Black Studies 324 - Animals in African Histories

(Offered as HIST-324 [AF/TC/TE/TR/P], and BLST-324.) Human histories have always intertwined with the histories of non-human animals, domesticated and wild. This course will discuss African animals as historical subjects, highlighting their connections to human societies and how animals have shaped these societies and entered into their cultural imaginings and economic endeavors. Specific topics will include the representations of specific animals, such as the eland and the jackal, in African art and folktales; the significance of domesticated animals, such as cattle, goats, dogs, and horses, to African economies and the development of states; hunting as an aspect of European empires in Africa; and the intersection of wildlife and environmental conservation with political movements and military conflicts. We will use historical sources and scholarly works from multiple disciplines to think through these complex interactions on the frontiers between societies and species. Two class meetings per week.

Fall semester. Professor Redding.

Pending Faculty Approval