BUS 3241 - Globalization in Literature and Film: Focus on Africa

What are the cultural dynamics of globalization in Africa? How have the religious practices, social roles, philosophical ideals, and economic structures of varied African communities changed in the wake of unprecedented levels of interaction with the West, India, and China? How is the complex history of these interactions represented in the literature and cinema created by and about African peoples? And how do such representations influence the perspectives of both Africans and non-Africans alike with regard to the past, present, and future of the African continent? In this course, we will attempt to answer these questions by examining (1) selections from major theoretical texts on globalization in Africa; and (2) various case studies of global interaction and integration as they appear in the literature, film, and popular music from several different African countries. By comparing and contrasting the differing representations of globalization in Africa, we will endeavor to understand the varying ideological, historical, class- and gender-based implications of transglobal movements on African countries and peoples.