The course is integrative in the sense that it brings together or develops some of the major intellectual strands that weave together modern democracies and their knowledge base in politics, economics, and social and personal relationships. The approach will be historical and critical. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of Africa. This interdisciplinary course is team taught, and, although it is impossible to give students a comprehensive course on Africa in one semester, it serves as a good introduction to the continent. A theme throughout the semester is replacing the myths that students may have about Africa with reality based information and to introduce students to the complexity and diversity of Africa and its people.
Topics covered include history, politics, economics, geography, geology, art, music, and religion.
This course emphasizes interactive, experiential education by placing curricular concepts in the context of real life situations. Students are empowered to use critical thinking skills as they evaluate and synthesize these concepts through actual problem solving. The course is constructed in a way that students can see connections between service and learning through opportunities to reflect upon, discuss, and write about their experiences. Through this process, students analyze concepts, evaluate experiences, and form opinions. Students will perform service in an agency and meet in seminars to process their experience.