African Studies

Ghana in Transition
PLSC 4600

Examine critical issues in history, politics, society and economic development in the West African state of Ghana, with the goal of acquiring the tools to better understand contemporary developments in Africa. There will be a general orientation to Ghanaian politics and history, linked to a series of advanced seminars on critical issues facing the country today. Seminars will be taught by Ghanaian academics along with politicians, former government officials, and non-governmental activists. In addition there will be field trips to important sites around the country.

The first part of the course will focus on Ghana’s historical legacy. The second part of the course will be devoted to the general topic of development and underdevelopment as an approach to understanding the Third World.

A substantial part of the course activity will deal specifically with the experience of post-independent Ghana as an example of successful (or unsuccessful) efforts at nationbuilding. Course activities will focus on the problems associated with attempts to establish and operate successful political and economic institutions. Contemporary arrangements and activities of international governmental and non-governmental organizations will also be explored.

• May 14—June 4, 2006
• $3995 plus textbooks, airfare, insurance, some meals, passport, visa, inoculation fees and personal expenses
• 4 credit hours
• Dr. David Davis (davisdc@millsaps.edu)
• Dr. Iren Omo-Bare (omobai@millsaps.edu)

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Tanzania
SOAN 3000

Gain a deep and rich understanding of life, history, economics and culture in East Africa. Traveling between Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean and the interior of the country in the Southern Highlands, we will consider the effects of agriculture, industry, tourism, and the global economy on the daily lives of Tanzanians during this four-week trip.

Through a series of daily ethnographic exercises, students will gain experiences in urban and rural areas. Students will spend time in locations such as marketplaces and religious institutions to analyze what role these spaces may play in the lives of Tanzanians today.

Examination of the relationship between traditional cultures and the changing modern and postmodern culture in Tanzania will lead to questioning what problems or contradictions may arise in a country that, for example, is overrun by cell phones and yet still lacks reliable access to electricity to charge those phones.

• June/July 2007
• Approximately $2000 plus tuition, airfare, and personal expenses
• 4 credit hours
• Dr. Julian Murchison (murchjm@millsaps.edu)
  

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