Title 6A Grant Year 1 West Africa Report
Participant: Ben Wolfe
Geology/Geography Instructor
Metropolitan Community College (MCC) – Blue River
Course Title and Number: GEOG 113: Cultural/Human Geography
Enrollment: 39 students per semester
Planned offering: Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Spring 2010 (online)
Module Title: Religions of West Africa: Diversity, Distribution, and Conflicts
Description of Module:
The global module includes incorporating and evaluating the religious diversity and distribution of West Africa into a Cultural/Human Geography chapter unit covering religion and culture taught at MCC-Blue River.
The focus of inquiry for this module includes the distribution and interaction between animistic beliefs, Christianity and Islam amongst peoples and tribal groups in the West Africa region. Specific focus will be on the role each religion plays on culture and the conflicts that arise between the three religions throughout the region. Particular attention will be paid to the application of Sharia (Islamic religious law) versus secular law as exemplified by the Miss World riots of 2002 in Nigeria.
Objectives:
1. To assist students in the development of an awareness of the diversity of religions in West Africa.
2. To assist students in evaluating where religions are distributed in West Africa.
3. To present students an opportunity to analyze why territorial conflicts arise among religious groups.
4. To assist students in evaluating the role of religion in government policies.
Materials:
1. The Road North: What the Miss World riots reveal about a divided country, Frontline/World Video Anthology, W.H. Freeman and Company, 2006
2. Muslims, Frontline/PBS video, 2002
3. Chapter 6 of Rubenstein, J.M., The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, 9th Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008
4. Blank map of West Africa per student, showing clearly all national borders.
5. Access to Blackboard™ course discussion board features
Methodology:
Lectures/Discussion:
In-class lecture will compare and contrast of the major religions of West Africa including Christianity, Islam and Animistic beliefs will be delivered in a lecture format utilizing power point.
In addition, video clips focusing on Muslim/Christian interaction in Nigeria during the Miss World Riots of 2002 as well as the video Muslims will be presented followed by in-class small group discussion and full-class discussion.
Audio-Visuals:
The Road North: What the Miss World riots reveal about a divided country, Frontline/World Video Anthology, W.H. Freeman and Company, 2006
Muslims, Frontline/PBS video, 2002
Technology:
Smart classroom with computer work station, Smarboard™ or Smartpad™, projector, DVD player, and student use of Blackboard™ for discussion board posts and gradebook.
Readings:
Chapter 6 of Rubenstein, J.M., The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, 9th Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008
Supporting written material for The Road North: What the Miss World riots reveal about a divided country and Muslims.
Assignments:
Activities associated with this infusion include a combination of the following during in class lectures while discussing the Religion unit of the course:
1. Identifying the different religions of West Africa and illustrating their distribution on a map of West Africa.
2. Class discussion of current event news articles dealing with conflict between religions and/or the implementation of Sharia law in the West Africa region.
3. Follow up discussion of current events using the on-line discussion boards in Blackboard™
4. Videos and corresponding small group questions analyzing the conflict between Islam and Christianity and/or Sharia and secular law in Nigeria.
5. Small group and full class discussion covering the different views of Sharia and secular law in political systems.
6. A follow up individual persuasion/argumentative writing activity (approximately three to five page paper).
Assessment:
The module focus and assignment activities account for approximately 15% of the grade of the course.
The students will be assessed through a unit exam (including essay exam questions) individual student discussion board posts on Blackboard™ over topics and current events discussed in lecture and in the small group discussions, as well as a written persuasion/argumentative paper covering the implementation of Sharia law vs. secular law in Nigeria. Material from the unit will also be included in the final exam.
Resources:
Allen, J.L., Student Atlas of World Geography, 3rd Edition, McGraw/Hill, 2003
Bradshaw, M., White, G.W., Dymond, J.P., and Chacko, E., Contemporary World Regional Geography, 2nd Edition, McGraw/Hill, 2007
College Atlas of the World, deBlij, H.J., Downs R., Eds., Wiley/National Geographic, 2007
Davidson, B., The Search for Africa: History, Culture, Politics, Random House, New York, 1994.
deBlij, H.J., Muller, P.O., Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts, 12th Edition, Wiley Publishers, 2005
Desert Peoples, Archaeological Perspectives, Veth, P., Smith, M., Hiscock, P., Eds., Wiley Publishers, 2005
Fisher, R.B., West African Religious Traditions: Focus on the Akan of Ghana, Orbis Books, New York, 1998.
Gifford, P., African Christianity: Its Public Role, Hurst and Co., London, 1998.
Gilbert, E., and Reynolds, J.T., Africa in World History: From Prehistory to the Present, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008
Hiskett, M., The Course of Islam in Africa, Edinburgh University Press, 1994.
Isichei, E., The History of Christianity in Africa: From Antiquity to the Present, Africa World Press, 1995.
Jordan-Bychkov T.G., Domosh, M., Neumann, R.P., and Price, P.L., The Human Mosaic: A Thematic Introduction to Cultural Geography, 12th Edition, W.H. Freeman and Company, 2006
Karp, I. and Masolo, D., African Philosophy as Cultural Inquiry, Indiana University Press, 2000.
Lawson, T.E., Religions of Africa: Traditions in Transformation, Waveland Press. Illinois, 1998.
Levtzion, N., Islam in West Africa: Religion, Society, and Politics to 1800, Variorum, 1994
Levtzion, N. and Pouwels, R.L., The History of Islam in Africa, Ohio University Press, 2000.
Mbiti, J.S., African Religions and Philosophy, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H., 1992.
Muslims, Frontline/PBS video, 2002
Muslim Identity and Social Change in Sub-Saharan Africa, Brenner, L., Ed., Indiana University Press, 1993.
Olupona, J.K. ed., African Traditional Religions in Contemporary Society, Paragon House, New York, 1991.
Pulsipher, L.M., and Pulispher, A., World Regional Geography: Global Patterns, Local Lives, 4th Edition, W.H. Freeman and Company, 2008
Rasmussen, L., Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa: the Cases of Northern Nigeria and Tanzania Compared, British Academic Press. 1993
Reynolds, J.T., The Time of Politics (Zamanin Siyasa): Islam and the Politics of Legitimacy in Northern Nigeria, 1950-1966, International Scholars Publications, San Francisco, 1999.
Rowntree, L., Lewis, M., Price, M., and Wyckoff, W., Diversity Amid Globalization World Regions, Environment, Development, 3rd Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006
Rubenstein, J.M., The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, 9th Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008
Sannah, L.O., The Crown and the Turban: Muslims and West African Pluralism, Westview Press, Boulder CO, 1997.
Searing, J.F., God Alone is King: Islam and Emancipation in Senegal: The Wolof Kingdoms of Kajoor and Bawol, 1859-1914, Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH, 2002.
The Road North: What the Miss World riots reveal about a divided country, Frontline/World Video Anthology, W.H. Freeman and Company, 2006
Thomas, D.E., African Traditional Religion in the Modern World, McFarland, Jefferson, N.C., 2005.
Ubah, H.N., The Historical Roots of the Shariah Question in Nigeria, Journal Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs., v. 11, n. 2, pp. 321-333, 1990.