Accra, Nairobi, and Johannesburg are three major African cities with very different origins. In each of these cities African, Asian, Arabic, and European cultures have converged and intermingled in complicated ways that give rise to hybrid cultures, economies, and politics. This seminar will trace the development
of these cities from the 19th century to the present. The experience of various
groups of city dwellers will be our main focus, as well as the development of the
cities' physical infrastructure like transportation, housing, trade, and labor networks. More importantly, though, we will explore the underworld of these cities
and will, with the inquisitiveness of a voyeur, the zeal of a private investigator,
and the sensibility of a historian, examine ways in which class, race ethnicity,
nationality, politics, and gender have influenced the structural growth of these
cities and the experiences of their inhabitants. Students will also get a chance to
read about the various artistic movements in these cities over the last century,
focusing especially on music, theater, and street performances. Students should
emerge from this course with a greater awareness of African urban life and with
a deepened understanding of colonial and postcolonial societies in Africa and
elsewhere in the so-called Third World.
Format: seminar. Evaluation will be based on class attendance and participation,
5 short papers, and a final research paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 19 (Expected: 19). Preference will be given
to first-year students, and then sophomores, who have not previously taken a
100-level seminar. This course is part of the Critical Reasoning and Analytical
Skills initiative.
Group C