afr 150-03 course syllabus wheatland fall 2015

AFR 150:03 FALL 2015 T. Wheatland T. Wheatland

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JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

899 TENTH AVENUE NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10019

AFR 150 Section 3 – The Origins of Contemporary Africa SYLLABUS

Instructor: Tiffany Wheatland, MA Email: [email protected] Twitter Handle: @OnNegritude Class Time: Mon & Wed 8:00 - 9:15am Class Location: New Building Room 1.75

Course Twitter Hashtag: #AFR150 Office: New Building 9th Fl. Rm. 9.63.09

Department of Africana Studies Office Hours: Mon & Wed 1:30 - 2:30pm Office Phone: 212.393.6322

Course Description: This course will introduce students to the central themes dominating African economic and social history in the “long” twentieth century. It will survey colonialism, nationalism, development, dependency, and armed conflict through the lens of economic and social transformation. The course is designed to challenge preconceptions of African “failure” – as often conveyed in contemporary Western media – through a series of historically-grounded investigations into the changes experienced by the continent since the onset of colonialism, with reference to the pre-colonial period when appropriate for background and context. This class will evaluate the colonial project and the nationalist struggles which led to independence. It will demonstrate how colonialism accelerated economic and social processes including urbanization, the creation of wage-earning proletariats, labor migration, and political instability brought about by economic changes and social dislocations. These processes continue to unfold in Africa today. We will connect economic transformations with important political and social developments, such as resource extraction continent-wide and the “resource curse,” and the contestation of land rights throughout Africa, to name but two examples. Learning Objectives:

1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of formative events and ideas in the modern humanities and social sciences, by developing an understanding of modern colonialism, imperialism, and decolonization.

2. Analyze the significance of major developments in World History, with particular reference to Africa and the major debates surrounding Africa’s situation in the modern global economic and political order.

3. Differentiate multiple perspectives on the same subject, especially through a comparative analysis of different case studies built on measured, evidenced-based arguments and research essays.

Performance Objectives: Upon completion of AFR-150 students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate improved critical thinking in their ability to perform the specific cognitive tasks of remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing and synthesizing knowledge.

2. Demonstrate improved research skills and corresponding abilities to retrieve, evaluate, and utilize information found ethically and legally from a variety of information sources.


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3. Demonstrate improved presentation/public speaking skills through the practice of effectively presenting findings of research in class and responding to queries.

4. Formulate meaningful and purposeful questions and answers to troubling questions related to race, ethnicity, development and justice in developing countries.

5. Communicate effectively with the professor and fellow students:

i) through the writing of short response papers, essays, exams and papers ii) through in-class oral presentations, class discussions and team projects iii) through the giving and receiving of feedback to/from colleagues

Blackboard/CUNY Webmail Blackboard and CUNY Webmail will serve as our primary mediums of communication. Students are thus required to and responsible for accessing readings, assignments and course updates from Blackboard. It is your responsibility to check your CUNY Webmail regularly. Both accounts can be accessed by logging in with your CUNY username and password via: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/. Blackboard training courses are offered for free through the College. Citation Students will be required to prepare assignments and cite sources according to the APA citation style format. In-text citations using the following format (author, year of publication, page number) are required for all assignments. Papers exceeding 3 pages in length must include a bibliographic page detailing all sources in APA format. Bibme is a free, easy and efficient way to prepare a bibliography. Create a free, online account for Bibme at: http://www.bibme.org/ The Writing Center Students are encouraged to make an appointment to visit the Writing Center for help before completing any of the written assignments required for this course. All students will be required to visit the Writing Center at least once before midterms. Specialists at the Writing Center provide workshops, tutoring and writing consultations. The Writing Center is located in the New Building, Room 1.68. To make an appointment call, 212-237-8569.

Class Participation Student participation is required. Students are expected to arrive to class on time and prepared to work. Students will be asked to reflect on readings by answering discussion questions in writing and orally discussing their answers at the beginning of most classes. If you are not present, you will be unable to contribute to class discussions or complete in-class assignments. Further, poor attendance and/or chronic tardiness will reduce the value of class discussions and interfere with certain class exercises. Participate, be punctual and attend all classes. Required Text Various readings consisting of journal articles, media articles (newspapers, magazines, etc.), chapters of books, maps and other items relevant to our course will be assigned over the course of the semester. These readings are required and will be made available via Blackboard. Content from readings WILL be included on quizzes/exams and incorporated into major assignments.


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GRADING

Grade Distribution %

Attendance/Participation (Daily Group Discussion @ 20%) 20

Short Response Papers/Twitter (4 SRPs @ 20%) 20

Social Media Project/Africa Today (Twitter/Africa Today Discussion @ 10%) 10

Map Project (2 @ 5% each) 10

Film Reflections (2 @ 5% each) 10

Group Research Project (Paper @ 10% Presentation @ 5%) 15

Final Examination (Comprehensive, Closed book) 15

GRADE SCALE

Letter Grade % Letter

Grade % Letter Grade % Letter

Grade %

A 93.0 - 100 B 83.0 - 87.0 C 73.0 - 77.0 D 63.0 - 67.0

A- 90.0 - 92.9 B- 80.0 - 82.9 C- 70.0 - 72.9 D- 60.0 - 62.9

B+ 87.1 - 89.9 C+ 77.1 - 79.9 D+ 67.1 - 69.9 F 00.0 - 59.9

Track My Progress SRPs DATE Maps DATE Films DATE SRP 1 _____ Map 1 _____ Film 1 _____ SRP 2 _____ Map 2 _____ Film 2 _____ SRP 3 _____ SRP 4 _____ Notes: _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________


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Assignments Ø Attendance/Participation: (20%)

Students will be asked to reflect on readings by answering discussion questions in writing and orally discussing their answers at the beginning of most classes. Regular attendance and participation in classroom discussions will impact positively on your final grade. Frequent absences, tardiness failure to do assigned readings, and not participating in classroom discussions will have a negative impact on your final grade.

Ø Short Response Papers: (20%)

Students will be asked to prepare a short response paper (SRP) which responds to a discussion question posed by the instructor. Questions will be posted to Blackboard and will be based on the week’s assigned readings. SRPs should be composed as short essays of 450-500 words. Formatting: typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman. SRPs will be evaluated according to coherence, evidence of critical thought and extent to which they respond to the discussion question. A total of (4) will be assigned during the semester. Students receiving a grade of B- or lower must provide evidence of having met with staff from the Writing Center. Writing Center staff can assist students at all levels of the writing process: pre-writing: writers block, thesis development; writing: organizing, paragraphing; post-writing: revising, reorganizing and proofreading.

Ø Social Media Project/Africa Today (10%) Over the course of the semester, students will engage in a social media project that uses Twitter to evaluate development trends on the African continent. Using the hashtag #AFR150, students will tweet out news, Facebook/Twitter posts, audio/video clips, glossary definitions, questions and other content relating to development in Africa. Africa Today Students will be required to listen to Africa Today, a BBC podcast offering news and analysis from BBC Focus on Africa, once per week. The podcast airs daily, Monday-Friday. Students will be randomly called upon share their comments/reflections on the show. Access the podcast schedule via: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/africa

Ø Map Projects: (10%)

Students will submit (2) map projects which are intended to familiarize them with Africa’s political and physical geography. These projects are detail-oriented and will require a certain level of research. Together these projects are worth 10% of your grade.

Ø Film Reflections: (10%)

Over the course of the semester, students will be assigned to watch (2) films related to the themes covered in our course. Each film reflection should respond to select questions provided, in class by the professor. Glossary Students are strongly encouraged to develop and maintain a glossary of key terms. The glossary is intended to help you build your vocabulary and give us more precise ways of expressing ourselves in class and in our assignments. Please include words/terms from lectures, discussions and readings. Students will be permitted to use their glossary during the final exam, which is closed book.


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Ø Group Research/Storify Project: (15%) Students will complete and present a collaborative, critical thinking, research project during the semester. Students will be placed into groups of (5/6). Each group will be assigned a topic and a country within Africa to profile and research.

Guidelines for Research Paper and Oral Presentation are as follows: 1. Groups will select a country and a recent political/economic/social transformation

(population transformation, i.e. youth bulge, migrant crisis; technological transformation, i.e. mobile phone banking or agricultural/industrial transformations).

2. Each group will be required to select four to five recent scholarly articles which discuss your chosen transformation within the context of your given country. Groups will examine and critique the perspectives raised on the implications of such a transformation for development within their countries.

3. Groups will be required to give a 25-30 minute Storify presentation highlighting the

findings of their research paper. Storify is a social media tool which allows users to curate content. Each presentation should illustrate your country profile and chosen transformation. The Storify presentation should illustrate the main findings of your research. Each group will be allotted 30 min to present: 3-5 min. per individual. Storify presentations can include comments from Twitter, YouTube® video clips, photos, etc.). All groups will field questions from colleagues and the professor.

4. Each group’s project proposal must include your country profile, your annotated

bibliography (5-6 scholarly resources) in APA format and your chosen political/economic/social transformation.

5. All groups will be required to submit a hardcopy of their research paper. It will be the

responsibility of the group to ensure that each member participates fully.

Research papers should be composed in standard essay format, as follows: o Times New Roman, 12pt font, one-inch margins, dbl. spaced, printed front/back o Papers must be no less than 2500 words, should not exceed 3000 (10-12pgs) o Paper must reference the 5-6 scholarly sources cited in the annotated bibliography o In-text citations must be stated in the following format (author, year, page #)

Important Due Dates

o Research Paper Proposals and Annotated Bibliography due Wed. October 7th o Group Research Papers will be submitted via SafeAssign Mon. November 30th o Group Oral Presentations will take place in class during Weeks 14 & 15

Ø Final Examination: (15%)

The final exam will be administered in class on Mon 12/21/2015 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. This is the only exam for this course. Students will be given a review packet in advance of the exam and the professor will use the class period before the exam for review. The exam may include multiple choice (best answer), short answer (3-5 sentence answers each), identifications (1 sentence answer or phrases) and (1) short essay question (a response between 3-4 paragraphs). It will cover all topics and readings assigned and/or discussed during lectures. There will be no make-ups for the final exam, barring extraordinary circumstances, granted at the discretion of the professor.


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Evaluation/Grading

• PARTICIPATE/COMMUNICATE: Participate by making meaningful contributions to classroom discussions, offer feedback to your peers and be responsive and respectful of one another. Your classroom contributions will be used to assess, among other things, whether you are doing the assigned readings and your ability to locate, analyze and integrate information from the readings and the lectures.

• INVEST IN YOUR WORK: Writing assignments will enable students to develop strong research skills, to apply theoretical and conceptual analysis to research questions and to learn at least one commonly used citation style. Mastery of these skills is crucial if you are going to do well in later courses.

• TAKE INITIATIVE: Engage in active, not passive learning by staying informed and

engaging in outside research. This is your education, invest in it.

• SUBMIT ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME: Make every effort to submit assignments on the date due. Students may be given the opportunity to re-do or re-write an assignment (with the new grade replacing the previous grade) only after discussion with the professor, during an office appointment.

• MAKE AN IMPACT: Your final grade will reflect the degree to which you engage with the course by doing the assigned readings, thinking critically, and writing well. Students are rewarded for consistent attempts to present well thought through arguments in class. Students are challenged to explore ways in which to use what you learn in this course to make an IMPACT in your education, career, community, etc.

• SEEK HELP: If you experience any difficulties in this course, please don’t hesitate to

inform me. In addition to the resources of the School, a wide range of services are available to support you in your efforts to meet the course requirements. All students are encouraged to meet with the professor one-on-one at least once during the semester. Extra credit may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor.

• REMEMBER: The key to this course is to learn to think critically about economic, social and political questions as applied to African history and to be able to apply these analytical skills to question and analyze contemporary socio-economic issues of international significance.


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Lecture Schedule NOTE TO STUDENTS: Lectures will cover the general span of African colonial history from the Berlin Conference of 1885, which partitioned the continent between the European powers, to present day contemporary Africa. This course will attempt to cover topics according to the schedule outlined below. The course schedule is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion according to class pace and comprehension. Adjustment and changes will be announced in class and on Blackboard under “Announcements.”

DATE/TOPIC READINGS ASSIGNMENT

Weeks 1-2 Pre-Colonial/Early Colonial Period in Africa 1800-1885

WEEK 1 08/31-09/02

Class Introduction

Introduction/Course Expectations/Syllabus Overview Watch YouTube Film: The African Americans Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates. Episode 1: Earliest Africans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WiaKtc6irg

Written Film Reflection (In Class)

WEEK 2 09/07-09/09 European

Imperialism and Conquest

Labor Day, 9/7 College is closed, No classes scheduled Required Readings: Collins, R. O., & Burns, J. M. (2007). A history of sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press. Ch.18: The European Conquest of Africa p. 265-279

1st Response Paper Due Wed. 09/09

(based on Week 2 readings)

Weeks 3-5 Colonization/Colonial State 1885-1970

WEEK 3

09/14-09/16 Scramble for

Africa/Partition (1879-1910)

African Responses to European Imperialism Resistance/Collaboration/Accommodation Lasting legacies/impact of the colonial experience Required Reading: Boahen, A. A. (1987). African perspectives on colonialism. Ch. 2: The Imposition of the Colonial System: Initiatives and Responses p. 27-57

1st Map Project Due 09/16

WEEK 4 09/21-09/23

Colonization and Colonial Impact

Wednesday, 09/23, no classes scheduled Required Film: Watch YouTube Film: Africa A Voyage of Discovery Episode 6: This Magnificent African Cake https://youtu.be/irDWdqOvjVA

1st Film Reflection Due Wed. 09/23

Tweet out 2-3 reflections on film

@OnNegritude Using Hashtag

#AFR150


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WEEK 5 09/28-09/30

The Colonial Legacy

Required Reading: Rodney, W. (2012). How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. New York: Black Classic Press. Chapter 6: Colonialism as a System for Underdeveloping Africa p.205-230

2nd Map Project Due Wed. 09/30

Weeks 6-7 Decolonization/Independence 1940-1970

WEEK 6 10/05-10/07

Decolonization and Independence

Mapping of Black Liberation Struggles/Disruption of Progressive Movements Required Reading: Battle of Adwa (Adowa), 1896 http://www.blackpast.org/perspectives/battle-adwa-adowa-1896 Patrice Lumumba’s Independence speech, June 30, 1960

Research Paper Proposals and

Annotated Bibliography

Due Wed. 10/07

WEEK 7 10/12-10/14

Nationalism and Pan-Africanism

Case Studies

Monday, 10/12 College is closed, No classes scheduled Ujamaa/African Socialism, Cold War Politics, Kwame Case Studies: Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Patrice Lumumba (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya) Required Film: Watch YouTube Film: Africa A Voyage of Discovery Episode 7: The Rise of Nationalism https://youtu.be/EUsgu32zuZ0

2nd Film Reflection Due Wed. 10/14

Tweet out 2-3

reflections on film @OnNegritude Using Hashtag

#AFR150

Weeks 8-10 Africa and the Global Political Economy 1980s-1990s

WEEK 8 10/19-10/21 Structural

Adjustment Debt and Aid

The impact of global institutions, such as the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization (WTO) in shaping economic, trade and development policy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Required Readings: Moya, D. (2009). Dead aid: Why aid is not working and how there is a better way for Africa. Macmillan Ch. 4: Silent Killer of Growth (p.48-68)

2nd Response Paper (based on Week 8

readings) Due Wed. 10/21

WEEK 9 10/26-10/28

Globalization and Neo-Colonialism

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Watch Film: End of Poverty via YouTube Required Film: End of Poverty (Accessible via Blackboard) https://youtu.be/pktOXJr1vOQ

Share reflections on End of Poverty

via Twitter. Tweet out 3-5

comment/questions at @OnNegritude


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WEEK 10 11/02-11-04

Globalization and Neo-Colonialism

II

Required Reading: Olopade, D. (2014). The Bright Continent: Breaking rules and making change in modern Africa. READ CHAPTER 2: Kanju: The Fine Line Between Genius and Crime p. 16-33

3rd Response Paper Due Wed. 11/04

(based on Week 10 readings)

Weeks 11-13 Contemporary Africa 21st Century

WEEK 11 11/09-11/11

Development Poverty/Inequality

Identifying the causes of global poverty and understanding poverty as not only, lack of income, but more importantly as basic capability deprivation. Required Reading: World Bank, 2000. World Development Report. Overview chapter and Causes of Poverty and a Framework for Action (p.31-41). OUP. New York.

WEEK 12 11/16-11/18 Economic

Transformation in Africa

Economic Transformation for Development Required Reading: Moghalu, K. C. (2014). Emerging Africa: How the global economy's 'last frontier' can prosper and matter Ch. 5: Paradigm Shift p. 90-106

4th Response Paper (based on Week 12

readings) Due Wed. 11/18

WEEK 13 11/23-11/25

An Alternative Development

Paradigm

Sahara Reporters Video Interview Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, former deputy governor of Nigeria's Central Bank, discusses his book, Emerging Africa: How the Global Economy's 'Last Frontier' Can Prosper and Matter https://youtu.be/zOima3DaplU

Weeks 14-15 Research Project Presentations/Final Exam Review

WEEK 14

11/30-12/02

Group Term Paper Presentations via Storify Group Research Project Papers

Due Monday 11/30 via SafeAssign

WEEK 15 12/07-12/09

Group Term Paper Presentations via Storify

FINAL EXAM REVIEW WEDNESDAY 12/09

FINAL EXAMS WEEK

12/15-12/17

FINAL EXAM

TO BE HELD IN CLASS Mon 12/21/2015 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.


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IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION Attendance Policy Students are expected to attend all classes and to thoughtfully participate in classroom activities. Students who miss classes will not earn the points assigned to those activities and will earn a lower grade. Note that 25% percent of your final grade is based on in-class activities. There are no make-up exams if you miss these activities. Incomplete Grades No incompletes will be given for this course. Classroom Behavior Student participation is required. Students are expected to come to class prepared, having read the readings and completed assignments on time. Students should be punctual, responsible and respectful of the professor and their classmates both on-line and in person. The professor encourages students to think critically and use scholarly analysis in their oral and written assessments, referring to readings and academic arguments to support their statements. While covered beverages will be permitted, eating during class will not be permitted. Academic Integrity Standards of academic behavior are set forth on page 282 of the University’s Undergraduate Bulletin. It is the responsibility of each student to familiarize him/herself with John Jay College policies and procedures regarding academic integrity. A copy of these policies can be accessed electronically via http://johnjay.jjay.cuny.edu/bulletins/undergraduatebulletin20132014.pdf By registering for classes at this college, you have acknowledged your awareness of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and you are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by said policy. Academic Support Center: offers study skills workshops, individual instruction, tutor referrals, and services for students with learning disabilities. Writing support is available in the JJAY Writing Lab or in the writing center 212.237.8569 Statement of the College Policy on Plagiarism Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else‘s ideas, words, or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one‘s own creation. Using the ideas or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. It is the student‘s responsibility to recognize the difference between statements that are common knowledge (which do not require documentation) and restatements of the ideas of others. Paraphrase, summary, and direct quotation are acceptable forms of restatement, as long as the source is cited. Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors. The Library has free guides designed to help students with problems of documentation. (John Jay College of Criminal Justice Undergraduate Bulletin, http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/academics/654.php, see Chapter IV Academic Standards) PLEASE BE ADVISED: PLAGIARISM WILL RESULT IN AN F GRADE


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Statement Regarding Students with Disabilities: The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (at 237-8122) provides support services and counseling for students who are physically challenged, have learning disabilities, and/or have medical conditions which affect their performance in the classroom setting. If you are in need of special assistance, please contact that office and then me. Office of Accessibility Services: offers a wide range of services, which include but are not limited to support/assistance with accommodations for students with physical, medical or psychological disabilities, individual counseling, readers, note takers, sign language interpreters, special adaptive equipment and other support services for students with disabilities 212.237.8031

afr 150-03 course syllabus wheatland fall 2015

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