22094		1:00-2:15	TR			MOORMAN
A portion of the above section reserved for majors
Above section open to undergraduates only

African marketplaces, streets, taxis and homes abound with the images
and sounds of popular culture.  Music, film, video, sports and dress
are just some of the practices and forms of popular culture prevalent
on the African continent today.  In the past 20 years, but even more
so recently, historians have given more and more attention to popular
cultural practices as a legitimate area of historical study.  The
music people danced to, the soccer games they attended and played in,
and the films they watched can yield valuable historical information
about daily life, politics and even local economies.  In this course
we will study material from various parts of the African continent
and from different historical periods.  We will think about questions
like: can fun be subversive?  What is the relationship between
popular culture and politics?

This is an introductory course with no prerequisites.  The format of
the course includes both lecture and discussion.  We will read books
and articles, view films and listen to music and we will engage them
critically in both conversation and writing.  Course requirements
include a map quiz, 2 short writing assignments and a mid-term and
final.