SSC 338 Namibia Research Seminar

Content

This course, subtitled Negotiating Youth and Modernity in Northwest Namibia, affords advanced social science students the opportunity to develop an original research project on the socio-cultural anthropology of Namibia. In most cases, the course serves as preparation for the Namibia Field Practicum (SSC339), during which the respective research project will be carried as part of a summer fieldwork program in Namibia.

The course begins with a focus on the theoretical concepts central to our main research theme. Part I of the course thus introduces the term’s central theoretical concepts: modernity, tradition and youth in southern Africa; and it introduces the course’s main geographical focus of study: Namibia, Kunene region (esp. Kaokoland), and the town of Opuwo. In Part II, we focus on history. Given that Namibia’s history is intricately tied to South Africa’s past, we review the period 1860–present in relation to South Africa, Namibia and Kaokoland. In particular, we consider the ways colonial and apartheid rule contributed to the shaping of contemporary Namibian society. Following, the course turns toward ‘Namibian studies’ in order to establish a solid academic grounding in Namibian contemporary society and culture. Part III thus examines a variety of topical themes that are of relevance in Namibia today. We do so by addressing them from national and local vantage points. These topics include development challenges, culture and ethnography, space and place, the economy, and politics. This analysis also serves to support students in the development of their individually chosen research topics. Finally, in Part IV students focus on researching, designing and writing their individual research proposals in preparation for the summer’s Namibia Field Practicum. For those students not continuing on to fieldwork in Namibia, it is during this part of the course that they will write a research paper that is theoretical in nature and founded upon a review of the relevant academic literature and/or primary sources. In both cases, guidance is provided in the form of individual research tutorials.

N.B. This course is offered on an intermittent basis only. It will be offered again in Spring 2011.

Instructor

Dr. John Friedman

Track

Anthropology

Period

Spring / 2009

Course Material

• Ferguson, J. (1999). Expectations of Modernity: Myths and Meanings on the Zambian Copperbelt.  Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Worden, N. (2007). The Making of Modern South Africa: Conquest, Apartheid, Democracy, fourth edition. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Course Reader.

Prerequisites

The following courses are required in order to take this course:

• ACC 211 Qualitative Methods I: Theory and Practice
• SSC 131 Introduction to Socio-Cultural Anthropology

Additional Prerequisites

A 200-level anthropology course and permission of the instructor.

Required for

This course is required in order to take the following course:

• SSC 339 Namibia Field Practicum