| Unit name | Anthropology of Africa |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ANTH20004 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Bowie |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit looks at the anthropology of post colonial Africa, specifically the relationship between specific social cultural conditions and the larger historical and global forces of colonialism and the impact of modernity. It considers how so-called traditional cultural forms such as witchcraft, spiritual relationships, indigenous medicines and tribal identities are not static entities but transform in response to these social and economic processes. It looks at pan-Africa phenomena such as AIDS, development and aid, food production and famine, and attempts to understand them from a local viewpoint, which challenges our understanding of Africa as a continent whose problems can be answered by development, education and Western medicines.
