Continuity and Change in
Modern Senegalese Society
By
Dr. Maimouna Barro
Associate Director
Center for African Studies
University of Illinois
Map of Africa
Map of West Africa
West African countries
Benin (French)
Burkina Faso (French)
Cape Verde (Portuguese)
Côte d'Ivoire (French)
Gambia (English)
Ghana (English)
Guinea (French)
Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese)
Liberia (English)
Mali (French)
Mauritania (French)
Niger (French)
Nigeria (English)
Senegal (French)
Sierra Leone (English)
Togo (French)
Map of senegal
Facts about Senegal
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Facts about the country
Population: Over 11 million people
Area: 76,000 square miles
Major Ethnic groups: Wolof (43.7%), Pulaar
(23%), Serer(14%), Joola
(3.7%), Mandinka (3.%), Soninke (1.1%)
Official Language: French
Religions: Muslims (94%), Christians (5%),
Indigenous (1%)
Major Cities: Dakar (capital city), Thies, Kaolack,
Saint-Louis
III-Historical Background
A. Pre-colonial Senegal and West Africa: The Heritage of Islam
•The Trans-Saharan Trade: Islam in West Africa in the 8th Century
•The progressive Islamization of chiefdoms and large political units
•The 19th Century Jihads and the promotion of Literacy and Sufism
Ouadane Mosque, Mauritania
Chinguetti Mosque, Mauritania
Agadez Mosque, Niger
Dingeray Mosque, Timbuktu
The Heritage of Islam
The Heritage of Islam
The Heritage of Islam
When Timbuktu Was the Paris of Islamic Intellectuals in Africa
The Heritage of Islam
B. The Atlantic Slave Trade
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Trans-Atlantic Exports by Region 1650-1900
Region
Number of Slaves
Senegambia
479,900
Upper Guinea
411,200
Windward Coast
183,200
Gold Coast
1,035,600
Blight Of Benin
2,016,200
Blight Of Biafra
1,463,700
West Central
4,179,500
South East
470,900
Total
1 0,240,200
» Source:Lovejoy, P. Transformations In slavery, 2000.
%
4.7
4.0
1.8
10.0
19.7
14.3
40.8
4.6
Goree Island
Goree Island, the door of no
return(Senegal)
C. The Colonial Era (1885-1945)
• French colonization: A system of political,
economic and cultural domination
• French Imperialism and Islam
• The Road to independence (1960): The
role of Senegal’s elite
Saint-Louis, Senegal (former capital of French West
Africa)
Le pont Faidherbe
Signare de Saint louis, Senegal
IV- Government and Politics
• A long tradition of Democracy and Stability
• The 2000 Elections and the New Terrain of
Alternance or Soppi
• Islam and Politics: The role of the Sufi
orders
II-Modern Senegalese Society:
Continuity and Change
• A homogenous and tolerant society
• A society between resistance and change
• Senegalese Islam: The place of
brotherhoods
II-Modern Senegalese Society:
Continuity and Change
• The Senegalese Intelligentsia
• Popular Culture and the Arts
• The Role and Status of women
The Tivaoune Mosque, Senegal
Touba Mosque, Senegal
The Niassene Mosque, Kaolack
III- The Challenges of a
Dependent Economy
• Agriculture: A declining economic sector
• Fishing: A promising Sector
• Tourism: A strategic Sector
Dakar, La Porte du Troisième Millénaire
(The Gate to the 21st Century)
Dakar, Senegal’s Capital city
Conclusion: Senegal in the New
Global Era
PCCI Call Center, Dakar
Key Senegalese values
• Teranga=Hospitality
• Tegin=Respect
• Yarr= Politeness
Useful Internet Resources
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http://www.codesria.org/
http://www.warc-croa.org/
http://www.au-senegal.com/art_en/musee.htm
http://www.ucad.sn/
http://www.ugb.sn/accueil.htm
http://www.aodl.org/ifan.php
http://www.seneweb.com
African Languages at UIUC
(http://www.afrst.uiuc.edu/SCALI07.htm)