Women in Subsaharan Africa: A Contemporary Perspective

Catalog description

Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1011 , or introductory course in another social science, or consent of instructor. Examines important traditional concerns of anthropologists such as the nature of kinship obligation and privilege; gender as a basis for the division of labor; social organization for formal and informal networks; and ritual and ceremony. In addition we look closely at the changing role of African women, as related by African women testing the very limits of what is 'socially and culturally acceptable.' The roles women continue to play in politics, comprehensive development (i.e. cultural and economic), and evolving social structures are reviewed to gain an understanding of the historical and contemporary mandates for their social action. This course counts toward the Global Perspectives graduation requirement.