2019-2020: Program of African Studies - Northwestern University

2019-2020

Annual Class Schedule

For a course to count towards the African Studies Minor or Graduate Certificate, 50% of the student’s grade must be based on work (papers, projects, etc.) with African content. The Program of African Studies may require you to submit this work. Students pursuing a major are required to meet annually with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to create course schedules and monitor progress. Check CAESAR for availability and room information.

Course #	Course Title	Fall	Winter	Spring
AFST 390-0-20	Biocultural Perspectives on Water Insecurity (sec. 20, also GBL_HLTH 390-0-22, ANTHRO 390-0-28, ANTHRO 490-0-25)			Young
Biocultural Perspectives on Water Insecurity (sec. 20, also GBL_HLTH 390-0-22, ANTHRO 390-0-28, ANTHRO 490-0-25) The first objective of this course is to introduce students to the many ways that water impacts our world. We will discuss what the international recommendations for safely managed water are and the health and social consequences of water insecurity. The second objective is explore why there is such variety in water insecurity worldwide. These discussions will be guided by the socio-ecological framework, in which dimensions ranging from the individual to the geopolitical are considered. Influences on access to water will be broadly considered; we will draw on literature in global health, ethnography, the life sciences, and public policy. The third objective is to develop critical thinking and writing abilities to reflect on the multi-dimensional causes and consequences of water insecurity and the appropriateness of potential solutions.
AFST 390-0-21	Constitutional Challenges in Comparative Perspective (sec. 21, also LEGAL_ST 356, POLI_SCI 356)			Benarieh Ruffer
Constitutional Challenges in Comparative Perspective (sec. 21, also LEGAL_ST 356, POLI_SCI 356) In this course we will be thinking about how and whether constitutions shape national values and offer a framework for legitimacy and governance to hold together diverse societies and resolve deeply rooted social tensions and ethnic divisions. We will consider the constitutional responses of other democratic countries such as the U.S., Canada, India, France, Germany, Great Britain, South Africa and Australia to the challenges of capital crimes, right to life/abortion, terrorism, racism, gender disparities, religious discrimination. In learning about the varying traditions of written and unwritten constitutions, civil and common law and the foundations and structures of separation of powers and judicial review of the constitutionality of laws in these countries, students will learn to think critically about the U.S. Constitution and the different ways in which constitutional democracies provide for public order, counter-majoritarian governance, equality and protection of the rights of minorities through rule of law and question whether constitutional solutions can address the kinds of social and political problems we have today.
AFST 390-0-22	Contemporary African Worlds (sec. 22, also ANTHRO 255-0-20)			Benton
Contemporary African Worlds (sec. 22, also ANTHRO 255-0-20) From antiquity until today the "West" (itself a troubled concept) imagined many things in Africa. Power, weakness, wealth, poverty, beauty, savagery, knowledge, ignorance, light, darkness. We are all heirs of these incoherent visions; a bequest that appears in widely held and constantly renewed beliefs and assumptions about the "Dark Continent." Visions of Africa today revolve largely around a set of tropes developed in the 19th century - Africa as benighted, undeveloped, female, chaotic, famine-ridden, and incapable of self-governance. However, as with all instances when one position gazes at another, the result is both accurate and inaccurate. In this class we will turn our gaze on contemporary Africa from a cultural anthropological perspective. Using the tools of anthropology we will visit several arenas critical to contemporary African cultures - music & dance, cinema, literature, sport, the body, technology, politics and development, among others. Through these various lenses we will attempt to better understand cultural choices and what we can say about Africa/ns from our perspective. That is, to recognize and value both internal and external views of the continent. Through these arenas and these perspectives we will better know issues of power, gender, hierarchy, spirituality, and economics. Will you arrive at an entirely accurate view of Africa and Africans? Never. The journey, however, will take you closer.
AFST 483-0-20	African Studies Seminar			Denna
African Studies Seminar This course is for graduate students who have attended at least 90% of the sessions throughout the year of the Africa Seminar (AfriSem) through the Program of African Studies. For more information, contact african-studies@northwestern.edu
SWAHILI 111-1-20	Swahili I	Mwangi
SWAHILI 111-1-20 Swahili I This is the first part of a three-quarter sequence of beginning Swahili. The course equips learners with the necessary listening, speaking, reading and writing skills so as to understand basic Swahili. We shall learn about the history of Swahili language, its place in East Africa, and discuss how to interact with Swahili speakers in culturally appropriate ways. Through a combination of lectures, lab sessions and performance of cultural and communicative activities, learners will gain an understanding of basic Swahili grammatical structures and cultural insights of the people of East Africa. No prior knowledge of Swahili is required to enroll in this course.
SWAHILI 111-1-21	Swahili I	Mwangi
SWAHILI 111-1-21 Swahili I This is the first part of a three-quarter sequence of beginning Swahili. The course equips learners with the necessary listening, speaking, reading and writing skills so as to understand basic Swahili. We shall learn about the history of Swahili language, its place in East Africa, and discuss how to interact with Swahili speakers in culturally appropriate ways. Through a combination of lectures, lab sessions and performance of cultural and communicative activities, learners will gain an understanding of basic Swahili grammatical structures and cultural insights of the people of East Africa. No prior knowledge of Swahili is required to enroll in this course.
SWAHILI 111-2-20	Swahili I		Mwangi
SWAHILI 111-2-20 Swahili I This is the second part of a three-quarter sequence of introduction to Swahili language and culture. The course is designed purposely to reinforce the acquisition of basic conversational Swahili through activities that enhance the four communicative skills (speaking, writing, listening and reading) that was started in the previous quarter. Through performance of cultural communicative activities, students will continue to gain an understanding of basic Swahili grammatical structures, and cultural insights about the people of East Africa.
SWAHILI 111-2-21	Swahili I		Mwangi
SWAHILI 111-2-21 Swahili I This is the second part of a three-quarter sequence of introduction to Swahili language and culture. The course is designed purposely to reinforce the acquisition of basic conversational Swahili through activities that enhance the four communicative skills (speaking, writing, listening and reading) that was started in the previous quarter. Through performance of cultural communicative activities, students will continue to gain an understanding of basic Swahili grammatical structures, and cultural insights about the people of East Africa.
SWAHILI 111-3-20	Swahili I			Mwangi
SWAHILI 111-3-20 Swahili I This is the third part of a three-quarter sequence of introduction to Swahili language and culture. The course builds upon the knowledge acquired in the Fall and Winter Sessions to enhance the four areas of language learning: speaking, listening, writing and reading. By the end of the course, learners are expected to demonstrate language competence at Novice High level.
SWAHILI 111-3-21	Swahili I			Mwangi
SWAHILI 111-3-21 Swahili I This is the third part of a three-quarter sequence of introduction to Swahili language and culture. The course builds upon the knowledge acquired in the Fall and Winter Sessions to enhance the four areas of language learning: speaking, listening, writing and reading. By the end of the course, learners are expected to demonstrate language competence at Novice High level.
SWAHILI 121-1-20	Swahili II	Mwangi
SWAHILI 121-1-20 Swahili II This is the first part of a three-quarter sequence of Intermediate Swahili. The course builds on the foundation established in beginning Swahili. It is designed to enhance students' communicative skills and a deeper cultural awareness about Swahili and East Africa. To enroll in the course, a student is required to have satisfactorily completed the three levels of beginning Swahili or the equivalent.
SWAHILI 121-2-20	Swahili II		Mwangi
SWAHILI 121-2-20 Swahili II This is the second part of intermediate Swahili. The course builds on the foundation established in beginning Swahili courses. It is designed to enhance students' communicative skills and a deeper cultural awareness about Swahili and East Africa.
SWAHILI 121-3-20	Swahili II			Mwangi
SWAHILI 121-3-20 Swahili II This is the third part of intermediate Swahili. The course builds on the foundation established in the Fall and Winter sessions. It is designed to expand students' communicative skills and a deeper cultural awareness about Swahili and East Africa. By the end of the course, learners are expected to demonstrate language competence ranging from Intermediate Low to Intermediate Mid levels.