1 / 20

INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN STUDIES UHAS 112: Ghanaian and African Studies

INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN STUDIES UHAS 112: Ghanaian and African Studies. Kofi Dorvlo Senior Research Fellow Language Documentation October 2013. COURSE OBJECTIVES. The aim of the course is to: 1. help students appreciate contemporary value of African Studies as an area of enquiry

sveta
Download Presentation

INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN STUDIES UHAS 112: Ghanaian and African Studies

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. INTRODUCTION TOAFRICAN STUDIESUHAS 112: Ghanaian and African Studies Kofi Dorvlo Senior Research Fellow Language Documentation October 2013

  2. COURSE OBJECTIVES • The aim of the course is to: 1. help students appreciate contemporary value of African Studies as an area of enquiry 2. help students engage with discourses on African realities. 3. encourage students to appreciate the African Identity. 4. help students develop a sense of self determination in the global world.

  3. Who is an African? • How is an African identity constructed in the face of the mosaic of identities that peoples of African ancestry living within and beyond the continent bear? • Do people who are categorized as Africans perceive themselves as Africans?

  4. Map of AfricaAfrica is not a country but a continent. (54 countries)

  5. Who is an African? • Multilayered definition: • 1. Legal- Citizenship, parentage, naturalization • 2. Philosophical – shared value system and world views, eg. belief in ancestors. • 3. Cultural – a. tangible buildings, monuments, artifacts b. intangible skills, highly developed systems • 4. Why go beyond borders? The concept of African Diaspora.

  6. Misrepresenting Africa • Africa has no history • Africans have no civilization • Africa is a dark continent (Heart of Darkness) • Africans have inferior minds

  7. Africa - the continent in crisis • Crisis of overpopulation in Africa • Poverty, drought overutilization of scarce resources • Corruption, ethnic tensions • Civil wars that require external interventions to halt • Africans states are not competent to solve problems that they have created

  8. GOVERNANCE The process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented Access to basic goods and services for the poor. Good governance / Bad governance Formal government structures? (elected ?) Informal crime syndicates? ( self appointed) Multi-party democracy Military dictatorship Military coup d’etat

  9. BAD GOVERNANCE –IDDI AMINruthless military leader and dictator

  10. BAD GOVERNANCE –CHILD SOLDIERShacked off the limbs of civilians

  11. BAD GOVERNANCE - SANI ABACHAMilitary ruler and dictator whose regime is noted for human rights abuses

  12. BAD GOVERNANCE –JANJAWEED MILITIAThis militia was supported by the Sudanese government to carry out genocide in Dafur

  13. BAD GOVERNANCE – CHARLES TAYLORLiberian President and Warlord who supported rebels. Civilians were killed and others had their limbs hacked. He was jailed 50 years by the International Criminal Court. Taylor serves his sentence in the UK.

  14. BAD GOVERNANCE – BOKASSAHead of state of Central African Republic. Violent dictator who supported the killing of 100 school children. He was a self-crowned emperor, accused of cannibalism.

  15. NEGATIVE CULTURAL PRACTICES? • Ritual killings • Female genital mutilation • Abusive widowhood rites • Libation • Child marriage • Child labour • Bride wealth • Witchcraft

  16. GOOD REPRESENTATIONS OF AFRICAWhat do these symbolize?

  17. GOOD REPRESENTATIONS OF AFRICA • AGRICULTURE • Coffee - originates from Africa • Arabica – originates from Ethiopia • Robusta – originates from Congo • Liberica – originates from Liberia • Cocoa – A South American tree crop successfully cultivated in West Africa. • Where does most of the wealth in the creation of these commodities go? • Primary producers • Raw materials to feed industries outside Africa

  18. Positive Representation of Africa

  19. Positive Representation of AfricaAfrican writers /Scholars

  20. Ethiopian Airlines – A successful commercial venture • Since the 1980s many international airlines have gone bankrupt including many national airlines – Ghana Airways inclusive. • However, Ethiopian Airlines is one African carrier that has continued to expand and continues to make profit. • It was founded in 1945 by Haile Selassie. • It has developed a second regional hub in West Africa in Lome • Africa and people of African descent should be proud of this success story.

More Related