Cultures and Societies of Africa
Choose one of the options below:
1. African literature. Contrast what is perhaps the most famous novel ever written about Africa (Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness) with what is certainly the most widely-read novel by an African author (Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart). How does each author present Africans? Some have suggested that Achebe’s novel was written as written as a response to Conrad’s. What do you think?
2. African development and world trade. Examine the position of African countries within the global flows of trade that have developed since the fall of the Soviet bloc in 1989. What are the advantages and disadvantages of “free trade” for African countries? How have the “structural adjustments” required by the World Bank and other sources of credit affected social policies in African nations? Has economic growth in Africa kept pace with population growth? And what changes in the structure of world trade would promote development in Africa?
3. Cosmopolitanism. There has been, and continues to be, a lively debate about African’s place in the world. The Ghanaian philosopher Anthony Appiah, who teaches at Princeton, has interesting opinions on how the world sees Africans, and on how Africans should see themselves. Read his books In My Father’s House (1992) and Cosmopolitanism (2006); then write an essay summarizing his point of view, and giving your own comments and opinions on his.
4. African music. Trace the influence of Africans in music since 1900, including both the African diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean, and Africans still resident in Africa. Be sure to write also about the influence of types of music developed outside Africa on African music today.
5. 50 years of independence. Read Martin Meredith’s The Fate of Africa: A History of 50 years of Independence (2005) and write an essay on why proved so difficult to establish democracy – or even a shared sense of nationhood – in many African countries after they achieved independence for the colonial powers. Since 2000, however, many of these countries have seen democratic elections take place. What accounts for this change?
The essay should be 10 pages excluding references. Use 12 point, 1.5 line spacing, 1-inch margins). You can put references either in footnotes or at the end of the paper.
