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African Studies

Council on African Studies
Yale Center for International and Area Studies (YCIAS)
142 Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse, 432.3436
www.yale.edu/ycias/african

M.A.
Graduate Certificate of Concentration in African Studies

Chair
Robert Harms (History)

Director of Graduate Studies
Ann Biersteker (Linguistics) (432.9902, ann.biersteker@yale.edu)

Director of Program in African Languages
Sandra Sanneh (432.1179, sandra.sanneh@yale.edu)

Professors
Lea Brilmayer (Law School), Owen Fiss (Law School), William Foltz (Political Science), Robert Harms (History), Andrew Hill (Anthropology), Christopher L. Miller (French; African American Studies), Curtis Patton (Epidemiology), Lamin Sanneh (History; Divinity School), Ian Shapiro (Political Science), Robert Thompson (History of Art), Christopher Udry (Economics)

Associate Professors
Ann Biersteker (Adjunct; Linguistics), Kamari Clarke (Anthropology), David Watts (Anthropology), Eric Worby (Anthropology)

Assistant Professors
David Graeber (Anthropology), Lawrence King (Sociology), Michael Mahoney (History), Michael Veal (Music)

Senior Lectors
Sandra Sanneh (African Languages), Kiarie Wa'Njogu (African Languages)

Lector
Ore Yusuf (African Languages)

Lecturers
Kana Dower (African Studies), Anne-Marie Foltz (Epidemiology & Public Health), Peter Marris (Sociology), Gerald Thomas (African American Studies; History)

Fields of Study
African Studies considers the arts, history, cultures, languages, literatures, politics, religions, and societies of Africa as well as issues concerning development, health, and the environment. Considerable flexibility and choice of areas of concentration are offered because students entering the program may have differing academic backgrounds and career plans. Enrollment in the M.A. program in African Studies provides students with the opportunity to register for the many African studies courses offered in the various departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the professional schools.

The Program in African Studies also offers two interdisciplinary seminars to create dialogue and to integrate approaches across disciplines. In addition to the M.A. degree program, the Council on African Studies offers students in the University's doctoral and other professional degree programs the chance to obtain a Graduate Certificate of Concentration in African Studies by fulfilling a supplementary curriculum. Joint degrees are possible with the approval of the M.A. in African Studies and the relevant officials in the Schools of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Epidemiology and Public Health, Law, and Management.

The African collections of the Yale libraries together represent one of the largest holdings on Africa found in North America. The University now possesses over 220,000 volumes including, but not limited to, government documents, art catalogues, photographs, manuscripts, correspondence, and theses, many published in Africa.

Special Admissions Requirement
The GRE General Test is required.

Special Requirements for the M.A. Degree
The Yale University Master of Arts degree program in African Studies was instituted in 1986. The two-year interdisciplinary, graduate-level curriculum is intended for students who will later continue in a Ph.D. program or a professional school, or for those who will enter business, government service, or another career in which a sound knowledge of Africa is essential or valuable. A student may choose one of the following areas of concentration: history; anthropology; political science; economics; sociology; arts and literatures; languages and linguistics; religion; environmental and developmental studies.

The program requires sixteen courses: two compulsory introductory interdisciplinary seminars, Research Methods in African Studies (AFST 501a) and Africa and the Disciplines (AFST 764b), four courses of instruction in an African language, four courses in one of the above areas of concentration, four other approved courses offered in the Graduate School or professional schools, and two terms of directed reading and research (AFST 900a or b) during which students will complete the required thesis. A student who is able to demonstrate advanced proficiency in an African language may have the language requirement waived and substitute four other approved courses. The choice of courses must be approved by the director of graduate studies, Ann Biersteker, and students should consult with her as soon as possible in the first term.

The Master's Thesis
The master's thesis is based upon research on a topic approved by the director of graduate studies and advised by a faculty member with expertise or specialized competence in the chosen topic.

Special Requirements for the Graduate Certificate of Concentration in African Studies
The Certificate in African Studies enables graduate and professional school students in fields other than African Studies to demonstrate interdisciplinary area expertise, language proficiency, and research competence in African Studies. The certificate program is intended to complement existing fields of studies in other M.A. and Ph.D. programs and to provide the equivalent of such specialization for students in departments and schools without Africa-related fields of study. The certificate program is designed to be completed within the time span of a normal Ph.D. residence. Professional school students and M.A. students in the Graduate School may require an additional term of registration to complete the certificate requirements depending on the requirements of specific programs.

The certificate program includes interdisciplinary course work, language study, and research components. The specific requirements are:

  1. Successful completion of at least six courses in African Studies from at least two departments or schools, one of which is a core course in African Studies (AFST 764b, Africa and the Disciplines, or AFST 501a, Research Methods in African Studies).
  2. Demonstration of proficiency in an African language.
  3. Evidence of research expertise in African Studies. Research expertise may be demonstrated by completion of a thesis, dissertation prospectus, or dissertation or by completion of a substantive research seminar paper or the equivalent as approved by the faculty adviser.

The certificate courses and research work should be planned to demonstrate clearly fulfillment of the goals of the certificate. Certificate candidates should design their course schedules in consultation with the director of graduate studies for African Studies. Ideally, students should declare their intention to complete the certificate requirements early in their program at Yale. Graduate and professional school students who intend to complete the certificate program must declare their intention to do so no later than their penultimate term of enrollment. For general guidelines, see the YCIAS section (under Research Institutes) in this bulletin.

Program materials are available upon request from the Director of Graduate Studies, Council on African Studies, Yale University, PO Box 208206, New Haven CT 06520-8206; e-mail, african.studies@yale.edu.

Courses

AFST 501a, Research Methods in African Studies.  Ann Biersteker.
W 1.30–3.20
This course considers disciplinary and interdisciplinary research methodologies in African studies. The focus of the course is on field methods and archival research in the social sciences and humanities. Topics include use of African studies and disciplinary sources (including bibliographical databases and African studies archives), research design, interviewing, survey methods, analysis of sources, and the development of databases and research collections.

AFST 541bu, Comparative Perspectives on African Literatures.  Ann Biersteker.
Th 1.30–3.20
Introduction to a wide range of topics in African literature through an examination of English translations of works composed both in African and in European languages. Readings include poetry, novels, plays, essays, nonliterary texts, and autobiographies. Consideration of the symbiotic relationship between printed text and oral performance, between composition and transmission.

AFST 598u, Introduction to an African Language.  Sandra Sanneh and staff.
5 HTBA
Beginning instruction in an African language other than those regularly offered. Courses offered depend on availability of instructors. Methodology and materials vary with the language studied. Individualized or small-group instruction. Students may also study an African language through the noncredit Directed Independent Language Study program at the Center for Language Study.

AFST 600u, Elementary Kiswahili.  Kiarie Wa'Njogu.
MTWThF 9.30–10.20
Beginning course with intensive training and practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Initial emphasis is on the spoken language and conversation. During the second term, students study texts that provide an introduction to basic structure of Kiswahili and the culture of the speakers of the language.

AFST 601u, Intermediate Kiswahili.  Kiarie Wa'Njogu.
MTWThF 11.30–12.20
Further development of the student's speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Prepares the student for further work in literary, language, and cultural studies as well as for a functional use of Kiswahili. Study of structure and vocabulary is based on a variety of texts from traditional and popular culture. Emphasis on command of idiomatic usage and stylistic nuance. After AFST 600.

AFST 603u, Advanced Kiswahili.  Kiarie Wa'Njogu.
TTh 2.30–3.45
Development in fluency through readings and discussions on contemporary issues in Kiswahili. Introduction to literary criticism in Kiswahili. Materials include Kiswahili oral literature, prose, poetry, and plays, as well as texts drawn from popular and political culture. After AFST 601.

AFST 610u, Elementary Yoruba.  Ore Yusuf.
MTWThF 10.30–11.20
Training and practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Initial emphasis is on the spoken aspect, with special attention to the unfamiliar consonantal sounds, nasal vowels, and tone, using isolated phrases, set conversational pieces, and simple dialogues. In the second term, more emphasis is placed on simple cultural texts and role playing.

AFST 611u, Intermediate Yoruba.  Ore Yusuf.
MTWThF 12.30–1.20
Refinement of the student's speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. More natural texts are provided to prepare the student for work in literary, language, and cultural studies as well as for a functional use of Yoruba. The student is exposed to more idiomatic use of the language in a variety of interactions, including occupational, social, religious, and educational. Cultural documents include literary and nonliterary texts. After AFST 610.

AFST 612u, Advanced Yoruba.  Ore Yusuf.
3 HTBA
An advanced course intended to improve the student's aural and reading comprehension as well as speaking and writing skills. Emphasis is on acquiring a command of idiomatic usage and stylistic nuance. Study materials include literary and nonliterary texts; social, political, and popular entertainment media like film videos and recorded poems (ewì); and music. Extensive reading and writing skills are especially nurtured. After AFST 611.

AFST 614u, Elementary Zulu.  Sandra Sanneh.
MW 11.30–12.20, TTh 11.30–12.45
A beginner's course in conversational Zulu using Web-based materials filmed in South Africa. The fall term emphasizes the sounds of the language, including clicks and tonal variation, and the words and structures needed for initial social interaction. The spring term develops communication skills through dialogues and role-play, and reading skills with texts drawn from traditional and popular literature and songs.

AFST 615u, Intermediate Zulu.  Sandra Sanneh.
MTWTh 9.30–10.20, 1 HTBA
Development of basic fluency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing Zulu, using Web-based materials filmed in South Africa. Readings, viewings, and role-play situations are drawn from contemporary popular culture, folklore, and mass media. Grammar is reviewed as necessary. The course prepares students for initial research involving interaction with Zulu speakers in South Africa, and for the study of oral and literary genres. After AFST 614.

AFST 616u, Advanced Zulu.  Sandra Sanneh.
3 HTBA
Development of fluency in idiom, abstraction, and voicing preferences, and opinions in Zulu, using excerpts from oral genres, short stories, and dramas made for television. Introduction to the language map of southern Africa; study of changes in language use in South Africa since 1996; introduction to code-switching in the dialect of Zulu spoken in Soweto. Preparation for extended research in South Africa involving interviews with Zulu speakers. After AFST 615.

AFST 620, Second Year in an African Language.
By arrangement with faculty.

AFST 621, Third Year in an African Language.
By arrangement with faculty.

AFST 623, Fourth Year in an African Language.
By arrangement with faculty.

AFST 695a, Transnationalism, Modernity, and Diaspora.  Kamari Clarke.
W 3.30–5.20
As anthropologists continue to grapple with changing notions of “the field” from local to global, this course covers recent and emerging scholarship that explores theoretical problems of modernity, transnationalism, and diaspora in specific historical and ethnographic contexts. Drawing on a range of ideas from world systems theories of globalization to notions of the invention of diasporas, to postmodern ideas of social constructions, the emphasis is on the interrelations between local and global cultural processes. These processes disrupt the once homogenizing tendencies of ethnography and instead push us to examine different criteria for analyzing and constructing communities. Also AFAM 573a, ANTH 595a.

AFST 739b, The French Atlantic Triangle: Literature and Culture of the Slave Trade.  Christopher L. Miller.
Th 10:30–12:20
An analysis of the Atlantic world that was created by the slave trade, in its French version, as seen through history, philosophy, and literature from the eighteenth through the twentieth century. Readings from Voltaire, the journal of a slave-trading sailor, Rousseau, Madame de Duras, Baron Roger, Mérimée, Sue, Césaire, Sembene, T. Mandeleau. Taught in English. Also AFAM 854b, CPLT 723b, FREN 939b.

AFST 746a, Postcolonial Theory and Its Literature.  Christopher L. Miller.
Th 10:30–12:20
A survey of theories relevant to colonial and postcolonial literature and culture. The course focuses on theoretical models (Orientalism, hybridity, métissage, créolité, “minor literature”), but also gives attention to the literary texts from which they are derived (francophone and Anglophone). Readings from Said, Bhabha, Spivak, Mbembe, Amselle, Glissant, Deleuze, Guattari. Taught in English. Also AFAM 846a, CPLT 725au, FREN 946au.

AFST 759a, Issues in the Analysis of African Politics.  William Foltz.
M 1.30–3.20
Subjects to be discussed include the influence of pre-colonial systems and colonial rule on contemporary politics; states and statelessness; the politics of economic performance; communal conflict; attempts at regional and sub-regional unity. Also PLSC 759a.

AFST 764bu, Africa and the Disciplines.  William Foltz.
W 1.30–3.20
An exploration of how the different academic disciplines reconceptualize the study of Africa and the ways in which the disciplines draw on each others' techniques and results in the process. Also PLSC 784bu.

AFST 778bu, From West Africa to the Black Americas.  Robert Thompson.
TTh 11.30–12.45
Art, music, and dance in the history of key classical civilizations south of the Sahara—Mali, Asante, Dahomey, Yoruba, Ejagham, Kongon—and their impact on the rise of New World art and music. Also AFAM 728bu, HSAR 778bu.

AFST 781a, Problem and Theory in Afro-Atlantic Architecture I: Africa.  Robert Thompson.
Th 3.30–5.20
The seminar addresses a new frontier—rebuilding the inner cities. This refers to Latino and mainland black cities within the cities of America. Accordingly, the course focuses on major roots of Latino and black traditional architecture—Ituri Forest and Namibian spatial solutions, Berber casbah architecture and its interactions with the Jews on Djerba isle and in Morocco, the concept of the Muslim assatayah creolized into the Iberia azotea and the spread of this terrace-roof style throughout Latin America. Topics include the architecture of Djenne, Berber art and architecture, Mauritanian sites, the monumental stone architecture of Zimbabwe, the sacred architecture of Ethiopia, and Muslim-influenced architecture from Rabat to Zanzibar. Then comes a case-by-case examination of some of the sites of African influence on the architecture of the Americas—the Puerto Rican casita; the southern verandah; the round-houses of New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Mexico, Panama, and Colombia; Ganvie, the Venice of West Africa, and its mirror image among the tidal stilt architectures of blacks of the Choco area in Pacific Colombia. The seminar ends with the shrine architecture of New World adherents of the classical religions of Dahomey. Also AFAM 739a, HSAR 781a.

AFST 781b, Problem and Theory in Afro-Atlantic Architecture II: The Black Americas.  Robert Thompson.
Th 3.30–5.20
A continuation of AFST 781a. Also AFAM 739b, HSAR 781b.

AFST 820bu, Cultural Approaches to Education in Africa.  Kana Dower.
W 2.30–4.20
Examination of schooling in Africa, using case studies of evangelical education, African education during the colonial era, and contemporary schools. Principal focus is historical and cultural, viewing schooling as a window on social change. Reading materials include ethnography, historical documents, fiction, and autobiography.

AFST 839b, Environmental History of Africa.  Robert Harms.
Th 1.30–3.20
An examination of the interaction between people and their environments in Africa, and the ways in which this interaction has affected or shaped the course of African history.

AFST 900a or b, Master's Thesis.  Ann Biersteker and faculty.
Directed reading and research on a topic approved by the director of graduate studies and advised by a faculty member (by arrangement) with expertise or specialized competence in the chosen field. Readings and research are done in preparation for the required master's thesis.

AFST 951a or b, Directed Reading and Research.  Ann Biersteker and faculty.
By arrangement with faculty.

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