Ghana

The course consists of practical work combined with formal lectures and seminars. It involves six weeks of field work with a focus on the various methods and techniques ethnographers employ to gather primary data. The course explores ethnographic and other anthropological field survey methods, which involves the collection of oral accounts. Activities include training in data processing, recording, analysis, and interpretation, and in photography and videography.

This course analyzes the success of development strategies in relation to when and where they were used throughout Africa. It studies the factors contributing to why certain development strategies were chosen and under what circumstances, as well as the factors that impacted the success of each of these strategies. It focuses on the main approaches to development including neo-liberal, import substitution industrialization, export- and state-led industrialization, basic needs, ERP/SAPs, HIPC, and African-based strategies from the Lagos Plan to NEPAD.

This is a language course designed to build the communicative competence in oral and written Twi for students who have completed the beginners' course (AFST 001), lived, and immersed themselves in Ghana for a semester. It focuses on the structure of the language as well as the culture of the people. It will improve oral skills, written expression, and listening comprehension. There will be an eight-week classroom lecture (16hrs) and about 28hrs field engagements. Students will witness and participate in; a traditional marriage ceremony, funeral, naming ceremony, going to the market to buy foodstuff and cook, a visit to a chief’s palace. There will be a pre and post-processing of each field engagement.

This course examines selected topics on the music of West and Central Africa. The course includes historical background of music in West and central Africa, interaction of musical traditions in the pre-colonial period, a survey of the musical practices with particular reference to musical forms/styles, instruments and aesthetics and the relationship of music to its culture, as well as contemporary trends in West and Central African Music.