History of
Colonialism in the country: Who colonized the country and how long did they
stay……
3.
Social and Cultural Structure: Ethnicity, race, gender,
population, education level, urbanization (At least 500 words)
4.
Political Structure: Independence, monarchy, dictatorship,
parliamentary democracy, military rule…. (At least 400 words)
5.
Economic Structure: Foreign debt, World Bank influence,
privatization, social welfare and health system …… (At least 400 Words)
6.
Future
Trajectories and Conclusion (At least 100 words)
Attendance: Regular attendance is one of the most
important parameters to successful completion of the course requirements. If
you miss more than 4 classes, you will not receive an attendance grade. Excuses will not be permitted for any reason.
Class Participation: Each student must read the course materials
before they attend class and I expect them to participate in class discussion.
Class participation in the form of informed questions and comments will be
taken into consideration when determining your final grade. Additionally, the
class participation grade also depends on class attendance.
Newspaper Articles:
During the semester, you
can bring 10 newspaper articles related with our class subjects. You cannot
bring more than one article in the same week. You will have to summarize
these articles in class and will find the recommended newspapers listed on http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot.it/,
under the external links section.
Newspaper articles sent by email will not be accepted. Please bring it to
class, the first page of the printed/hard copy of the article. You can only
bring an article from the selected newspapers, posted on http://internationalstudiesandsociology.blogspot
and you will find them under links section. Some of the recommended newspapers
are The Guardian, Al-Jazeera, Democracynow.org, Financial Times, The New York
Times, The Wall Street Journal, Pravda, Haaretz, China Daily, and the Economist.
Please do not bring articles from Turkish newspapers!
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Coming late to class: Late comers will not be accepted
to class, so be on time. If you are late for a class, please do not disturb
your classmates and me and do not come at all. Please also do
not send an email or call me regarding your class attendance. If there is a
medical need, bring an official letter from a doctor. Whatever the reason is,
if you cannot come to class, this is your responsibility. If you miss more than
4 classes, you will not receive an attendance grade.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
Laptop and cell phone
policy: No laptops
or cell phones will be allowed in this class. Please turn your cell phone
off before you come to class. If you use the Internet/laptop or your cell phone
during class, you will be asked to leave.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES:
- Why a leading professor of new media just banned technology use in class
- Why you should take notes by hand — not on a laptop
- To Remember a Lecture Better, Take Notes by Hand
Responsibility: You and/or your parents pay tuition for this
class; therefore, you have responsibility to yourself and/or your parents.
Passing or failing the class is not the main objective, rather that you learn
and improve your knowledge. Please read and try to understand the main concepts
of this class. If you are having difficulty, please do not hesitate to see me
and discuss your concerns!
Each year, almost half a
million people graduate from American public universities (see http://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/).
As you will see from the statistics, the job market is very competitive;
therefore, students need to improve their knowledge, skill, and experience in
order to find a job they want. Learning is a lifelong process. An academic
institution like Maltepe University will provide you with an educational
discipline and methodology; everything else is up to you. You should study and
improve your skills, in order to compete with the rest of the graduates. While
you are in the program, you should apply for internships to obtain relevant
experiences before you graduate. Therefore, if you need a letter of
recommendation for an internship or job, please do not hesitate to ask me, if
you receive at least an A, A- or B+ grade from my class. Please also remember
that an undergraduate degree might not be enough to find the job you want;
therefore, you might need to apply to graduate school. In order to apply to
graduate school, you will also need to have a letter of recommendation. I am
also happy to advise you on graduate school or provide a letter of
recommendation if you receive an A, A- or B+ grade.
No Laptops and cell phones will be allowed in this class.
Course
Timeline
First
Week
|
· An overview of the
syllabus
· What is Orientalism?
· What is African
Studies?
· Uzodinma Iweala (2007) Stop
Trying To ‘Save’ Africa. The Washington Post, 15 July, p.B07.
· Mervat Hatem (2009) Africa on My Mind. International
Journal of Middle East Studies. 41: 189-192.
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Second
Week
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Third
Week
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Fourth Week
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Fifth
Week
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Sixth
Week
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Seventh
Week
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Eighth
Week
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Ninth
Week
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Tenth
Week
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Eleventh
Week
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Twelfth
Week
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Thirteenth
Week
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Fourteenth
Week
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FINAL EXAM
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