Lecture 1: Culture and Development - African Studies PDF

Lecture 1 Culture and Development UGRC 229 INTRODUCTION to AFRICAN STUDIES AK Awedoba 2016  Course Facilitators Prof. Albert K. Awedoba (DPhil) The Teaching Assistant You, the UGRC 229 class AK Awedob...

Lecture 1 Culture and Development UGRC 229 INTRODUCTION to AFRICAN STUDIES AK Awedoba 2016  Course Facilitators Prof. Albert K. Awedoba (DPhil) The Teaching Assistant You, the UGRC 229 class AK Awedoba, July 2016  Website E-resources: papers, notes, etc posted on UGRC 229 website in Sakai LMS (on the UG website). Under Quick Links. POWERPOINT Presentations to enhance learning & teaching. These too will be made available eventually, but not immediately after lecture. We are therefore encouraged to share knowledge. Note taking is advised, but listening and understanding are more important. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 3  Description of Lecture 1 and 2 The aims: 1. Generate interest in African Studies. 2. Provide background information on Africa and perspectives on its histories, peoples and cultures. 3. Serve as spring board from which the topics and subjects for subsequent lectures on Culture and Development will be launched. AK Awedoba , 2016  Course Objectives: I Enable students appreciate the contemporary value of African Studies as an area of enquiry. Assist students engage with discourses on African realities. Encourage students to appreciate African Identities. Help students develop a sense of Self Determination in the global world. AK Awedoba July, 2016  Course Objectives II - Make students aware of the negative stereotypes about Africa and encourage them to challenge these stereotypes. - Develop appropriate methodologies / frameworks for examining Africa and its past through multi- disciplinary approaches. - Highlight some of Africa’s contributions to world civilizations and knowledge generation. - Enhance students’ knowledge in specific areas of African Humanities and the Social Sciences  Course Requirements Assessments – Interim assessment (30%) – Final exam (70%) Course activities may include some/all of ff: – Formal instruction – Group discussions – Class presentations – Tutorials – Essays/written assignments. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 7  Week 1: General Intro The Value of African Studies in Today’s World Learning objectives At end of Lecture 1, students should be able to: Understand the distinctive nature of Africa – Explain various (mis)representations of Africa – Appreciate significant African contributions to world civilization. – Appreciate the African Identity AK Awedoba 2016 WHO IS AN AFRICAN? 9  Who is an African? How are African identities constructed in the face of the mosaic of identities that peoples of African ancestry living within and beyond the continent bear? To what extent do all categorized as Africans or as having an African pedigree perceive themselves as Africans? To what degree are all who perceive themselves as Africans accepted as such? 10  More Questions Are there levels of “Africanness”, and are some more African than others? How do African identities interface with other identities and citizenships in Africa? And what are the implications of the contentious nature of African identities and citizenship for the projects of pan- Africanism, the making of Africa-nations, and Africa’s development trajectories? © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 11  Are these men Africans? Barack Hussein Obama 44th Dr. Guy Scott – Vice President & later President of the United States Acting President of Zambia 12  Defining Africanness Multilayered-ness Legal - e.g. citizenship, parentage, naturalization Conceptual - Philosophical: shared value systems & world views for example, “ubuntu” – I am because we are; Belief in the ancestors Cultural: - tangibles (buildings, monuments, artifacts); -intangibles (skills; highly developed oral traditions; knowledge systems, etc.) - Is geography alone enough? © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 13  Concept of the African Diaspora What do you know about the concept of the African Diaspora? © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 14  Defining Africa Race? - range of racial types on the continent – South Africa describes itself as the rainbow nation People of African descent? Large concentrations in Northern & Southern America, the Caribbean. Also found in India, the Middle East, etc. Politics? - citizenship in one of the 53 countries of the AU – see the constitutive act; long term residence in an African country? Geography? - Countries on the African Continent/Map Africa is not a country, but a continent. Allegiance? - Dedication to African heritage & aspirations AK Awedoba July, 2016  EXERCISE 1 Blank Map Activity Identify the following countries on the blank map of Africa provided: a. Sao Tome and Principe h. Cape Verde b. South Sudan i. Tanzania c. Malawi j. Kenya d. Botswana k. Mali e. Burundi l. Senegal f. Western Sahara m. Ethiopia g. Eritrea n. Gabon © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 16 A blank map of Africa © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2013 17 © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2013 18 How many countries in the AU? The African Union (AU) is a union of 54 countries in Africa. The only African state that is not a member is Morocco. The AU was established on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa and launched on 9 July 2002 in South Africa, with the aim of replacing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 19  MISREPRESENTING AFRICA What they used to say & some still say about Africa. Continent without history? A people with no civilization? (savages, barbarians, primitives) Africa is the ‘Dark’ continent? Africans have inferior minds? © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 20  Africa the continent of crisis? Two types of narratives about Africa Except Africa Narrative & the Doomsday Narrative Except Africa Development works everywhere in the world but not in Africa. Therefore Africa has to change rather than that development policies should be tailored to better meet the needs of Africa. [Point: Africa must change to fit development paradigms] © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 21  Doomsday narratives There is a crisis of overpopulation in Africa, poverty, drought, over utilisation of scarce resources, environmental crisis, corruption, ethnic tensions, civil wars all of which are resulting in a terrible crisis that requires external interventions to halt. The solution has to come from outside since African states are not competent to solve problems they [themselves] have created. EBOLA continent?; annual epidemics of cholera? © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 22  BAD GOVERNANCE? Nelson Mandela Silvio Berlusconi Iddi Amin Hugo Raphael Chavez © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2013 Slobodan Milosevic Kwame Nkrumah23  Who they Were Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías was a Venezuelan politician and the President of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013. Silvio Berlusconi, one of Italy's longest serving post-war prime ministers, and one the country's richest men. He ran out of luck when he was convicted of tax... He was eventually convicted and sent to jail. 24  CONFLICTS Child soldiers Africa Bosnia © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2013 25 Foreign Mercenaries  Representing Africa: Dwaninmen (Ram’s Horn) Adinkra symbol of the Akans What are the GOOD representations of Africa? Humility, Strength, Wisdom © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 26 and Learning Fact is: Contemporary Africa has contributed positively to global knowledge product- ion and civilization in many areas including the ff:  Agriculture  Academia  International Trade and Commerce  Even in science and technology © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 27  Coffee: An African Tree Crop Coffee originated wholly in Africa. There are three types of coffee –Arabica (originated in Ethiopia) –Robusta (originated in Congo) –Liberica (originated in Liberia). The highest quality of coffee is Arabica. Why Arabica, when it originated in Ethiopia? © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2015 28  The Coffee story: Global Commodity Coffee was introduced into Dutch colonies in Java in the 1690s. In 1720s coffee was carried by the French and Dutch into botanical gardens in the Americas, Dutch Guinea (Surinam), Haiti and Santa Domingo. Robusta and Liberica species were also carried into South America. By the nineteenth century Yemeni and Ethiopian production in international trade in coffee had become insignificant. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 29  Coffee: A Global Commodity In recent years coffee production has rapidly expanded in Africa with Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya becoming significant producers of Arabica and Côte d’Ivoire of Robusta (mainly used in producing Nescafe). Paradox: While producers get a small percentage of the total price if the coffee value changes, in recent years the government of Ethiopia has successfully got different varieties in Ethiopia internationally recognised for their heritage and gained a premium price paid for these varieties in European markets. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 30  Cocoa: A South American crop successfully cultivated in West Africa Cocoa is largely produced in West Africa - over 80% of global production originating from West Africa (the two dominant producers are Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana producing around 70% of global supplies). Cocoa is a South American crop originally introduced into Sao Tomé and Principe off the coast of Cameroon, from where it was subsequently smuggled into the Gold Coast by Tetteh Quarshie. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 31  The story of COCOA cont. By 1820s Gold Coast emerged as most important producer contributing 70-80% of Global supplies. Largely produced by rural farmers for export rather than for domestic consumption, it exem- plifies of successful agrarian capitalism in Africa (Polly Hill). During the 1970s Côte d’Ivoire overtook Ghana as major producer. Competition also came from Brazil and Malaysia, however as international production became increasingly competitive the West African producers were able to out compete © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 32  Coffee and cocoa Examine the differences and similarities of the coffee and cocoa stories. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 33  Positive Representation Africa Wole Soyinka: Nigerian poet, playwright, and novelist. He has written many plays, poems using the mythology of the Yoruba. He addresses social and political issues in Nigeria and Africa In 1967, he was jailed for 22 months for secretly meeting with Ojukwu of Biafra to try and prevent civil war. In 1986 he won the Nobel prize for Literature, the first African to win the prize for new literatures. In 1994, he had to flee into exile to escape Wole Soyinka imprisonment by Abacha. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 34  Positive Representation of Africa: Inventors Inventors Nationality Inventions/Projects Prof. Souleymane Senegal HIV-2 Virus Mboup (discover) Dr. Oviemo Ovadje Nigeria Blood Auto- transfusion Samuel Todo Togo Humanoid Robot Jean-Patrice Keka Democratic Space Rockets Republic of Congo Prof. Francis K.A. Ghana The Allotey Allotey Principle Victor and Johnson Nigeria Armoured Vehicle  African Positives INVENTOR NATIONALITY INVENTION/ PROJECT Simon Mwaura Kenya Multipurpose Mobile Remote control Prof. Nii Narku Ghana One of the Pioneers of Quaynor designing and developing the internet Abdoulaye Toure Senegal Solar Oven Philippe Yoda Burkina Faso Plastic Recycling Phillip Emeagwali Nigeria Connection Machine Supercomputer  Prof. Monty Jones: Renowned African Scientist Prof. Monty Jones- renowned plant breeder from Sierra Leone; he won the 2004 World Food prize for leading a team at the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) which successfully crossed West African rice (Oryza glaberima) with Asian rice (Oryza sativa) creating the Nerica varieties (New Rice for Africa), a rare and successful hybridisation of rice. His approach is recognised to be innovative in its use of participatory methods linking farmers, extension agents and scientists © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 37  Ethiopian Airlines: A Successful Commercial Venture It was established by the Ethiopian government in 1945. It has survived the many crises that have plagued the airline industry since its establishment and has grown to become one of the major airlines in the world flying a wide range of routes the world over. “With its ten modern 787s and its confident global ambitions, Ethiopian Airlines has not just Africa, but the whole world, in its hands.” The Economist 3rd September 2012 © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 38  Finally: What is African Studies A formally organized multi-disciplinary academic study of the continent of Africa and the African diaspora. The study of African Studies is three-dimensional: i) research/knowledge production; ii)dissemination of knowledge and teaching; iii) the application of knowledge/transformation of knowledge into policies and social action. Source: Gordon J.U (2013). Inaugural lecture, Kwame Chair, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 39  Accessing sources on Africa (1) Documentary & Non-documentary Archaeology – Provides information about how humans adapted to their environment – Archaeological information is obtained through the excavation of specially selected sites, e.g. Ife Bronze works, Zimbabwe ruins, Pharaonic pyramids. 40  Accessing sources on Africa (2) Linguistics Study of origins, use, structure, and changes of a language. A comparative study of languages can provide valuable historical information. E.g. a study of Bantu and W/African languages provide evidence of a common ancestor. Languages that are closely related share features. e.g. Ga & Dangme or Waale & Dagaare deemed to have sprung from a parent language. 41  Shared Linguistic Origins Evidence that languages are related genetically comes from shared words (cognates), sounds, grammar etc. Examples: Eat = di. dzi, etc; child/little bi/bu/vi, etc. Drink = num, nyo, nyu, etc. meat = nam, nom, nimre ‘Camel=yoma (Twi); nyoromã (Mande), nyogma (Dagaare) Examine different Gh. Langs. for: kill, die, dance, go/come. © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2013 42  Accessing sources on Africa (3) Oral traditions –folklore (traditional knowledge and beliefs) of cultures without no written language. –Transmitted by word of mouth and consists, as does written literature, of both prose and verse (narratives, poems and songs, myths, dramas, proverbs). – Often transmitted by specialists/experts. – Can provide valuable facts and profound perspectives on life, e.g. court historians. – Nearly all known peoples, now or in the past, have produced it. 43  Accessing sources on Africa (4) New Media: new media offer information in multiple ways and provide a wide variety of sources Written sources: Primary sources official reports, files, court documents, financial papers, newspapers, old family papers or official files. Secondary sources Books (of analytical & scholarly articles) Tertiary sources: encyclopaedia, bibliography Institutional sources: museums , archives and libraries © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 44  Summary In this lecture we have: Been given an overview of Introduction to African Studies  Examined the distinct nature of Africa and its people.  Identified some misrepresentations and negative stereotypes about Africa.  Enumerated some significant contributions by Africans that (may) have been excluded in the dominant narrative about world civilisation.  Identified several sources of data and information on Africa. 45  References Adibe, Jideofor (ed.). (2009). Who is an African? Identity, Citizenship and the Making of the Africa- Nation. London: Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd. Roe, Emery. (1995). “Except –Africa: Postscript to a Special Section on Development Narratives” in World Development Vol. 23 No 6 (pp. 1065-1069) Sekyi H.V.H. 1994 Colour Prejudice Past Present and Future. New York, Vantage Press © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 46  References http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world %20hunger%20facts%202002.html http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty- facts-and-stats http://www.kumatoo.com/african_inventors.html http://www.black inventor.com The Economist 3rd September 2012 http://www.economist.com/blogs/gull iver/2012/09/ethiopian-airlines © IAS, University of Ghana, Legon, 2014 47