ENGL 308 - Modernity in West Africa

Credit(s): 4
Lecture: 3
Non-Lecture: 2
Crosslisted with: FREN 312.
This four-week summer course takes place in the port city of Dakar in Senegal, one of the more successful postcolonial democratic transitions in Africa. The course is intended to enhance students’ understanding of history, ideas, and critical issues pertaining to modern west African societies in general, and to Senegal in particular as is expressed through multiple languages, literature, politics, customs, and religion. These components are fundamental in getting to know and appreciate contemporary west African cultures from the inside. The main aspects of past and modern lives (institutions, society, way of life) of Senegal in particular, and of other West African nations, will be studied through lectures in class, notes from field visits, literary texts, excursions, interview discussions, intensive use in class of authentic documents (local newspaper articles and magazines) and homestay experience. Offered in the summer as part of the Senegal program.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 203.