Course Objectives

The course will provide insight into social science approaches to culture and society in East Africa, in addition to relevant methods.

Course Description

The course will give a basic introduction to the historical and economic development of Africa. It will also provide knowledge about the societies and cultures of East Africa today, with emphasis on the Swahili culture. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how values, interpretations of reality and attitudes influence all aspects of social life and work relationships in a culture. The course deals with fundamental East-African cultural and social factors such as gender, religion, economy and history, and how these factors are relevant to project work in other parts of Africa

During the course, the students will carry out a small field project on Zanzibar.

READING LIST

Books

Dahl, Øyvind (2001) Møter mellom mennesker. Interkulturell kommunikasjon. Gyldendal Akademisk, Oslo. ISBN 9788200453680

Simensen, Jarle (2004), Afrikas Historie. Cappelen, Oslo. ISBN 9788202234980

Kompendium

Amin, S. (2001): Afrikas politiske økonomi i det globale systemet” i Fellesrådets Afrikaårbok : Afrikanere om Afrika. Oslo: Fellesrådet for Afrika/Solidaritet Forlag (8 sider)

Barth, F. (2006): ”Sosialantropologi som fag, som opplevelse, som opplevelsessport” i Vi mennesker. Fra en antropologs reiser, Gyldendal Oslo.

Cameron, G. (2005): ”Political violence, ethnicity and the agrarian question in Zanzibar” i Caplan, P. (ed): Swahili Modernities. Africa Research & Publications, 2005.

Caplan, P. (2005): ”Introduction” i Caplan, P. (ed): Swahili Modernities. Africa Research & Publications, 2005.

Eriksen, T. H. (1998) kap. 2: ”Forskningsprosessen: Hvorfor tror vi at vi vet noe” i Små Steder. Store spørsmål, Universitetsforlaget, Oslo.

Larsen, K. (2005): ”Change, Continuity and contestation: The politics of modern identities in Zanzibar” i Caplan, P. (ed): Swahili Modernities. Africa Research & Publications, 2005.

Larsen, K. (2000): ”Kosmologi og rituelt liv” i Sivert Nilsen og Smedal (red): Mellom himmel og jord: Tradisjoner, teorier og tendenser i sosialantropologien”, Fagbokfori

Middelton, J.L. (1992): kap 1. ” The Swahili Pepole and their Coast” og kap. 3 ”Towns” i The World of the Swahili. “An african Mercantile Civilization, Yale University Press, New Haven and London (27 sider)

Nilsen, F. S. (1996): ”Ankomst og Avreise” i Nærmere kommer du ikke... Fagbokforlaget, Oslo

Repstad, P. (2007) kap. Mellom nærhet og distanse. Kvalitative metoder i samfunnsfag, Universitetsforlaget

Simensen, J. K og Talle, A (2001) ”Øst-Afrika og det sørlige Sentral-Afrika” i Fjern og Nær. Sosialantropologiske perspektiver på verdens samfunn og kulturer, Gyldendal Akademisk, Oslo.

Thomson, A. (2004) Kap. 1 i An introduction to African Politics, Routledge

Walley, J. W. (2005): ”Modernity and the meaning of development within the Mafia Island marine park, Tanzania” i Caplan, P. (ed): Swahili Modernities. Africa Research & Publications

Wangari Maathai (2001): ”Flaskehalsar for utviklinga i Afrika” i Afrikanere om Afrika. Fellesrådet for Afrikas årbok

Learning Methods

The course includes lectures, fieldwork and seminars. The instruction will include an introduction to African history, development and today’s society and culture in Eastern Africa. Halfway through the course, the students will execute a mini-field project and submit a field report of 2000-2800 words. They will receive appropriate method instructions prior to the fieldwork, and guidance during and following the actual field project.

The students will be expected to have a high attendance rate, show personal initiative, and to take an active part in the teaching.

Assessment Methods

The mini-field work, active participation in the seminars and the lectures are all obligatory. After completing the fieldwork, the student must submit a final field report to the course teacher for assessment and receive passing marks before being permitted to take the final examination.

The field report counts for 40% of the final grade. The 4-hour final examination counts for 60% of the final grade. The course will be graded from A to F, where E is the lowest passing grade.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean