Hum 211 Final
(in 2 parts) -
Winter 2002
Worth 20% of course grade (See Syllabus Course
Grading)
Final Part
I Annotated Bibliography– 15%
Short Cuts: General Directions |
Example
Introductions
| Example Annotated Bibliography Entries
|
Final
Part I to be webposted to Hum 211 Final Discussion
Forum:
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/discussions/discfinal_frm.htm
Final Part
II
Survey: Self-Evaluation & Course
Reflections– 5%
Short Cuts: Preparation
| Survey Form | Electronic Submission Directions
Final
Part II to be submitted electronically to Cora via individual
E-Mail:
cagatucci@cocc.edu
Webtip:
This and other HUM 211 webpages are being updated regularly; so
to ensure that you see viewing the latest version in your internet browser,
click "Refresh" (Explorer) or "Reload" (Netscape) at the top
of your browser screen.
See HUM 211 COURSE PLAN
for Final Deadlines
Final Part I
– Annotated Bibliography – 15%
DUE:
Wed., March
20, by
Midnight
to be webposted to Hum 211
Final Discussion
Forum:
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/discussions/discfinal_frm.htm
GENERAL
DIRECTIONS:
Choose an African topic relevant to Hum 211 study that interests you
and that you would like to learn more about through a short research project.
Locate 3 to
5 “outside”
sources relevant to your chosen topic.
“Outside
Sources” refer to websites, books, journal or magazine articles,
newspaper articles, radio or TV programs, videotapes, online/virtual art
exhibit, interviews, etc., that have not been assigned as part of our regular
Hum 211 coursework this term. Note that many Hum 211 webpages include links
and lists of sources to help you get started, and/or you can conduct your own
research.
African
Links
Course
Pack African
Timelines
Read/review/skim the sources you find and choose the best 3-to-5 so that you
can prepare your Annotated Bibliography.
A “Bibliography” is a list of
sources, giving complete publication information (following MLA-style format)
so that interested readers can find these sources for themselves if they wish
to learn more about your topic. “Annotated”
means that you will provide concise summaries and evaluations of each of your
3 to 5 sources to give your readers a clear idea of what each source has to
offer (summary of contents) on your topic,
as well as each source’s strengths and any drawbacks (evaluation).
See Example
Entries given below.
You should also write an Introduction (see Example
Introductions below) to your Annotated Bibliography:
Introduce
your topic or the research question(s) that you have researched;
Explain
why you chose this topic, and/or how you became interested in
investigating this topic further through this short research project;
Identify
the most valuable thing you have learned from your research
**I
strongly recommend that you first prepare your Annotated Bibliography report first
as a wordprocessed document and save it to a disk or your computer
hardrive. Then when you are ready
to webpost it to the Hum 211 Final Discussion
Forum, copy your document and
then paste it into the “Comments” section of the Forum posting.
Cora will be happy to assist you if you need help.
Go to Hum 211
Final Discussion
Forum
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/discussions/discfinal_frm.htm
when
you are ready to webpost Part I: Annotated Bibliography
...or Email it to Cora and she will webpost it for you: cagatucci@cocc.edu
Final
Part I Example Topics
& Introductions
on: HIV, AIDS & Africa |
Christian Missions in SubSaharan Africa |
Female Genital Mutilation: Is Intervention Necessary?
Example 1
HIV, AIDS and
Africa
I had originally intended to find literature on how
devastating the AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) epidemic has become
in Africa and where AIDS originated. There is, of course, a lot of literature
on the AIDS epidemic in Africa. There are several articles suggesting how AIDS
originated in Africa, materials showing how AIDS is spreading rapidly across
the continent, infecting thousands, and eventually killing. Through my
research on this topic, I found something more interesting. I found articles
proposing that AIDS did not necessarily originate in Africa, and that AIDS
cases in Africa are being exaggerated. After reading these articles, I began
to question myself, "why is it so important to propose that the continent
of Africa is responsible for the AIDS epidemic, and why would AIDS cases in
Africa be exaggerated?" This question led me back to one of our course
goals, which was to identify unanswered questions, controversial claims,
topics worthy of further research, and to consider alternative viewpoints (Hum
211 Syllabus). It is not my intention to provide materials that prove AIDS did
not originate in Africa, and that AIDS is not a serious problem for several
countries in Africa. I intend only to reveal that there are alternative
viewpoints as to how devastating AIDS really is in Africa, and that the
possibility exists that AIDS may have originated in some place other than
Africa.
Example 2
Christian Missions in Sub-Saharan Africa
During this course we have been presented a great deal of
literature and film which portrays various African societies before, during,
and after colonization; one aspect of colonization was the presence of
Christian missions. I have chosen to examine the validity of these missions. I
am using the term validity here in the sense of acting in a manner congruent
with that of Christianity, rather than with political, personal, or social
motives.
It seems obvious enough that there are a myriad of benefits
in general when observing history; I specifically chose this subject because
it has relevant applications to the way I live day to day. A case can be made
that all people who consciously make decisions to adhere to one lifestyle or
another are missionaries of their own lifestyles… we all have certain ideals
that we feel are universal. Considering this I have chosen to examine the work
of Christian missionaries because we both theoretically are of the same
belief. By researching the effects these missionaries had on their
surroundings I have been able to pick out seemingly positive characteristics
of my life which I now have a different perspective of.
The materials I chose to research provide alternative
perspectives to the subject of Christian missions in Africa. I feel they are
good sources because their interpretations of history are not blatantly
extremist (with some exception to Heathenization of Christianity in African
Society), and they all provide positive solutions (or would-be solutions) for
the area of mission work they perceive to be harmful.
Example 3
Female Genital
Mutilation: Is Intervention Necessary?
At this exact moment at least one female infant, daughter,
or woman is screaming and writhing in pain at the mercy of an antique
tradition. I am speaking of female genital mutilation (FGM) or as some may
call it, female circumcision. There are different practices and alterations of
FGM that are used in this age-long custom.
Most of the information I have gathered deals with practices in Sudan
and Sierra Leone. This procedure is not limited to just parts of Africa (28
countries within), but is also practiced in sectors of the world such as the
Middle East, Asia, parts of Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
For the most part, after researching this topic, I am
greatly concerned about
the worldwide intervention to stop this procedure. Human rights
activists and other organizations against FGM such as the World Health
Organization and Amnesty International, not to mention various feminist groups
and a major section of the medical community across our nation as well as
overseas, would love to see this tradition banned entirely.
But
should we intervene and try to overthrow a custom that is carried out
according to another culture’s belief?
That seems ethnocentric, yes? Yet
as humanitarians we cannot continue to let women and children who are unaware
of the physical and psychological consequences they are agreeing to (that is, if
they are agreeing), take part in this form of mutilation. Something must be
done.
Final
Part I
Example Entries for Annotated
Bibliography
Book Review | Website | Videotape/TV Program
| Journal Article | Book
Example Book Review
Chirimuuta,
R.C., and R.J. Chirimuuta. AIDS, Africa and Racism. 2nd ed. London:
Free Association Books, 1989. I
was not able to find this book, but I did locate a book review from: Hoogvelt,
Ankie. Monthly Review 40 (September 1988): 57-61.
I decided to include this book in the critical review, because I believe it is
a great source for further research on the topic: AIDS and Africa. I did not
want to leave it out simply because I could not locate the book. Richard and
Rosalind Chirimuuta are suggesting that the over-diagnosis of AIDS in Africa
has been the result of errors in data collection, interpretation, and in data
reporting. Their book is a review of the scientific literature on AIDS in
Africa. This book does not suggest that AIDS in Africa is not a problem;
rather the authors point out that the facts have been overstated. Much of the
book questions the quality of the statistical evidence gathered by different
researchers, and points out the contradictions within the medical field.
Example Website:
Hannah
Valentine and Lethe Jackson: Slave Letters, 1837-1838.
An On-line Archival Collection from the Campbell Family Papers.
The Digital Scriptorium, Special Collections Library, Duke University,
1996. 23 November <http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/campbell/>. This
website offers a collection
of letters written by two U.S. house slaves, Hannah Valentine and Lethe
Jackson. Their owner, David Campbell, was the governor of Virginia from
1837-1840. The letters cover topics including everyday life, issues
surrounding the War of 1812, and other topics that give the reader an insight
into the slaves' views. You can view photographs of the actual
letters, or you can view a text-style presentation of them. This is a
good source for those who are interested in African-American slave life and
want to review original letters that have not been edited or filtered.
Example Videotape/TV Program
Chinua Achebe: A World of Ideas.
Distributed
by PBS Video, Public Affairs Television, WNET/New York and WWTTW/Chicago,
Alexandria, VA; 1989. Films for the Humanities, 1994. 28 min. From
The Moyers Collection comes this insightful videotaped interview with Chinua
Achebe, originally filmed for Bill Moyers' PBS television series A
World of Ideas (1989). Achebe discusses the role of the African storyteller, one who
hears the music of history and weaves the fabric of memory, one obliged to be
the people's collective conscience--sometimes to offend "the
Emperor" in so doing. "It is the storyteller... who makes us who we
are, that creates history." A man caught between two worlds, Achebe
discusses his observations and criticisms of both African and Western politics
and culture, the stages in his awakening to inaccurate and demeaning
depictions of black Africans in works such as Conrad's Heart of Darkness,
to his closing advice that the West: "listen to the weak."
Example Journal Article:
Mugambi,
J.N.K. "African Churches in Social Transformation." Journal of
International Affairs 50.1 (Summer 1996): 194.
This
article sets out to examine the role of the church in South Africa as well as
critique the role it played in transforming the social and political
foundations in Africa. A major strength of this paper is that it is written
from a fairly neutral position; it does not contain biased undertones within
the discussion. I feel the paper could have been stronger if more concrete
examples were cited in relation to some of the opinions argued (namely the
arguments of the church bringing major social change during early
colonization). The underlying thesis of the paper is that missions, in
general, have had a growing involvement with the various colonies/countries
they reside in. Mugambi
asserts that missions were originally self-sustaining and free from partisan
ties. In his opinion, missions existed entirely independently of European
colonization during the early arrivals. It is pointed out that missions were
actually punished for starting or assisting in the creation of independent
African churches, which taught Africans to be culturally self-confident. The
paper argues that colonial governments justified their claims to African
territory by early missionary success in converting native Africans to
Christianity. So by either "design or accident," the church was
directly involved in the social and political transformation of Africa. It is
at this point that missions lost their political innocence. Missions created
schools teaching westernized values and religion in return for grants provided
by the colonial governments for health services, agriculture, etc. The paper
continues in a discussion of the present day involvement of the church in
Africa. Perhaps the most dignified remark of the paper was: “There
were missionaries who were racial bigots and colonial bullies, but there were
also others who were excellent pastors, counselors and teachers. Some were
businessmen, and others were diplomats. Thus both the negative and the
positive influences must be acknowledged in a balanced assessment of the
missionary impact in tropical Africa.”
Example Book:
Rotberg,
Robert I. Joseph Thomson and the Exploration of Africa. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1971.
Rotberg’s biography recounts the experiences of the Scottish explorer Joseph
Thomson. The author contends that, though Thomson came relatively late to the
exploration of Africa, he made significant geographical and cultural
discoveries for British interests. An enthusiastic participant and supporter
of British imperialism, Thomson influenced policy in Kenya and Nigeria.
Rotberg believes that Thomson was an exception to the traditional European
explorer in that he was a pacifist committed to conflict resolution. The
author claims that the explorer respected Africans and African cultures, and
believed that Africans should be accorded equal status. Rotberg’s accounts
of the intense coverage of Thomson’s activities and philosophy by newspapers
were avidly followed by the general public, and that this influenced colonial
policy in that it mitigated some of the harsher methods by which the British
implemented policy. Rotberg’s biography is well-written and interesting. If
this source is accurate, it provides insight into the power of the explorer to
color and influence popular perceptions of Africa. It is an account from the
perspective of the non-African, but it gives rise to the possibility of a
correlation between the travel writing of explorers, and public/imperialistic
responses.
Final
Part II – Survey:
Self-Evaluation & Course Reflections
– 5%
DUE:
Fri.,
March 22, by 12
Noon
to be submitted electronically to Cora via individual
E-Mail:
cagatucci@cocc.edu
Final
Part II PREPARATION:
To prepare to
complete Final Part II electronically, I recommend that you copy-and-paste
this Final Part II Survey form . . .
Mark
this Final Part II Survey form, and then Copy
it: Control + C
OR select COPY from the pull-down EDIT
menu at the top of your Internet browser window);
Open a new document in your word
processing program; position
your cursor in your new word processing document and
Paste:
Control + V
OR select PASTE from
the pull-down EDIT menu
at the top of your new word document);
SAVE
your new word processing document to disk or hardrive.
Now you
are ready to wordprocess your responses to this Final Part II Survey--yes?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Part
II SURVEY
Form:
Self-Evaluation & Course Reflections
1. Hum
211 introduces study of several African “texts” (e.g. oral arts
& traditions, films, novels, short stories, music, etc.--perhaps
new to you). Identify one or two of your personal favorites,
and then briefly explain why.
2.
Which Hum 211 topics, learning experiences and/or assignments did you find the
most valuable? Then briefly explain why.
3.
Which Hum 211 topics, learning experiences and/or assignments did you find
least valuable this term? Then briefly explain why.
4.
Self-Evaluation. Hum 211 has been
designed to help students achieve the following Course Competencies, or
Learning Objectives, Read
each of these Competency statements, and rate your skills &
knowledge in the space provided, using the 5-point scale defined below.
Please do feel free to type in your comments on the competency
statements and/or your self-ratings.
5 = Excellent
(A); 4 = Very Good
(B); 3
= Satisfactory (C); 2
= Weak (D); 1 =
Poor (F)
Studying African cultures and language
arts in Hum 211 this term, has enabled you to
. . .
___A. Build knowledge of African language arts
and cultures different from your own:
___1. Identify
distinctive characteristics, genres, periods, themes of traditional and
modern African oral arts, literature, and film (such as proverb wisdom,
call-and-response, praise-poetry, African griot traditions, colonial African
"response" literature, etc.)
___2. Situate
individual African texts in their contexts (for example, African
cultural values and beliefs, intellectual and creative traditions, historical
and biographical backgrounds, and/or social and political realities), and
analyze significant ways that African texts reflect or represent their
contexts.
___3. Evaluate
the limitations and benefits of studying African works in cross-cultural
translation (for example, across one or more different languages; across
oral-based and literate-based cultures; and/or across oral arts,
literature, film).
___B. Apply this knowledge to cross-cultural
comparative analysis
___4. Identify and analyze significant cross
cultural differences and similarities--for
example, among different African texts and their cultures; between African
language arts/cultures and one’s own; and/or between African works
and cultures and those of other non-Western groups.
___5. Examine
the effects of individual and culturally-determined factors (such as race,
gender, class, nation, biases of information sources, prior cross-cultural
experiences) on one’s own and others’ responses to African texts and
cultures.
___6.
Identify African topics of personal
interest, unanswered questions, controversial claims and/or alternative
viewpoints arising from one’s cross-cultural comparative study for
further research and investigation.
___C. Construct and communicate persuasive
cross-cultural interpretations
___7. Formulate
your responses and interpretations using varied strategies and resources
(for example, active reading/viewing skills; self-reflection, critical and
empathetic thinking, oral discussion and writing, multiple perspectives,
comparative analysis, and/or interdisciplinary knowledge).
___8. Create
a persuasive cross-cultural interpretation of an African text that
integrates ethnorelative perspectives and analytical criteria appropriate
to African language arts and their cultural contexts.
___9. Communicate
your interpretations in informal and formal writing, using relevant,
well-selected evidence from African texts and their cultural contexts to
support your points.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Final Part II
ELECTRONIC
SUBMISSION: After
you have completed the Final Part II Survey (above),
submit it electronically directly to Cora via E-MAIL:
cagatucci@cocc.edu
SUBJECT: type in Final
Part II Survey
TO: Address your email to cagatucci@cocc.edu
MESSAGE:
--Type in your name...that is, identify yourself . . . Please!
--Mark & Copy your Final Part II Survey
responses typed in your wordprocessed document and
saved to disk or hardrive;
--Paste your Final Part II Survey responses into the Email MESSAGE space.
NOTE: This copy-and-paste procedure is required as a back-up in
case
your attachment (see below) is not
compatible with, and cannot be translated by,
Cora's software.
ATTACHMENT: Attach your
wordprocessed Final Part II Survey document to the E-mail
that you are preparing to send to Cora, using the attachment function of
your email software.
If you have been using a wordprocessing program compatible with Cora's
software,
then Cora will be able to download and read the formatted version of your
wordprocessed document.
BUT. . . if our software is not compatible, Cora can
copy-paste-save the body of
your E-mail "MESSAGE" (see above).
SEND your Final Part II Survey
email to Cora by Fri., March 22, 12 noon.
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS....Please contact
Cora ASAP and let her know.
If
you have questions or need help, please . . . please . .
.
contact Cora!! cagatucci@cocc.edu
HUM 211
Open
Campus Course Information
- Winter 2002
HUM 211
Home
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Course
Pack
Assignments
African
Links: African Studies & History | Arts & Cultures |
Diaspora
Music | Orature & Literature | Women
African
Timelines: History, Orature, Literature, & Film
Printing
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here: HUM Final
(in 2 Parts)
URL of this webpage: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/assignments/Final.htm
Last Updated: 31 March 2005
This webpage is maintained by Cora
Agatucci, Professor of English,
Humanities Department, Central
Oregon Community College
I welcome comments: cagatucci@cocc.edu
© Cora Agatucci, 1997-2002
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