HISTORY 368C/591
Fall 2007
ST 133
W 4:00-6:50 p.m.
Office hours: T Th 8-10:30 a.m.
Dr. James Gump
IPJ 267
Phone: (619) 260-7787
E-Mail: gump@sandiego.edu
Web: http://home.sandiego.edu/~gump/
Overview, Goals, and Outcomes:
History 368C/591 introduces students to the cultures and civilizations of Africa from earliest times to the modern era, with particular emphasis given to Africa south of the Sahara
Desert. This course does not offer an all-encompassing continental-scale narrative, since, historically speaking, Africans have not interacted on a pan-African basis. History 368C/591 does not concern itself with a myriad of "facts" and unfamiliar names and terms either, because such a comprehensive examination of the continent's history lies beyond the scope of a one-semester course. Instead, the overall goal of this course is to introduce students to broad themes and case studies. Specifically, students will examine the role of mythology in distorting our perceptions of the African experience; consider the nature of traditional African social institutions; study the processes of change in the precolonial era, taking into account the role of state formation and the long-distance slave trade; explore the circumstances under which Europe partitioned and conquered much of the African continent; analyze development and underdevelopment since the European intrusion; and study the evolution of the South
African dilemma as well as that country’s democratic transformation since 1994. The approach is consistently Africanist, emphasizing African initiatives during the precolonial era as well as the ways in which Africans have responded to extraneous developments like Islam, the Atlantic slave trade, and colonialism.
Our study of African history incorporates the essential elements of a liberal education and complements USD’s commitment to global education, cultural diversity, and concern for human values. Specific learning outcomes include:
 the capacity to appreciate cultural and geographical differences;
 the aptitude to understand interconnections among different peoples, cultures, and institutions over a broad space of time and place;
 the ability to write clearly, logically, and convincingly;

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 the skill of thinking historically; that is, demonstrating the ability to derive information from primary sources and weigh the reliability of these sources; critically evaluate diverse interpretations of the same historical event; and identify the major causes of change and continuity;
 the commitment to demonstrate a sense of responsibility for civic life.
Our inquiry will be guided by readings, writings, discussions, lectures, debates, and media presentations. Students will be asked to complete the assigned readings according to the timetable prescribed herein, two midterm and one final essay examinations, a 3-5 page position paper on the Atlantic slave trade, a five-page review essay or reflective journal, an oral presentation, and several short critiques (1-2 paragraphs) of the assigned readings and media presentations. The position paper and review essay, due no later than the dates assigned in this syllabus, must conform to a standard style manual (e.g., Kate Turabian, A Manual for
Writers , 6th ed.).
Review Essay:
The most important point to remember about your review essay is that it is a commentary , not merely a summary. Therefore, the bulk of the essay should be an evaluation of the way the author handled the subject, and a commentary on the book's contribution to your understanding of the issues discussed. Your review should discuss the author's theme and point of view, as well as your reaction to them; evaluate the author's methodology (rules for organizing evidence); discuss the author's values and biases; and draw conclusions as to how well the author's point comes across. The form of your review essay is the same as any book review. You should begin by making a list of points you wish to make. Once your list of central points has been compiled, you should take each one as the focus of a different section of your review. Each section of your review should explain the point, support it with your own arguments and with brief examples from the book under review, and then draw conclusions as to the meaning and importance of the point. In the end, it should be clear to the instructor not only that you have read the book and can summarize it but that you have also thought about what you have read.
The oral presentation, which will accompany the review essay, should be limited to ten minutes. The overall goal of the oral reports is to enlarge students’ understanding of the richness and complexity of African history. This presentation should focus on the general themes of your essay rather than a literal reading of it. You may wish to use audio-visual materials as well. The oral presentation will be evaluated on the basis of the student’s depth of understanding, spontaneity, sensitivity to time constraints, and creativity.
Service-Learning Option:
In lieu of the review essay, students may choose to volunteer at the Southern Sudanese
Community Center, a service-learning opportunity in the San Diego community (see handout for more information).
Students who select this option will participate in that program for a minimum of ten hours this semester. Service hours include the mandatory orientation required by the program. This program has been selected because it serves recent African immigrants to San Diego. Many of these immigrants left Africa under traumatic circumstances, having experienced the very real political, economic, and social upheaval that has plagued various

3 regions of modern Africa. The goal of this service-learning project is to assist these immigrants and to enhance your own understanding of the modern African experience from an authentic African perspective. You will be required to maintain a Reflection Journal (not less than 10 pages) that documents your encounter and relates it to real political, economic, and social issues we have studied in African history. As in the case of the review essay, students will be required to present an oral report that relates the highlights of one’s servicelearning experience to the entire class.
Graduate Students:
In addition to the assignments prescribed above, students taking the course for graduate credit will compose an 8-10 page annotated bibliography on any theme relevant to the history of Africa, including: Afrocentric historiography; the role and position of women; the
European "scramble" for and partition of the African continent; state formation; development strategies in the postcolonial era; industrialization; urbanization; labor migration; the social construction of national, racial, ethnic, class, and gender identities; rural poverty; the militarization of African politics; environmental history; population issues; and U.S. foreign relations with sub-Saharan Africa. Graduate students should meet with the instructor early in the semester to determine an appropriate topic.
Attendance, Grades, Etc.:
Your final grade in this class can be reasonably predictable if you abide by the following guidelines: 1) participation ; 2) the careful and timely preparation of reading and writing assignments; and 3) regular attendance.
The Latin root for education— educare — variously means to “rear,” to “develop,” as well as to “bring out.” Thus, by definition, education is both didactic and interactive; an educator is not only obliged to instruct and edify but also to elicit ideas from students. Consequently, student participation, based on the timely preparation of reading and writing assignments as well as regular attendance, constitutes an essential component in the success of this course. Feel free to share your ideas at all times, and as a sign of respect for your fellow students, please attend regularly.
In addition, please familiarize yourself with USD's Academic Integrity policy, especially the information on plagiarism, fabrication, and examination behavior. Please be advised that intentional cheating will result in an automatic failure for this course, as well as activate a Hearing Committee of administrators, faculty, and student peers. This Committee is empowered to impose a variety of sanctions, including censure, suspension, and even expulsion from the University. If you need some instruction on how to avoid plagiarizing an assignment, I will be happy to supply you with the document “How to Guard Against
Plagiarism.”
Finally, no extra-credit work is required and none will be accepted. Examinations will be administered only on the days and times designated in this syllabus. If for any reason you cannot comply with these guidelines please let me know as soon as possible.
Grades will be calculated according to the following formula:

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20% Midterm Examination (October 3).
15% Position Paper (Monday, October 17): Please write a five-page position paper on the following topic:
Politically, socially, and economically, the Atlantic slave trade era proved to be a devastating experience for West and West-central Africa .
20% Midterm Examination (November 7)
15% Review Essay or Reflection Journal (all students) and Annotated
Bibliography (graduate students only) (December 12--suggested review essay topics are listed below).
20% Final Examination
Review Essay Topics:
(December 19, 5-7 p.m.).
10% Class Participation and Reading Quizzes.
l. Read Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart , No Longer at Ease , Man of the People , or
Anthills of the Savannah , and write a review essay on the significance of Achebe's work to the social and political changes occurring in Africa from the colonial period through independence.
2. Read Colin Turnbull's The Forest People or The Mountain People and write a review essay analyzing the societies Turnbull describes and the role of the historian/anthropologist in describing "traditional" peoples.
3. Read Adam Hochschild’s King Leopold’s Ghost and write a review essay on the historical background to the contemporary crisis in the Congo.
4. Read Thomas Pakenham’s The Scramble for Africa and write a review essay on the politics of the partition of the continent.
5. Read Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood , Mariama Ba’s Scarlet Song , or Ama Ata
Aidoo’s Chan ges: A Love Story , and write a review essay on the roles of women in contemporary Africa.
6. Read Doris Lessing's African Laughter and write a review essay on Zimbabwe since independence.
7. Read Frantz Fanon's Wretched of the Earth and write a review essay on the problems of political and economic instability in modern Africa.
8. Read Christopher Ondaatje’s Journey to the Source of the Nile and write a review essay on the role of nineteenth-century explorers in east Africa.

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9. Read Wole Soyinka's Ake: The Years of Childhood and write a review essay on Soyinka’s experiences of growing up in colonial Nigeria.
10. Read Robert Edgerton's Mau Mau and write a review essay on the role of white settlers in colonial Kenya.
11. Read Ayi Kwei Armah's The Beautyful Ones are not yet Born and write a review essay on the nature of corruption in postcolonial Ghana.
12. Read Antony Thomas’s Rhodes: Race for Africa and write a review essay on the life of an imperialist dreamer.
13. Read Nadine Gordimer's Burgher's Daughter , July's People , or A Sport of Nature , and write a review essay on the liberal dilemma in South Africa. l4. Read Andre Brink's An Act of Terror or A Dry White Season , or James Sanders’
Apartheid’s Friends , and write a review essay on the role of state security in South Africa during the apartheid era. Alternatively, read his Imaginings of Sand or J.M. Coetzee’s
Disgrace and write a review essay on South Africa’s transition to a post-apartheid society. l5. Read George Fredrickson's Black Liberation or White Supremacy ; or John Cell's The
Highest Stage of White Supremacy ; or Anthony Marx’s Making Race and Nation ; and write a review essay on the comparisons and contrasts between the historical experiences of South
Africa and the United States.
16. Read Rian Malan’s My Traitor’s Heart and write a review essay on South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy.
17. Read Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom or Anthony Sampson’s Mandela and write a review essay on the liberation struggle in South Africa.
18. Read Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull or Desmond Tutu’s No Future Without
Forgiveness and write a review essay on South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process.
Books Recommended for Purchase:
Kevin Shillington History of Africa, revised edition
David Northrup
James Gump
Chinua Achebe
Mark Mathabane
Electronic Reserve
The Atlantic Slave Trade
The Dust Rose Like Smoke
Arrow of God
Kaffir Boy
Password: “africa”

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African Studies Websites:
AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA
Maintained for the Electronic Technology Group of the African Studies Association by Karen
Fung, African Studies Librarian at the Hoover Institute, Stanford University. Key resource divided by topic and region. www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/guide.html
AFRICANA RESOURCES
Online catalogue and other databases found in the huge collection of Africana held by
Northwestern University’s library consortium.
www.library.nwu.edu:80/africana/resources/
AFRICAN STUDIES RESOURCES
Arranged by region and country, organization, and topic. Includes Directory of Africana
Scholars and a useful link to electronic journals and newspapers. www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/africa/cuvl/
H-AFRICA
Interdisciplinary discussion lists. Part of a consortium of very useful scholarly listservs as listed on the homepage. Also lists internet resources including dissertations since1995. www2.h-net.msu.edu/~africa/
AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
African Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania. www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/AS.html
AFRICAN RESEARCH CENTRAL
A clearinghouse of African primary sources found mainly in African libraries, archives and museums. Links to Europe and North America. www.africa-research.csusb.edu/
AFRICABIB.ORG
Bibliographic databases covering African periodical literature and African women’s literature. www.africabib.org

Schedule of Topics and Assignments:
Sept. 5: Some Images of Africa
Reading: Shillington, ch. 1
Bohannan and Curtin, selections ( electronic reserve )
Sept. 12:
Sept. 19-26:
October 3:
African Institutions
Reading: Shillington, chs. 2-5
Mbiti, "Nature of God" (electronic reserve)
State Formation
Reading:
FIRST
Shillington, chs. 6-10
Gump, “Ecological Change”
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
(electronic reserve)
Oct. 10-17:
Oct. 17:
Oct. 24:
Oct. 31:
Nov. 7:
Era of the Slave Trade
Reading: Shillington, chs. 11-14
Fage, History of Africa , chs. 9-11 (electronic reserve)
Northrup, Atlantic Slave Trade , all
POSITION PAPER DUE
Informal Imperialism
Reading: Shillington, chs. 15-20
Gump,
Things Fall Apart
Reading:
SECOND
Dust Rose Like Smoke
Shillington, chs. 21-22
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
, all
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Nov. 14:
Nov. 21:
Nov. 28:
Dec. 5:
Dec. 12:
Dec. 19:
The Colonial Era
Reading: Shillington, chs. 23-25
Achebe, Arrow of God , all
Thanksgiving vacation
Decolonization and Independence
Reading: Shillington, chs. 26-30
The Rise and Fall of Apartheid
Reading: Mathabane, Kaffir Boy , all
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Student Presentations
Review Essay or Reflection Journal (all students) and Annotated
Bibliography (graduate students only) Due on December 12
FINAL EXAMINATION (5-7 p.m.)