360syl8

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

History 360-500-History of Africa/ African American Studies 360-500
History 360-610 (Owensboro)/History 360-621 (Elizabethown)
Wednesdays--5:30-8:15 P. M./Elizabethtown section: 6:30-9:15 P. M.
Origination site for Spring 2003: Cherry Hall Room 103, Bowling Green campus
Instructor: John A. Hardin, Ph. D.

Course Description:

A survey of the history of sub-Saharan Africa from the earliest times to the present. Three (3) hours. (This course is listed in the 2001 General Education Requirements, Section E-World Cultures and American Cultural Diversity.)

Goals:

1. To provide students with an overview of the critical historical issues of sub-Saharan Africa from the earliest times to the present.

2. To expose students to the elements which led to the development of early African
civilizations, extensive contact with non-African cultures and the formation of
contemporary nation-states.

Objectives:

1. Each student must complete a mid-term and final examination which may include
essay and objective questions.

2. Each student will be expected to complete a map test of the African continent.

3. Each student will be expected to submit a research-based essay on a specific
problem or issue in African history.

4. Each student will be expected to read the required text and assigned materials.

Expectations and Requirements:

1. Students will be expected to complete a map test of Africa. This exam is necessary because the geography of Africa continues to influence its historical development. The text provides geo-political and cultural maps of the continent. Elements of this test might be repeated on the mid-term and final exams. Value: 30 points.

2. Students will be expected to complete the mid-term and final examinations as per
the schedule below. Makeup exams may be given at the discretion and convenience of the instructor. Students are strongly encouraged to follow the schedule for the assignments and exams. Value of each exam: 90 points.

3. Each student must submit a one page typed thesis statement (or topic) on the essay paper to be submitted later in the term. The purpose of this project is to help the student get started on writing the paper and, where possible, help the student to complete the paper. Value: 10 points.

Each student must write and submit an essay paper on a specific problem or issue in African history as defined in this course outline. The paper will be judged on
content, syntax and grammar. If you have not written a research paper in an
upper-level history course or have not had extensive collegiate-level writing
assignments in history courses, consult and use the attached sheet "Writing A
Research Paper."

Footnote and bibliographic entries should be written in the Modern Language
Association style or the "Turabian" style from the University of Chicago. Most
history papers DO NOT use the American Psychology Association style (APA). If
you are a history or social science major, please use the MLA or Turabian style of
footnotes and bibliography. Value: 80 points.

This paper must be no fewer than ten (10) pages typed double-spaced. The cover
sheet, bibliography and other pages are not included in the number of pages. DO
NOT SUBMIT THE PAPER IN A PLASTIC OR CARDBOARD COVER. Please staple your paper and include on the front cover sheet your name, course name and section, the complete title of your paper, and date of submission. Failure to abide by these requirements will lead to a ten (10) point deduction.

4. The determination of the final grade will occur as follows: the sum of the points
earned from each exam (90 + 90), essay paper (80) and map test (30) will be
divided by three (3). The resulting average will be used to compute your final grade accordingly: A = 100-89; B = 88-79; C = 78-69; D = 68-59 and F = 58-0. For example, if your final average was 88.9, the final grade is B.

5. It is the student's responsibility to determine if withdrawal is needed. If the student decides to use this option, the University deadline must be observed and procedures followed through TOPNET. DO NOT ASSUME THAT THE FACULTY MEMBER WILL AUTOMATICALLY WITHDRAW A STUDENT FROM A CLASS IF THE STUDENT STOPS ATTENDING. IF A STUDENT DOES NOT OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW BY THE UNIVERSITY DEADLINE (MARCH 6, 2003), AN "F" GRADE WILL BE SUBMITTED BY THE INSTRUCTOR FOR THE COURSE.

Required Text:

Vincent B. Khapoya. The African Experience: An Introduction. (2nd edition) Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998.

Office Hours/Phone/E-Mail:

My office is located in the Office of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Wetherby Administration Building, Room 239, WKU, Bowling Green Campus. My office phone is (270) 745-7009. I am in my office daily from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. However, I will be involved with responsibilities as Assistant to the Provost for Diversity Enhancement and may be away from the office occasionally. If there is a concern, please leave a message with the office associate (ext. 2296) and include your name and phone number where you can be reached. My campus e-mail address is: john.hardin@wku.edu

Special Note:

Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, Room 445, Potter Hall. The OFSDS telephone number is (270) 745-5004 V/TDD.

Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.

Tests and Due Dates:

1. Map Test--(Value: 30 points): January 22, 2003.
2. Essay paper topic--(Value: 10 points): January 29, 2003.
3. Mid-term--(90 points): March 5, 2003.
4. Paper--(80 points): April 2, 2003.
5. Final Examination--(90 points) 6:00-8:00 P.M. May 7, 2003.

Lecture and Reading Schedule: (subject to adjustment)

If the student misses class, he/she is still responsible for the lectures and any distributed
materials.

First week: Introduction; Khapoya, "Africa: The Continent and Its People." January 15, 2003.

Second week: "African Traditional Institutions." January 22, 2003

Third-fourth weeks: "Political Development in Historic Africa." February 5, 2003.

Fifth-sixth weeks: "Colonialism and the African Experience" continued. February 12, 2003.

Seventh week: "Colonialism and the African Experience." continued. February 19, 2003.

Eighth week: "African Nationalism and the Struggle for Freedom." cont. February 26, 2003.

Ninth-tenth weeks: "African Nationalism" continued. March 5-12, 2003.

Eleventh week: "African Independence and After." March 19, 2003.

Twelfth week: "African Independence" continued. April 2, 3003.

Thirteenth week: "South Africa." April 16, 2003.

Fourteenth week: "South Africa" continued. April 23, 2003.

Fifteenth week: "Africa in World Affairs." April 30, 2003.

Scholarly Journals on Africa
Helms/Craven Library

Other journals may contain data appropriate to your essay. If the information that you
need is not found in these, look elsewhere. Do not be afraid to ask questions of library
staff.
Africa. Vol. 38, No. 1, August 1940-December 1942; Volume 48, January 1968-volume 49, 1979 (discontinued publication).

Africa. 1968-1971; 1974/1975. Call number DT 1 .A 14 (0040401).

Africa: An Interdisciplinary Business, Economic and Political Monthly. No. 65
(1977)-No. 125 (January 1982). 905373. Helm 2.

Africa Digest. Volume 15 (1968)-Volume 21 (1974). 901666.

Africa Guide. 1978-1980. Ref HC501 .A532 (541129).

Africa Insight(continues as South African Journal of African Affairs) volume 10
(1980)-volume 13, no. 2 (1985).

Africa Institute Bulletin (English Edition). Volume 1 (1965)-2, No. 4 (June 1966).

Africa Report. No. 1 (1956)-volume 5, no. 9 (1960).

Africa: South of the Sahara (1971-1986), 18th edition, 1989. Ref DT 351.A37

Africa Year Book and Who's Who (1977). Ref DT 1. A2274. (5466041).

African Affairs. vol. 1, 1901-Vol. 43, no. 171 (1944). Also known as Royal African
Society Journal. (901669).

African Arts. Volume 23 No. 2, April 1990. (916615).

African Freedom Annual. 1978. DT 1 .A 2254 (546302).

African Literature Today. No. 5, No. 10, No.12. DL 8010 .A4. (415644).

African Repository. Volume 6 (1830)-Volume 50 (1874). Kentucky Library.
(911566).

African Social Research (continues the Rhodes-Livingstone Journal. No. 7 (1969)-No. 28 (December 1979). (901670).

African Studies Bulletin 1958-1960. (901671).

Journal of Ethiopian Studies volume 9 (1971)-volume 14 (1976-1979). (902654).

Journal of Modern African Studies Volume 5, 1967. (902100).

Problems in African History

Your essay may rephrase these questions. Please be specific in your essay and include examples and other relevant data.

1. What are the historical foundations of ancient African societies? For example, this essay might discuss the oral traditions of ancient African societies versus the contemporary document-based approach to social history.

2. How and why did migrations affect the rise or fall of African societies and civilizations? This essay might address the role of ethnolinguistic groups (what some people erroneously call tribes) migrating and their influence on the economy and politics of an area of the continent.

3. In what ways did the European presence change the sub-Saharan African cultures? This essay would address the role of Europeans (English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Dutch) on African cultures. Pick one and narrow the focus to a specific time and place.

4. How did religion affect historical change in sub-Saharan Africa? Ali Mazrui argues that Africa reflects a triple heritage--indigenous, Islamic and European. Europeans were Protestants and Catholic, indigenous Africans had Christianity since the third century after the birth of Jesus Christ, Islam arrived in the eighth century and indigenous religions were present as early as 3000 B.C.

5. In what manner did language affect the historical development of African cultures and societies? With 850 ethnolinguistic groups and 54 nations on the continent, language plays an important role in cultural formation. Pick one of the four major language groups and narrow the topic sufficiently.

6. As the European and Asian cultures changed, what major social or political changes occurred in African cultures and civilizations? The appearance of technology and economic systems affected societies, e.g. slavery and the railroads. There are others.

7. In what ways did economic systems affect the historical development of sub-Saharan African societies in the ancient or modern epochs? Capitalism and mercantilism manifested themselves in various ways throughout African history.
Select an era in which European economic paradigms were imposed on African societies unfamiliar with these approaches. Some African societies adapted and some did not. Explore the consequences.

These are just few ideas. You can become innovative but I would prefer discussion by phone or e-mail.

WRITING A HISTORY RESEARCH PAPER

Doing historical research is a fascinating and creative activity. If done properly, it provides a feeling of satisfaction and achievement.

The first step is to decide on a subject. The next is to develop a bibliography. This can be worked up by using the University Libraries' TOPCAT, the local public library catalog, special published topical bibliographies, guides to periodicals, and in some rare cases, computerized databases on the Internet. For most papers, the best first source would be the bibliography in the required text for this course. Browsing over the shelves in the library is one of the most interesting but time-consuming methods of developing a bibliography. Each possible source of information on your topic should be recorded on a
separate bibliography card. [If you have access to a notebook/laptop computer, you may prefer to record the data in a database/spreadsheet program.]

Author: last name first, then first name and initial.
Complete title and edition.
City and publisher, date and pages in book/article.

After bibliography cards have been assembled, the next step is gathering information from the sources you have located. As you progress other sources will be revealed and bibliography cards for them must be added to your set of cards. Data cards are most important. It is from them that you will write your paper.

Specific, detailed title Date
Author's last name, short title of book/article, page(s).
[The information should be carefully and legibly written. If you use an internet source, make sure it is legitimate. Include all pertinent data(" University of Kentucky source at
http://www.hist360@wku.history....") so it can be checked]

On a data card include only one idea or fact. It is better to split up information that might be used together than to include on one card information that will need to be used in different places in your paper. The specific item of information on the card should be given a distinctive title to get at the top of the card for easy sorting and organization. The date of the item should be placed in the upper right hand corner. This refers to the date of the item or event described, not the date of publication of the source. This date will be useful in organizing your information chronologically.

After you have gathered on cards a substantial amount of information you should examine it with various types of organization for your paper. You might try a chronological approach; the other common type is topical. The two are frequently combined. After you have decided on how your story can be most effectively told, start writing. This organization and writing stage will help you to develop an outline for your paper, will reveal gaps in your information, and will suggest other questions you may need to answer, if possible from the various sources available to you.

After the paper is finished in rough draft, write an introduction and conclusion based on what your research has brought out. The final draft should be done carefully and with proper attention to grammar and spelling, capitalization and punctuation. If completed using a recent word processing program, the text should be "spell-checked" or "grammar-checked" by the appropriate program utility. The footnotes and bibliography should be checked manually for proper form and correct information. After the paper is typed the author should proof-read it at least twice.

If you have followed these steps, you will feel at this point a real sense of personal satisfaction. You will have created something that is distinctively yours.

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES 360/HISTORY 360

Africa: The Continent and Its People

Key Terms

Chapter 1

Organization of African Unity

Lake Victoria-Nyanza

Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kenya

Nile River

Sahara Desert

Zaire River

rain forest

schistosomiasis (bilharzia)

onchoceriasis

trypansomiasis (sleeping sickness)

malaria

Maghreb

dessication

"hamitic" hypothesis

Joseph Greenberg

lexicostatistics

glottochronology

Afro-Asiatic

Niger-Congo

Nilo-Saharan

Khoisan

Afrikaans

Bantu

Kiswahili