HIST250

Description

This course introduces students to the ecological history of Africa. It explores different theoretical approaches to studying the African past and present through its climate, land, water, forest, disease, and other essential components of the physical environment. Central to our study will be the idea that Africa's physical environment has never been static and/or homogenous. Instead, it has always been diverse and has significantly evolved over time. Moreso, Africans and their environment have remained in constant interactions since the beginning of time with each perpetually shaping the other's fate. Offering historical breadth and perspectives to the broader African environment, we will examine foundational themes such as environment-human interactions, animal-environment relationships, conservationism, and environmental change in Africa. We will also investigate how these themes/phenomena have shaped the continental history of Africa. Thus, each week, we will examine case studies of environmentalists' conversations across African regional boundaries and periods with the goal of casting theory into practice and finding intersectionality between ecology and culture, power, spirituality, gender, and, to a lesser degree, race. We will also explore Africa's engagement with imperialism and colonization and the global economy in the twentieth century. Ultimately, the course will end with an introspective examination of contemporary tensions between conservation and economic development in Africa.