Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: AFRICAN CRISIS IN CONTEXT

Department: School of Continuing Studies

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: We know Africa largely as a place of “crisis”…as a place plagued by ethnic warfare, stifled by government corruption, unable to feed itself, and, if not beyond hope, certainly far from “developed”. In this class, we will explore questions at the heart of understanding problems in contemporary Africa: Why is Africa underdeveloped? Are problems like corruption and ethnic warfare somehow part of African cultures? Are famines the product of climatic or human agency? What are the ethics of AIDS vaccine research in Africa? This class explores the historical, cultural and economic contexts of some of the most pressing issues facing the continent in order to better understand causes and consequences of thinking about Africa as a place of crisis. Department Permission Required.