Key Terms Defined
• Colonialism - a monopoly exercised by the leaders of an
imperialist country, usually based on economic pressures in
the dependent country or territory
• Colonization – the establishment of colonies in a place other
than the homeland
• Culture - manifestations of human intellectual achievement
regarded collectively
• Hegemony - leadership or dominance of one country or social
group over others
• Imperialism - a policy of extending a country's power and
influence through diplomacy or military force
Capstone Integrative Project
The Colonial Project: Language and Colonization
in East Africa
• Comparison of Kenya and Tanzania
• 20th century colonial & post-colonial periods
• English and Swahili are official languages in each
country
Frantz Fanon
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
(1925-1961)
(1938--)
Results of Research: Similarities
• Missionaries started the
colonizing process
• Swahili was imposed in
education, then English
followed
• Swahili was a language of
wider communication
• Hierarchy of languages:
English > Swahili > local
• Educated elite vs. the
common colonized
subjects
Results of Research: Differences
Colonial Kenya
Colonial Tanzania
• Aggressively oppressed by
British
• Bloody struggle for
independence
• Relatively peaceful relations
with British
• Non-violent gain of
independence
Independent Kenya
Independent Tanzania
• Little change from colonial
period
• English widely spoken
• Revulsion of British culture
& remnants of colonialism
• Swahili widely spoken
Creating an Independent Major
• The Proposal http://pages.stolaf.edu/cis-treyelts/
– Themes
• Literature and oral tradition
• Variations of history
• Cultural mixing
• Colonialism
– Questions
• How is Africa portrayed? Is this accurate?
• Good and bad effects of colonialism?
Required Courses
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ART 269, African Art History
ENGL 206, Top: South African Literature
ENGL 211, Hemingway in East Africa
ENGL 399, Sem: West African Feminist Literature
FREN 232B, Intermediate French II
HIST 151, Slavery in African History
HIST 189A, Top: Women in African Colonial History
HIST 292, Muslim Societies in Sub-Saharan Africa
HIST 298, IS/Slavery West Africa
MUSIC 237, World Music
SOAN 236, The Arab World
SOAN 398, IR: Gender and Sexuality in the Maghreb
Women in African Colonial History
• African feminist literature
• Colonial literature on Africa
– Primary sources
– Secondary sources
• Historical methodology
– Oral tradition
– Life history method
French 232
• Francophone Africa and Caribbean
• Themes
– Identity
– Colonialism
– Negritude
Hemingway in East Africa
Serengeti
Lake Manyara
Mto wa Mbu
Ngorongoro Crater
Habitat for Humanity - Senegal
Web Portfolio
http://pages.stolaf.edu/cis-treyelts/
Colonialism
• Neo-colonialism – new form of colonialism, using
capitalist and cultural imperialism to oppress another
country
• Neo-colonial vs. Post-colonial era
• Strategic placement of power with educated elite
• Political corruption in African governments
• Cultural exchange vs. colonialism
• My potential perpetuation of colonialism
• We must acknowledge the issues
Future Plans
Michigan State University
PhD program in African History