Cultural, historical, and geographical issues of African Studies (AFST_V 250-A_101)
Instructor: Dr. Justice Gbolonyo
TERM 1: Tuesday/Thursdays 2-3:30pm
This course provides an ethnographic and ethnological survey of Sub-Saharan African peoples and culture. It highlights the change and the resistance to change in the period since the age of exploration through the Berlin Conference of 1885, which redrew the map of Africa to serve the needs of European nations, but it also gives an in-depth look at Africa’s geography including its ecology as well as its ‘traditional’ cultures. The effect of the colonial period upon contemporary economic, political, and socio-cultural development within the context of globalization is examined through a variety of literature, film, music, and field notes. The general focus is on relations between humans and the environment, between cultures, and within societies.
Beginners Swahili I (SWAH_V 101-101)
Instructor: TBD
TERM 1: Monday/Wednesday/Fridays 11am-12pm
Skills in listening to and speaking Swahili, a major language of Africa and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Emphasizes everyday vocabulary, core grammar, use in context, and connections between the language and African cultures.
Arts of Africa and the African Diasporas (AFST_V 309-201)
Instructor: Dr. Nuno Porto
TERM 2: Tuesday/Thursdays 11am-12:30pm
Engaging with hands-on research based on the African collections of the UBC Museum of Anthropology, this course takes a comparative and historical approach to the arts of Africa and the African diasporas, exploring distinct formulations of what constitutes art in different parts of Africa and diasporic contexts. The course explores key debates that have framed the histories of African Art – tradition vs. innovation vs. authenticity; ethnic arts vs. national arts; art practices under colonial rule; modern African nations and national arts; international circulation of African arts and artists; markets, ownership, repatriation and reparation – and investigates their contemporary resonances.
Credit will be granted for only one of AFST 309 or ARTH 309. Equivalency: ARTH 309
Modern Africa (AFST_V 313-101)
Instructor: Dr. David Morton
TERM 1: Tuesday/Thursdays 11am-12:30pm
Africa in the 19th and 20th Centuries: Islamic revolutions, the end of the slave trades, colonial conquest, labour struggles, Christianity’s new appeal, PanAfricanism, nationalist resistance, and decolonization. Post-independence challenges of nation-building and economic development. Cultural renaissances and the politics of tradition. Credit will be granted for only one of AFST_V 313 or HIST_V 313. Equivalency: HIST_V 313
Topics on African Studies (AFST_V 350-A_201)
Instructor: Dr. Justice Gbolonyo
TERM 2: Tuesday/Thursdays 3:30-5pm
Topics will vary from year to year.
Literatures and Cultures of Africa and/or the Middle East (AFST_V 370-A_101)
Instructor: Dr. Deena Dinat
TERM 1: Tuesday/Thursdays 9:30-11am
Literary and cultural works from Africa; some sections include Africa and the Middle East. Multiple perspectives on local, national, and global issues including colonialism, migration, transnationalism, education, art and politics. May include fiction, poetry, drama, digital media, and other forms. Consult department website for current year’s offerings. Credit will be granted for only one of AFST 370 or ENGL 370. Prerequisite: For ENGL courses at the 200- or 300- level, prior completion of at least one 100- level ENGL course is recommended. Equivalency: ENGL 370
African Diasporic Culture in African Canadian Communities
Instructor: TBD
TERM 2: Tuesday/Thursdays 9:30-11am
African diasporic culture in Canadian society, fostering dialogue with members of African Canadian communities on cultural values, traditions, memory, adaptation and change.