AFRICA: SOCIETY AND CULTURE (ANTHC 200)
Hunter College
Spring 2014
Instructor:
Email:
Class Meetings:
Office Hours:
Andrew Hernann
Andrew.Hernann@gc.cuny.edu
Tuesday/Friday, 9:45am-11:00am, Rm
Tuesdays 11:00am-12:00pm, and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
African societies have been and continue to be popularly misrepresented as violent, suffering, stuck in
tradition and without history. Such a caricature, however, overlooks the depth of change and creativity
that has always existed throughout the continent. Through a critical look at historical and contemporary
processes—focusing on the development of the state, religion, race, gender, urbanization and
transnational movement—this course aims to provide a well-rounded foundation for the
anthropological understanding of African societies and cultures. We will be exploring these themes
through various media, including historical and anthropological texts, literature and film.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
 Build an understanding of important concepts and debates relating to the African continent;
 Master the African map;
 Familiarize yourselves with various key African scholars;
 Acquire and develop a set of critical analytic skills (i.e., critical thinking, reading, writing) to
explore the relationship between knowledge and power, history, representation, and
sociocultural construction;
 Understand how and why a knowledge of Africa is beneficial and necessary.
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Classroom Culture
This course covers a number of issues about which many people hold strong feelings. Everyone is
entitled to their opinion and to have a voice, and I encourage respectful debate. Part of the goal of the
class is to enable students to learn from each other and communicate their thoughts on contemporary
issues in articulate and compelling ways, so THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK. Treat everyone in the classroom
with respect, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with their opinions. Intolerance, personal
attacks, slurs, insults, and any otherwise offensive language/behavior will not be tolerated.
In terms of logistics: Laptop computers are NOT permitted, and you must turn off all electronic devices.
Attendance and punctuality are not only expected, but are mandatory. Improper use of electronics,
disruptive or disrespectful behavior, and regular tardiness or absence will result in loss of credit.
Academic Integrity
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Both cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses which will NOT be tolerated by me or the College. The
work you do in this course is assumed to be your own; whether you reproduce someone else’s work
“word for word,” rephrase it, summarize it, or “borrow an idea,” you must fully cite your source. When
in doubt about citing, see the instructor. But remember, it is better to cite than to not. For more
information about how to avoid plagiarism, visit Hunter’s plagiarism tutorial at:
www.hunter.cuny.edu/studentaffairs/.../What%20is%20Plagiarism.pdf
Required Materials
Three books are required. All other materials are available online on Blackboard.
The three books are available at affordable rates at Amazon.com:

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.

Piot, Charles. Remotely Global: Village Modernity in West Africa. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1999.

Stoller, Paul. Money Has No Smell: The Africanization of New York City. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 2002.
Late Assignment Policy
Assignments are due IN CLASS on the assigned day—I do not accept electronic submissions. For each
class session that an assignment is late I will deduct 5% off the final mark. Extensions will be granted
ONLY in exceptional and documented circumstances. If you find that you are either having problems
with the material or that other circumstances are affecting your class performance, please speak with
the instructor as early as possible.
Writing Assistance
There is a moderately high level of writing required for this class. If you need assistance in this area,
please schedule an appointment with me and/or visit Hunter College’s Reading-Writing Center. For
more information, see:
http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/
Students with Disabilities
The instructor will accommodate students with disabilities. If you feel comfortable, please inform me as
early as possible so that the proper accommodations can be made. I will certainly respect your privacy.
Also, for more information on the services Hunter College offers to students with disabilities, visit:
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/studentservices/access/disabilities
GRADING
Attendance
Participation
Dailies
Map Quiz
Book Report
Final Exam
10%
10%
20%
10%
20%
30%
Attendance AND Participation
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Both attendance and participation are mandatory. This means that students not only must come to
class, but must actively engage in the material and discussions. Therefore, everyone must read the
assigned articles BEFORE class in order to fully participate and receive full credit. Everyone is allowed 2
unexcused absences. Each additional unexcused absence will negatively affect both your attendance
and participation grade percentages. A total of five unexcused absences will automatically result in the
lowering of an entire overall letter grade. For every three subsequent unexcused absences, your grade
will be lowered an additional full letter. Also, habitual tardiness will severely affect your participation
grade. If you have obligations which will prevent you from attending class, please communicate this to
the instructor PRIOR to your absence.
Dailies
At the beginning of each class, everyone will need to turn in a one-paragraph (a minimum of five
sentences) summary for each assigned reading for that day. I also encourage you to record any
questions that you have from the readings in this space. The purposes of this activity is to practice
writing skills and to engage the theories and ideas presented in the required readings. A successful Daily
demonstrates: (1) that the student read the assigned texts, and (2) that the student is engaging ideas
presented in previous readings—along with his/her own original thoughts—to new material.
Map Quiz
During the weeks of course, students will take a map quiz. This will include identifying all African
countries, neighboring countries, former colonizing countries, and major geographic sites, including (but
not limited to) rivers, deserts, mountains, lakes, etc. We will practice this occasionally throughout the
first two weeks of class, but it is the students’ responsibility to master this material outside of class.
Quiz date: Friday, February 28
Book Report
Just before Spring Recess, students will submit a book report. Students will analyze and critique Chinua
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart in light of the themes that will have been covered in class up to that point.
Further instructions to follow.
Due date: Tuesday, April 1
Final Exam
During finals week, students will take an in-class final exam. It will take the form of short answers and
essay questions. More instructions to follow.
Exam Date: TBD
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COURSE SCHEDULE
**Note: Readings and dates are subject to change at the instructor’s discretion as the semester
progresses.
INTRODUCTION
January 28
-Discuss Course
-Discuss Syllabus
-Review the map of Africa
WHAT IS AFRICA?: ON REPRESENTATION AND CONSTRUCTION
January 31
Reading
-“Discourse of Power and Knowledge of Otherness” in The Invention of Africa: Gnosis,
Philosophy, and the Order of Knowledge by Mudimbe
-“Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” by Miner
February 4
Reading
-“Imagery of Eurocentrism” by Piterse
-“Savages, Animals, Heathens, Races” by Piterse
-Excerpts from The Heart of Darkness by Conrad
CULTURE, ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
February 7
Reading
-“Culture” by Guest
-“Koisa’s People” of From Mukogodo to Maasai by Cronk
February 11
Reading
-“Language, Thought and Representation” by Singh
-“The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Worlds Shaped by Words” by Thomson
-“ ‘People Who Live in Rocks’ ” and “From Mukogodo to Maasai” of From Mukogodo to Maasai
by Cronk
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VISIT THE “AFRICAN PEOPLES” EXHIBIT AT THE AMNH
RACIALIZATION & ETHNICITY
February 14
Reading
-“Race” by Guest
-“Poverty as Routine” in From Kukogodo to Maasai by Cronk
February 18
Reading
-“Ethnicity and Nationalism” by Guest
-“Boys and Girls, Words and Deeds” and “Are They Maasai Yet” of From Mukogodo to Maasai by
Cronk
AFRICAN ORIGINS AND “PRE-HISTORY”
February 21
Reading
-“Human Origins” by Guest
-“The Roots of African Cultures” by Vansina
February 25
Reading
-“Africa North of the Forest in the Early Islamic Age” by Curtin
-“Political Culture and Political Economy in Early East Africa” by Feierman
February 28
Reading
-Sundiata: an epic of old Mali by Niane
MAP QUIZ
COLONIALISM
March 4
Reading
-“North Africa in the Shadow of Europe (c. 1780-1880) by Curtin
-“A Century of Ironies in East Africa (c. 1780-1890) by Feierman
-Chapters 1-4 of Things Fall Apart by Achebe
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March 7
Reading
-“Upstarts and Newcomers in Equitorial Africa (c. 1815-1975)” by Vansina
-Chapters 5-9 of Things Fall Apart by Achebe
FILM: CONGO: WHITE KING, RED RUBBER, BLACK DEATH
March 11
Reading
-“The European Conquest” by Curtin
-“The Impact of Europe” by Curtin
-Chapters 10-11 of Things Fall Apart by Achebe
March 14
Reading
-“The Colonial Economy” by Curtin
-“The Life of Omar Ibn Said, Written by Himself” by Omar Ibn Said
-Chapters 12-15 of Things Fall Apart by Curtin
March 18
Reading
-“The Invention of Tradition in Colonial Africa” by Ranger
-Chapters 16-19 of Things Fall Apart by Achebe
March 21
Reading
-“A Clash of Cultures: African Minds in the Colonial Era” by Vansina
-“Social Change in Colonial Africa” by Feierman
-Chapters 19-25 of Things Fall Apart by Achebe
POST-COLONIAL HOPES
March 25
Reading
-“On Violence by Fanon
-“National Liberation and Culture (Return to the Source)” by Cabral
THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM & CONTEMPORARY AFRICA
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March 28
Reading
-“The So-Called Dependency Complex of the Colonized” by Fanon
-“Introduction” of Decolonizing the Mind by Thiong’o
-“The Language of African Literature” in Decolonizing the Mind by Thiong’o
April 1
Reading
-“Southern Africa, 1795-1870” by Thompson
-“Introduction: Thinking Through Africa’s Impasse” by Mamdani
BOOK REPORTS DUE
April 4
Reading
-Part 1 of We With To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories
From Rwanda by Gourevitch
-Excerpt from When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda
by Mahmood Mamdani
April 8
Reading
-“Introduction” and “History: From the Black Atlantic to the Banality of Power” in Remotely
Global by Piot
April 11
Reading
-“Exchange: Hierarchies of Value in an Economy of Desire” and “Persons: Engendering Subjects,
Spectacular Rituals” in Remotely Global by Piot
April 14-22: No class, Spring Recess
April 25
Reading
-“Houses: Collapsing Binaries, Ruling Strangers” in Remotely Global by Piot -“Community:
Spirits, Mimesis, Modernity”, “Diaspora: Reciprocal Desires, Circulating Stories, Supernatural
Contestations” and “A Kabre Modernity” in Remotely Global by Piot
April 29
Reading
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-“Introduction” and “The Anti-Politics Machine” by Ferguson
May 2
Reading
-“Exile Knows No Dignity” by Whitehouse
-“Prologue” and Chapters 1-3 of Money Knows No Smell by Stoller
May 6
Reading
-Chapters 4-5 of Money Knows No Smell by Stoller
WALKING TOUR OF HARLEM
May 9
Reading
-Chapters 6-7 of Money Knows No Smell by Stoller
May 13
Reading
-Chapter 8 and “Epilogue” of Money Knows No Smell by Stoller
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