AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER

University of Pennsylvania

SPRING 2003

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
 E-mail: africa@sas.upenn.edu
Telephone (215) 898-6971

Africa-Focused Courses (100% Africa Content)

AFST 018 401                        Popular Culture in Africa                  

Barnes                                      W 2-5pm.                                Freshman Seminar       

Crossed: ANTH 018

This course concentrates on popular culture in sub-Saharan Africa.  It examines the way people reflect on and represent various aspects and issues in their daily lives, in public media, and through a diverse range of performance and creative outlets.  It explores the way cultural traditions are created, promulgated, and perpetuated.  It looks at the way popular culture deals with pleasure and pain; identity, difference, and diversity; wealth and power; modernity and history; gender relations; suppression, resistance, and violence; and local versus global processes.  In short, popular culture will serve as a window through which to observe contemporary life.

AFST  062 401                       Land of the Pharoahs            

Wegner                                    TR 1:30-3pm                                       Lecture

Crossed: AMES 062

General Requirement II:  History & Tradition:  This course provides an introduction to the society, culture and history of ancient Egypt.  The objective of the course is to provide an understanding of how ancient Egypt emerged as one of the most successful and long-lived civilizations in world history.

                                   

AFST 075 401                        Africa Before 1800

Babou,                                     MW 12-1pm                                        Lecture*

*Registration required for Lecture and Recitation

AFST 075 402 (Staff)              F 12-1pm                                 Recitation

AFST 075  403 (Staff) F 10-11am                                           Recitation

AFST 075  404 (Staff) R 3-4pm                                              Recitation

AFST 075 405   (Staff) R 2-3pm                                             Recitation

Crossed: AFAM 075, HIST 075

General Requirement II:  History & Tradition: This course is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of the culture, history, social structure, political organization and economy of Africa before the arrival of Europeans in the continent.  We will examine the dynamics of historical change in Africa and the contributions of Africa and Africans to world civilization.  The major geographic regions of Africa will be

AFST 075 401                        Africa Before 1800 (continued)

studied within a broader chronological and thematic framework, to allow for the examination of both similarities and diversity in the African experience.  We will look at the emergence and role of Egypt, Christianity in Northeast Africa, the spread of Islam, the emergence of Zimbabwe and the Indian Ocean Trade, states in the interior and at the coast of West Africa, the Atlantic slave trade and finally South Africa.

AFST 206 402                        African Intellectual History                          

Cassanelli                                 MW 3-4:30pm                                     Seminar

Crossed: HIST 206

Distribution II:  History & Tradition.  Introduction to some of the important ideas and intellectual currents that have emerged in Africa over the past two hundred years.  While giving some attention to aspects of "traditional African thought," the main emphasis will

be on the writings of African intellectuals in English, French, Portuguese, or Arabic languages.  Topics include political thought, culture and identity, pan-Africanism, revolution, ethics, and religion.

AFST 225 401                        African Language & Culture            

Mbeje                                      TR 1:30-3pm                                       Lecture

The aim of the course is to provide an overall perspective on African languages and culture.  It will introduce students to major features of African languages and to sociological and historical implications.  As an introduction to the study of language and culture in Africa, the following topics will be explored: genetic classification of languages, linguistic geography, historical aspects, multi-linguism and languages in context, Language policies in education, language use (including politeness and indirectness), and verbal art forms such as stories, story telling, riddles and proverbs will be discussed.  Native speakers from different groups will be invited guests.

AFST 257 401                        Contemporary African Politics

Callaghy                                   TR 10:30am-12pm                               Lecture

Crossed: PSCI 257

This course will consist of an analytic survey of post-colonial politics in the states of Sub-Saharan Africa.  It will focus on the complex relationships between state, society, economy, and external actors and will offer a conceptual framework, which takes into account forms of politics that are often highly fluid, personalized, and authoritarian in character.  Particular attention will be paid this term to Africa's pervasive economic crisis, internal and external efforts to cope with it, and its relationship to recent moves back toward forms of democratic politics.  A special focus this term will be the political economy and violence of failing states.

AFST 300 000                        Senior Thesis

Cassanelli                                 TBA                                                     Lecture

Individual research under faculty supervision culminating in a thesis.

AFST 514 401                        Anthropology of Africa

Kopytoff                                  M 10-12am                                          Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 514, ANTH 514

Distribution I: Society.  African cultural history, as inferred from archaeology, linguistic

relationships and ethnology.  Culture areas of Africa and representative

societies; common themes and differences; significance for anthropological

concerns.

AFST 701 401                        Envir History & Politics in Africa    

Cassanelli/Kaiser                      F 2-5pm                                               Seminar

Crossed: ENVS 701, HIST 701, PSCI 701

AFST 702 402                        Africa/African Diaspora                   

Clarke/Zuberi                           1:30-4:30pm                                        Seminar

Crossed: AFAM 702, ENGL 572, LTAM 702, SOCI 702

The topic of this course will be "Africa and the African Diaspora."  The emphasis will be on readings, class discussions, and seminars, to reflect ongoing discussions in the field.  The course will focus on the historical and cultural relationship between Africans and their descendants abroad. We will provide a series of readings for background to each section.  Requirements include: Regular reading assignments, commentary on readings, and a paper/proposal.

Africa-Focused Courses (25% Africa Content)

AFST 050 401                        World Music and Cultures

Staff                                         MWF 10-11am                                    Lecture

Crossed: FOLK 022, MUSC 050

"Formerly Music 022.  Draws on repertories of various societies from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas to examine relations between aesthetic productions and social processes.  We investigate musical sounds, cultural logics informing those sounds, and social strategies of performance.  Topics may include indigenous music theories, music and social organization, symbolic expressions and musical meaning, gender, religion, and social change.

AFST 258 601                        Int’l Women, War & Peace

Kadende-Kaiser                       W 5-8pm                                             Lecture

Crossed: WSTD 258

This course will examine the impact of war on women as well as women's roles

as peace makers.  The following questions will be addressed: How are women

affected by violent conflict?  What survival strategies do women employ to

cope with violent conflict?  Can women in post conflict societies serve as

mediators and peace-makers?  Countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe

will serve as the empirical basis for exploring these questions.

AFST 393 401                        Topics in Lit & Society

Clarke                                      T 1:30-4:30pm                         Seminar

Crossed: ENGL 393

GENERAL HONORS

NON-HONORS STUDENTS NEED PERMISSION

AFST 605 401                        Anthropology of Music

Muller                                      T 2-5pm                                               Seminar

Crossed: Folk 605, MUSC 605

Seminar on the recording, analysis, and representation of world music and

cultures in various media.

Language Course Offerings*

 

*Languages offered through Penn Language Cener – See CGS course guide 

 

AFST 171 680                        Elementary Yoruba II

Awoyale                                   MW 4:30-6:45pm                                Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 171, AFST 518

Prerequisite:      Completion of Elementary Yoruba I or permission of instructor

The main objective of this course is to further sharpen the Yoruba linquistic knowledge that the student acquired in level I.  By the end of the course, the student should be able to (1) read, write, and understand simple to moderately complex sentences in Yoruba; and, (2) advance in the knowledge of the Yoruba culture.

AFST 181 680                        Elementary Swahili II

Staff                                         TR 4-6pm                                            Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 181, AFST 581

Prerequisite:      Completion of Elementary Swahili I or permission of instructor

This course continues to introduce basic grammar, vocabulary, and the reading and writing of Swahili to new speakers.  During this term, folktales, other texts, and film selections are used to help introduce important aspects of Swahili culture and the use of the language in wide areas of Africa.

AFST 241 680                        Elementary Amharic

Wogayehu                                TR 4:30-6:45pm                                   Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 241, AFAM 541, AFST 541, AMES 241, AMES 441

Prerequisite:      Completion of Elementary Amharic I or permission of instructor

Continuation of Elementary Amharic.

AFST 243 680                        Intermediate Amharic II

Wogayehu                                TBA                                                     Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 243, AFAM 544, AFST 544, AMES 245, AMES 445          

AFST 271 680                        Intermediate Yoruba II

Awayole                                   TBA                                                     Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 271, AFST 532

AFST 281 680                        Intermediate Swahili II                      Lecture

Mshomba                                 MR 3-4:30pm

Crossed: AFAM 282, AFST 583

Prerequisite:      Intermediate Swahili I, or permission of instructor

AFST 285 680                        Advanced Swahili II                          

Staff                                         TBA                                                     Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 285, AFST 586

AFST 371 680                        Advanced Yoruba II

Awoyale                                   TBA                                                     Lecture

Crossed: AFST 18                  

AFST 491                               African Language Tutorial: Elem II

PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT

AFST 491 680 (TBA)              TBA                                                     Staff

AFST 491 682 (Wolof)            TBA                                                     Ndiaye

AFST 491 683 (Oshiwambo)  TBA                                                     Shipanga

AFST 491 684 (Shona)            TBA                                                     Mavindidze

AFST 491 685 (Zulu)              TBA                                                     Mbeje

AFST 492                               African Language Tutorial: Interm I*

PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT

AFST 492 680 (Twi)               TBA                                                     Ofosu-Donkoh

AFST 492 681 (Igbo)              TBA                                                     Ukazim

AFST 493 680 (Twi)               African Language Tutorial: Interm II

PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT

Ofosu-Donkoh                         TBA                                                     Lecture

                                               

AFST 518 680                        Elementary Yoruba II                                   

Awoyale                                   MW 4:30-6:45pm                                Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 171, AFST 171

The main objective of this course is to further sharpen the Yoruba linguistic

knowledge that the student acquired in level I.  By the end of the course, the

student should be able to (1) read, write, and understand simple to moderately

complex sentences in Yoruba; and (2) advance in the knowledge of the Yoruba

culture.

AFST 532 680                        Intermediate Yoruba II

Awoyale                                   TBA                                                     Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 271, AFST 271

AFST 541 680                        Elementary Amharic II

Wogayehu                                TR 4:30—6:45pm                                Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 241, AFAM 541, AFST 241, AMES 241, AMES 441

                                   

Continuation of Elementary Amharic I.

AFST 544 680                        Intermediate Amharic II

Wogayehu                                TBA                                                     Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 243, AFAM 544, AFST 243, AMES 245, AMES 445

AFST 581 680                        Elementary Swahili II

Onyango                                  TR 4-6pm                                            Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 181, AFST 181

This course continues to introduce basic grammar, vocabulary, and the reading

and writing of Swahili to new speakers.  During this term, folktales, other texts,

and film selections are used to help introduce important aspects of Swahili culture

and the use of the language in wide areas of Africa.

AFST 583 680                        Intermediate Swahilli II                                

Mshomba                                 MR 3-4:30pm                                      Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 282, AFST 281

AFST 586 680                        Advanced Swahili II

Staff                                         TBA                                                     Lecture

Crossed: AFAM 285, AFST 285

AFST 588 680                        Advanced Yoruba II

Awoyale                                   TBA                                                     Lecture

Crossed: AFST 371

PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT