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Questions

Questions. Do all Africans look alike? Are all Africans Black?. Questions. Is Africa a single country? Has Africa remained unchanged for centuries?. Question. Is Africa teeming with wild animals?. Question. Is Africa mysterious, primitive, uncivilized?. Questions.

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Questions

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  1. Questions • Do all Africans look alike? • Are all Africans Black?

  2. Questions • Is Africa a single country? • Has Africa remained unchanged for centuries?

  3. Question • Is Africa teeming with wild animals?

  4. Question • Is Africa mysterious, primitive, uncivilized?

  5. Questions • Does Africa need the help of Westerners?

  6. Questions • Does everyone speak Swahili?

  7. Cultural Superiority • “They don’t have syndrome” • electricity, shoes, clothes like ours, modern farm equipment, Internet • running water, large modern houses, SUVs • What we think we know may stand in the way of how we interpret the data we see.

  8. African Views of the United States and Americans • Everyone is rich: has a car, TV, refrigerators, big houses, lots of clothes & jewelry, etc. • Only concrete and skyscrapers (amazed to find trees)

  9. African Views of the United States and Americans • Cowboys and Indians • Violence: Do you carry a gun to school?

  10. American people only concerned about themselves • They use their resources for themselves • People won’t help you • Little or no hospitality (more hospitality in Africa) • People mind their own business, don’t care about others, • Only care about money

  11. Sometimes Black Americans are seen by Africans as“standoffish”and “proud” • Problems of racism in America • Excluding South Africa now changing, Black Africans are coming from countries where there isn’t such racism

  12. Other things: in Africa, there are formal greetings • Africans who come to the US don’t understand the informal greeting “HI”

  13. Education • Africans think that British and French education is superior to American education. (Think education in the US is too easy) • Africans in the US sometimes perceived as a select rich group (fathers are “chiefs”). • In fact, many are on scholarships

  14. Who can teach about Africa? • Only Africans • Only people who are Black • Only people who have been to Africa • Only people who have lived in Africa • Only people who have studied about Africa • Only people who know something about Africa • Only scholars of Africa • Others________________

  15. Confusions • Because American Blacks are Black, they should know about Africa • We do not expect the French and Germans or the Chinese and Japanese to know or be the same

  16. Confusions • Some may assume that because a person is black, the person knows about Black Studies. • Some may assume that because a person is female, the person knows about Women’s Studies. • etc.

  17. We really want good teachers, who have traveled, lived and studied about Africa and know their subject well. • DISCIPLINES • Anthropology • Geography • Political Science • Economics • Literature • Arts • Linguistics • Production agriculture • etc.

  18. Recommendations from African Scholars for teaching about Africa • 1. Beware of stereotypes and myths • 2. Stress contemporary Africa, but with an historical background

  19. Recommendations from African Scholars for teaching about Africa • 3. Focus on the humans of the continent rather than just physical or economic geography, but teach the geography • 4. Recognize the vast diversity within the continent

  20. Recommendations from African Scholars for teaching about Africa • 5. Mix rural and traditional studies with both urban and modern sectors • 6. Include North Africa, not only Sub-Saharan Africa

  21. Recommendations from African Scholars for teaching about Africa • 7. Stress Southern Africa • 8. Link Africa to other continents in terms of • similar problems • recent events

  22. Words and Language • not the dark continent, actually rather bright • indigenous or traditional, not primitive • houses not huts • rain forest not jungle (India)

  23. Words and Language • Healers, traditional doctors, curers, not witchdoctors • Religious faith not cults • Traditional religion not pagan • Clothing and national dress not costumes

  24. Native • It means someone from a place, but its usage depends on how it is used • “She’s a native of Florida.” • “The natives are restless.”

  25. Tribe • “Tribe” is used to mean ethnic affiliation (Africans of the same culture or language group, use this among themselves to mean ethnic affiliation) • But it is misinterpreted in the West

  26. Tribe • Often used in a derogatory way by outsiders • The Hutu and Tusti tribes are fighting. • The Irish Catholics and Protestant tribes are fighting. • Many Africanists prefer to use “ethnic group” or society

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