Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T23:35:53.142Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Teaching African Politics at American Colleges and Universities: A Survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2014

Extract

In the spring of 1973, the authors conducted a survey of political scientists teaching African politics courses at American colleges and universities. Our intention was to collect and disseminate information about: (1) the techniques used in teaching African politics, (2) the books assigned most frequently to students, (3) the choice of African political systems for emphasis in the classroom, and (4) the current level of student interest in African politics. Information was also collected about those who teach African politics: how many have done field research, in which countries do they have the most expertise, and which approaches to political development do they find useful in teaching?

The purposes of this survey were several. One was simply to collect the above information and make it available to teachers of African politics—hopefully, it will be useful to those in this field to know which teaching techniques, approaches, texts, etc., others have found successful in the classroom. A second purpose was to elicit comment on the popularity of African politics as an academic discipline. We hypothesized before conducting this survey that certain trends we had observed locally might be applicable nationally. In particular, we felt that in the post-Vietnam period in the United States, student interest and enrollment in comparative politics courses, on Africa as well as other regions, might be decreasing. The possible reasons for this are multiple, but one can speculate that a mood of isolationism following the Vietnam fiasco might adversely affect enrollment. Further, the uncertain state of the economy and continued high unemployment may induce a shift away from liberal arts courses toward more specifically career-oriented disciplines.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 1976

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Achebe, C. (1959) Things Fall Apart. New York: Honor-Astor.Google Scholar
Achebe, C. (1961) No Longer at Ease. New York: Honor-Astor.Google Scholar
Achebe, C. (1965) A Man of the People. New York: Honor-Astor.Google Scholar
Adam, H. (1971) Modernizing Racial Domination: The Dynamics of South African Politics. Berkeley: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Almond, G.A. and Powell, G.B.. (1966) Comparative Politics: A Developmental Approach. Boston: Little, Brown.Google Scholar
Apter, D.E. (1963) Ghana in Transition. New York: Atheneum.Google Scholar
Apter, D.E. (1965) The Politics of Modernization. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Bohannon, P. (1971) Africa and Africans. Garden City: Doubleday.Google Scholar
Bretton, H.L. (1973) Power and Politics in Africa. Chicago: Aldine.Google Scholar
Cartey, W. and Kilson, M. (eds.). (1970) The Africa Reader. Volume 2: Independent Africa. New York: Random House.Google Scholar
Coleman, J.S. (1958) Nigeria: Background to Nationalism. Berkeley: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doro, M.E. and Stultz, N.M. (eds.). (1970) Governing in Black Africa: Perspectives on New States. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Dumont, R. (1970) False Start in Africa. New York: Praeger.Google Scholar
Fanon, F. (1965) The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press.Google Scholar
First, R. (1970) Power in Africa. New York: Pantheon.Google Scholar
Gibson, R. (1972) African Liberation Movements: Contemporary Struggles against White Minority Rule. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hodgkin, T. (1957) Nationalism in Colonial Africa. New York: New York University Press.Google Scholar
Huntington, S.P. (1968) Political Order in Changing Societies. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Miller, D.C. (1970) Handbook of Research and Social Measurement. New York: David McKay.Google Scholar
Mondlane, E. (1969) The Struggle for Mozambique. Baltimore: Penguin Books.Google Scholar
Morrison, D.G., et al (1972) Black Africa: A Comparative Handbook. New York: The Free Press.Google Scholar
Nyerere, J. (1970) Freedom and Socialism: Selection from Writings and Speeches 1965-1967. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Nyerere, J. (1971) Ujamaa: Essays on Socialism. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Oliver, R. and Fage, J.D.. (1966) A Short History of Africa. Baltimore: Penguin Books.Google Scholar
Olorunsola, V.A. (ed.). (1972) The Politics of Cultural Subnationalism in Africa. Garden City: Anchor Books.Google Scholar
Paden, J.N. and Soja, E.W.. (1970) The African Experience. Evanston: Northwestern University Press.Google Scholar
Potholm, C.P. (1970) Four African Political Systems. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Selltiz, C., et al (1967) Research Methods in Social Relations. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.Google Scholar
Simon, J.L. (1969) Basic Research Methods in Social Relations: The Art of Empirical Investigation. New York: Random House.Google Scholar
Welch, C.E. (1970) Soldier and State in Africa: A Comparative Analysis of Military Intervention and Political Change. Evanston: Northwestern University Press.Google Scholar
Zolberg, A.R. (1966) Creating Political Order: The Party States of West Africa. Chicago: Rand McNally.Google Scholar