MODERN AFRICA IN FILMS AND LITERATURE
HIST 595 sec. 02

Using a wide range of historical and literary sources (fiction, autobiography, drama, poetry) as well as films (drama and documentaries), drawn from across the continent, this course will introduce students to the history and culture of modern Africa. Among the themes to be explored are: tradition and modernity; colonialism and resistance; nationalism and nation-building; power and politics; gender and sexuality; art, music, and religion; memory and trauma; postcolonial identities; health, economy, and the environment; as well as migration and globalization. By showing how much of what we know about Africa is loaded with stereotypical representations and misconceptions, the course will challenge students to think critically and globally about a continent whose creativities and overall contributions to contemporary arts, as well as to global identities and cultures, are often ignored. The course will demonstrate how Africans have used aesthetics, styles, and humor to tell their own story and to demonstrate the cultural richness and the dynamism of the oldest and the most diverse continent in the world.