Ghana 2017 syllabi

From CCE wiki archived
Revision as of 18:21, 20 June 2017 by Michaelf (talk | contribs) (→‎Course schedules (still tentative!))
Jump to: navigation, search

Music for Global Human Development in West Africa

NB: these syllabi are tentative and subject to minor modification as the schedule of enlisted instructors becomes clear.

For general program information see: http://bit.ly/ghanamusic

Academic leader: Professor Michael Frishkopf
Tel. in Ghana TBA; Skype: (617) 275-2589
Office hours TBA.
Teaching partners: University for Development Studies and Youth Home Cultural Group (Tamale)

Overview

Ghana 2017: Music for Global Human Development, July 3 to August 11, 2017

The Department of Music and the Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology are proud to offer Music for Global Human Development in West Africa, centered at the University for Development Studies in northern Ghana (the main campus is located in Tamale, capital of Ghana's Northern Region), preceded by a two days of initial orientation in Accra. The 9 credit (3 course) program will run from July 3 to Aug 11 2017, and offer credit for both the Certificate in International Learning and Certificate in Community Service Learning.

There are routes for both undergraduate and graduate study, and "Open Studies" students who are not enrolled in any university program. The program is available to anyone age 18 and up.

The 9 credit summer program comprises social science, humanities, and performing arts components and is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Music and dance performance is central, but no musical experience or talent is required to succeed. CSL credit will be provided, as we work in partnership with a local NGO, Youth Home Cultural Group.

The program centers on the role of music (and sound, and all related performance arts -- dance, poetry, drama -- as well as visual arts, costume, design) towards promoting human development, either directly (by carrying specific development messages designed to change attitudes and behaviors, or indirectly, by strengthening social cohesion by reinforcing civil society and strengthening cultural continuity - see the Music for Global Human Development (M4GHD) project and -- for an example -- Singing and Dancing for Health, a recent project in Northern Ghana.

The University of Development Studies covers the spectrum of academic disciplines, with a focus on development. The 9 credit program, which will include the University's new Development Action Through Expressive Media (DATEM), will again include three component courses: (1) African music and dance practice - Music x44; (2) African development (including some historical and cultural background to development issues today) with both classroom and field components; and (3) Music for Global Human Development, extending "music" to "expressive culture" and taking advantage of DATEM offerings, but focused on music and dance approaches primarily.

We will work with UDS faculty on full or half day sessions in order to learn about their research areas, and the ways they apply their research to practical development problems in Ghana's north - particularly in the domains of global health, education, nutrition and poverty alleviation, gender equality, peace and justice, and environment, with reference to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. We will volunteer with Youth Home Cultural Group to support their projects with children and youth in Tamale. Students will also work collaboratively on a music/global health project located in the village of Tolon - see Singing and Dancing for Health - designed to simultaneously address health and social issues. There may also be opportunities for medical students to substitute hospital-based training in Tamale for this segment.

During the course of this program we will spend time in urban and rural areas of Ghana's north, centered on the regional capital of Tamale, with an extended fieldwork stay in the village of Tolon, quite close to Tamale, where the Singing and Dancing for Health project is in progress, as well as a preliminary 2-day orientation period in Accra.

Excursions to sites of natural, historical and cultural interest, including the Mole wildlife preserve, the Larabanga Mosque, and other destinations in the vicinity of Tamale, Wa, or Navrongo are possible through optional weekend trips.

We will spend the first two days in in Accra, studying music, dance, and healing, and touring Accra, for a broader perspective on Ghana as a whole. We will then travel to Tamale, our base for the next five weeks, before spending the final week in a nearby village, Tolon. Weekends will provide opportunities for excursions around Ghana's north. Here is a map displaying these locations, as well as some of our potential travel destinations, with images.

The program comprises 3 courses (9 credits): two in music (Music 144/444/544 "West African Music Ensemble", and Music 365/565 "Topics/Area Studies in Ethnomusicology") and one in interdisciplinary studies (INT D 325 and INT D 530: Development). No prior musical training or ability is required. Airfares are highly dependent on point of origin.

Costs

  • $1,596.24 for 9 UofA credits (3 semester courses)- for Canadians and Canadian residents (more for non-Canadians). Note: non-UofA students register through Open Studies.
  • $800 mandatory fees (attached to Music 365 and 565) - these will be used to cover additional programming
  • $1400 room and board (or $30/day, about $900/month -but you can easily reduce your food costs depending on where you take your meals; room is under $14/day. Much less expensive than living in Canada!)
  • $500 extra funds (estimated & minimal) to cover incidentals, entry to tourist sites, gifts, etc.

Total: $4,296.24 (more for non-Canadians and Open Studies)

Plus:

  • international ticket to Accra: cost can vary greatly; from Edmonton likely to range from $1700 to $2500 depending on timing and airline. Note that you may like to use the trip as an opportunity to explore other locations through stopovers (often free) in Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. This is completely acceptable so long as you arrive in Accra by the start date, and don't depart before the final program day.
  • cost of visa/photos (Ghana requires a visa which you can obtain by mail from Toronto or Ottawa; be sure you have a passport not expiring imminently.
  • vaccines & insurance (if needed). Note: everyone requires a Yellow Fever vaccine - the vaccination card is required to obtain a visa and must be carried to Ghana for entry.

Scholarships:

  • The first 15 UofA students to apply will receive $1750 each; non-UofA students will receive $500 each.

Courses:

  • grad route:
    • Music 565 "Music for Global Human Development in West Africa"
    • Music 544 "West African Music Ensemble"
    • INT D 530 "West African Development"
  • undergrad route:
    • Music 365 "Music for Global Human Development in West Africa"
    • Music 144 or 444 "West African Music Ensemble"
    • INT D 325 "West African Development"


Course schedules (still tentative!)

See program map for locations of places mentioned in the following table.

Arrival in Accra by July 2 - Departure from Accra from August 12.

July 3-9 July 10-16 July 17-23 July 24-30 July 31-Aug 6 Aug 7-11
Monday Accra visits; physical-social-spiritual power of music with Kofi Atenteben M4GHD & fieldwork M4GHD & fieldwork M4GHD & fieldwork M4GHD & fieldwork Tolon
Tuesday Accra visits; physical-social-spiritual power of music with Kofi Atenteben UDS: Mr. Salifu Jebuni The aesthetics of African Music/Dance with particular reference to the Dagbamba Visit to traditional drummers UDS: Dr. Abdulai Abubakari, Divination: An all-encompassing socio-cultural reality Visiting to a Diviner UDS: Dr. Felix Longi The History of Slavery in Northern Ghana; Visit to Sakpuli individual project work Tolon
Wednesday UDS: orientation; Tamale & campus tours, settle into Catholic Guest House UDS: Prof. Amin Alhassan Communications for Development - Visit to an NGO Visit development org Visit development org individual project work Tolon
Thursday UDS: Dr. Salifu Mahama Culture and ethnic groups of the North; Visiting a female Chief YHCG & CSL YHCG & CSL YHCG & CSL YHCG & CSL Tolon
Friday Youth Home intro performance/workshop & CSL initial visit (youth group) YHCG & CSL YHCG & CSL YHCG & CSL Tolon prep Tolon
Saturday Youth Home & CSL Mole/Larabanga/Daboya Navrongo/Paga/Gambaga with Dr. Vida Yakong Wa sites - optional trip Tolon Depart Tamale morning and Accra in evening
Sunday Fieldwork (church, mosque, wedding, funeral) Mole/Larabanga/Daboya Navrongo/Paga/Gambaga Wa sites - optional trip Tolon


West African Music Ensemble (Music 144/444/544)

This course focuses on several indigenous (not European, not mediated, not characteristically Christian or Muslim) styles of Ghanaian music, song, and dance, through listening, watching, and doing. You will learn to perform these styles, and meanwhile learn their context and significance, as a means of understanding local culture. We will work with trained instructors in Accra and Tamale; learning will be immersive to a greater extent in the village setting (Tolon).

July 3-4: Traditional music, song, and dance of Ghana, with Kofi Atenteben and friends (Accra)

July 7 - Aug 4: Traditional music, song, and dance of the Dagomba people, and the "dance drama" as a tool for development (Tamale, with Youth Home Cultural Group). Here you will be using what you learn from master drummers and dancers at Youth Home , as well as from professors affiliated with the West African Development course, to create your own dance drama to share with local urban youth in Tamale. You will also receive some basic lessons in relevant languages, appropriate for pronouncing song lyrics as well as basic greetings.

Aug 5 - 11: Traditional music, song, and dance of the Dagomba people, and the "dance drama" as a tool for development (in Tolon, a nearby village). You will learn through interactions with two local (community and school) groups. Here, other music-related research and performance activities will also be scheduled.

You will also be exposed to a range of other northern Ghanaian musical styles, as available through our weekend trips.


Music 365 "Music for Global Human Development in West Africa"

This course introduces you to the concept of "music for human development"; here "music" is interpreted broadly to include all related performance culture, especially dance, poetry, and drama.

Weekly theoretical overview lectures/discussions will take place on Mondays ( Prof. Michael Frishkopf), including an introduction to concepts, as well as to best practices for fieldwork.

Topical lectures, workshops, and field visits led by instructors involved in performing arts for development and wellbeing, potentially including:

  • Prof. Michael Frishkopf, ethnomusicology (e.g. http://bit.ly/sngdnc4h)
  • Prof. Salifu Jeboni, dance ethnology
  • Prof. Benson Konlaan, arts for public health
  • Prof. Thomas Azongo: traditional medicine, divination, and the role of music
  • TBA: Theatre/drama for development

Note: the lecturer list has not yet been finalized!

This course will include an overview/discussion session every Monday, followed by one or two full days per week comprising:

  • A required reading, assigned in advance
  • A related lecture/discussion
  • A field visit

We will also integrate activities with related NGOs, including Youth Home Cultural Group (YHCG), Farm Radio, and others. The course will include a CSL component, working through YHCG to interact with local youth through music, in order to develop dance dramas oriented towards development themes of local importance, and to develop friendships through musical exchange, as well as working with "music drama for development" groups in our village field site, Tolon, where other music-related research and performance activities will also be scheduled. There are thus two distinct CSL projects, one in Tamale and the other in Tolon, each centering on dance dramas.

INT D 325 or 530: "West African Development"

This course provides an introduction to development in northern Ghana, in theory and in practice, through case studies in a variety of fields, possibly including education, public health, agriculture, environmental science, and other areas. It includes an initial overview of northern Ghanaian society and culture in general, followed by topical lectures, workshops, and field visits led by instructors involved in development, 1-2 days per week.

These instructors and topics will potentially include:

  • Prof. Felix Longi, African history, Dagomba project
  • TBA: Education
  • Prof. Vida Yakong, nursing/traditional culture and storytelling
  • Prof. Salifu Mahama: Language and linguistics
  • Prof. Abubakari Abdulai: Sociology
  • Dean Prof. Amin al-Hassan, communications


Note: the lecturer list has not yet been finalized!

Each session will comprise:

  • A required reading, assigned in advance
  • A related lecture/discussion
  • A field visit

During our stay in Tolon you will have various development-related fieldwork projects to work on, including an interview-based assessment of people's work and how they feel about what they do, an interview-based study of musical change and its development implications, and an observational inquiry into local healing practices, and the role of expressive culture.

Community Service Learning

All three courses contribute towards your CSL experience, in collaboration with Youth Home Cultural Group (YHCG) and University for Development Studies (UDS). CSL activities will take place in two locations: (1) the city of Tamale, where we'll be working together with YHCG to develop--with local youth-- dance dramas to address development themes, to be determined - these sessions will take place in the afternoons, following training with YHCG and lunch; (2) the rural district of Tolon, where we'll be working with two performance groups that already use music and dance drama as a development tool (one based in a school deploys music/dance for public health; the other, in a community, for climate and ecosystem change adaptation and resilience ) to help them document their performances, assess their impact, and learn to teach it, thereby helping ensure sustainability of group and repertoire. You will write two short reports documenting each project, including reflections on the CSL experience. (See Assignments below.)

Weekend trips

The above three courses will be enhanced and extended through immersive learning in the course of weekend field trips. We will organize at least one excursions per weekend to various locations marked on the map (see above), including an overnight to Mole National Park (where you will enjoy seeing wildlife, including elephants, close at hand). Wherever possible we will bring a focus upon human development issues, and also try to learn as much as possible about local expressive culture, particularly music. Your fieldwork skills will be brought into play as you learn through participant observation and informal interviews, as well as audio-visual documentation and fieldnotes.

Preparation and Resources

See Preparing for the Ghana program.

On that page, required and optional course resources (books, articles, music, video, etc.) are listed here.

Assignments and grading

Assignments

Participation

In order to learn, it is essential to participate fully in the program. Beyond completing reading and writing assignments, you must attend every class (this means arriving to class on time!), take notes, engage in discussion or play/sing/dance (as appropriate), as well as attend every mandatory activity, except in cases of dire illness. It is equally important to make every effort to engage yourself with life in Ghana beyond the classroom.

Reading

Readings include (1) scholarly articles, (2) scholarly book chapters, (3) textbooks; (4) literature (novels, short stories, poems, plays)

Some readings are optional, while others are required. I assign at least one reading to accompany every lecture, providing you with research by the lecturer whenever possible.

Bear in mind that you do not need to read every word of every reading - rather your aim is to locate and absorb the main points of each. If you encounter something you do not understand, try to move on, and ask.

Some of the required readings are marked with an asterisk (*). These are the readings for which everyone (undergraduate and graduate students) must prepare a one-notecard reading review (see writing assignments below).

Other readings are marked with a dollar sign ($). Graduate students must prepare reading reviews for these readings as well. Undergraduates can do so for extra credit.

Just because you're not preparing a reading review doesn't mean you shouldn't do the reading! Your papers should cite as many readings as possible. In any case, your education is in your own hands...

NB: All readings are as yet TBD.

Listening, viewing

I've included also a selection of listenings and viewings, some required, others optional, often linked to the various lectures or professors from whom you'll be learning. You can listen online, usually for free (but better do so in advance of travel); most materials can also be downloaded, and heard/watched in Ghana if you bring a laptop.

Writing

These short assignments are designed to encourage reflection, analytical thinking, and synthesis, drawing on both academic work and experience. Page lengths refer to 1.5 spaced pages, 12 pt font, 1 inch margins. You may use 4x6 notecards for the reading reviews (see below), or submit them as computer files of equivalent length.

Papers will be due two weeks after the program concludes, giving you a chance to digest information and reflect after you return home; writing more than notecards and fieldnotes in the field will be difficult due to environment, and time constraints. Notecards (lecture notes, reading reviews) are due by Monday evening following the week in which they're assigned. Field notes will be graded towards the end of our stay in Tolon. Papers and the blog's URL can be submitted by email.

Click here for general Guidelines. Click links provided below for additional detail and resources relevant to each assignment.

Standards for graduate students will be higher (in length, and in sophistication) than for undergraduates; please see me for clarification. Some readings which are optional for undergrads may be mandatory for grads.

  • Reading review cards. For each required reading (article or book chapter) marked by an asterisk (*) you will prepare one 4x6 notecard (or computer file of same length) with your name and the title of the reading on the top line (name at the left, title to the right). Below, you will provide a succinct summary and critique of the reading. In your summary, indicate coverage and main points; in your critique, indicate limitations, authorial biases and implicit assumptions. These are very short writing assignments. I will return cards to you for use in other assignments. Again, prepare reviews only for readings followed by an asterisk (*), below. Grad students must also prepare review cards for readings marked with a dollar sign ($).
  • Grad students only: Book report on book (TBD)' $. (required for grad students, extra credit for others). Grad students will read this book and write a book report about it, summarizing and critiquing its logic, with reference to your own fieldwork in the area (note: unlike other reading reviews, this report should be at least 2 pages in length and will count for three ordinary notecard reviews). For undergraduates, this is an extra-credit assignment.
  • Fieldnotes and blog. You will take daily fieldnotes in a journal, in which you record your experiences in Ghana, particularly while traveling or living in the village (but also on campus), reflecting on the relations between music, culture, society, and history. Write about music, people you see, hear, or meet, conversations, sights and sounds and smells, behaviors, food, dress, language, TV programs. Note that this is not a diary in which you list the day's events!  Rather, good fieldnotes demonstrate your powers of observation, synthesis, and interpretation:  record, gather, interpret and assess your experiences; compare them and interpret differences. Pose questions to yourself, and answer them ("why are things this way here, that way there?"). Reflexivity - training your observation on yourself,  your own position in the field, and your relation to others, is helpful (but don't include very personal comments you don't wish me to read). Whenever possible, make comparative references to course readings, lectures, videos, and audio recordings - does your experience accord with what you have read or heard, or not? How can your experience be interpreted in light of coursework? 10-15 minutes daily--a couple of solid pages-- is all that is required, though some of you may wish to write more. Very Important: Do not wait to write - good fieldnotes are written daily, preferably just before sleep (which causes more forgetting that you may imagine). Common practice is to carry a tiny notebook with you, where you can jot ideas and observations you may otherwise forget.  Then in the evening expand these jottings for the day's fieldnotes entry.  Your notes can be supplemented with documented audio-visual recordings (photographs, sounds, video) - you may need to establish a system for connecting various media (which photo was taken at which event?). When you return home (or from Ghana if possible) you'll create a multimedia blog, using these materials selectively. Your fieldnotes will be handed in and then returned to you, and your blog will be public:  therefore please do not write anything in the journal you do not want me to read, or include anything in the blog you don't want the world to see! (You may wish to keep a second private journal as well, a diary, which need not be handed in.)
  • Development and West African literature. You'll each read one West African novel (your choice--there are plenty to choose from in the University of Ghana campus bookstore, which we'll visit early on - many not readily available outside Ghana, particularly Ghanaian literature), and prepare an essay about these works (reading review cards are not required). Interpret the novel from a development perspective, drawing on critical perspectives of history, politics, linguistics, religious studies, oral tradition, and other fields as presented in INT D 325/530 readings and lectures, as well as your general knowledge of West African history and culture. Cite all sources!
  • Expressive culture and development in Ghana. Using everything that you've learned in the three courses, and via other experiences traveling and living in Ghana, you'll write an essay explaining how and why expressive culture is important for development, due to its strong connections to social structures and identities. Draw on all readings, including background on culture and history of West Africa.
  • CSL reports: You will write two short summary reports on the two components of your CSL experiences, reflecting on objectives, methods, results, accomplishments, assessments, and challenges:
    • Tamale: dance dramas, development, and urban youth
    • Tolon: assessing the efficacy of community and school-based dance drama groups.
  • Fieldwork projects: In preparation for these projects, which will unfold across the program, I will deliver several lectures on ethnographic fieldwork, with attention to both technical and ethical issues, focussing on various techniques, including interview, participant-observation, fieldnotes, AV recording.
    • Interview projects . There will be two collaborative class fieldwork projects drawing on interviews, one centered on  life in Ghana, the other on musical change: (1) Working in Ghana. Transposing Studs Terkel's famous book about American workers to Ghana, we'll compile a set of interviews documenting work Ghanaians do, including domestic work, and professions ranging from minister to fisherman. What do people do all day, and how do they feel about it? How does work reflect development issues? You may carry out this interview project throughout the program. (2) Development and Musical change in Tolon. During our two week stay in Tolon we'll conduct a collaborative oral history about socio-musical change in the region, and the factors (social, political, technological...) underlying such change. Everyone will conduct as many interviews as possible, and hand in transcripts, summaries, photos, and analyses. How is intergenerational continuity and social identity impacted by rapid musical change? After returning home we'll add these materials to a website dedicated to the topic. You'll write up both projects as ethnographic reports, to be submitted along with your other assignments.
    • Ethnography of traditional medicine . A description and analysis of traditional health and healing practices, including use of performance, ritual, music and dance. In this assignment you'll deploy your participant-observation skills and comparative analytical skills, drawing on observations in Accra, Tamale, Tolon, and other locations we may visit. How is traditional medicine more than just "herbs"? How does performance enter in? What is the role of traditional medicine (ethnomedicine) in development? How should it (can it) be twinned with biomedicine (western medicine)? What are the issues at stake?


All papers should cite course materials: assignments (readings and audio-visual materials) and lectures (by lecturer and date), as well as drawing on primary field experience; include a "references cited" section at the end of your paper. Your grade will depend in part on how thoroughly you can integrate these materials into your argument. Expectations for graduate students will be considerably higher in this regard.

Detailed instructions and requirements for a number of these assignments are available here.

Practicing

These assignments are not handed in, and thus are not graded. But that doesn't mean they aren't important! Remember: "practice makes perfect!". You learn both music and language in similar ways: by doing.

  • Dagbani language. Practice lessons, by listening and repeating phrases. Audio recordings are essential for learning any modern language, but especially for a tonal language such as Ewe. Ideally you should try to bring a recording device to class.
  • Music x44. You must practice music presented in Music x44, by reviewing drumming/dancing patterns, practicing with your colleagues, and listening (if possible try to record your lessons). I suggest you purchase a drum.

Evaluated performance

  • Music and dancing. I will receive feedback from music and dance instructors in x44. Here what counts is dedication and progress, not level - you don't have to be gifted in music, dance, or drama to do well in this course!

Grading

All coursework will be graded on a scale from 1-4 points. These grades will be combined (according to the percentage weights given below), then rounded to the nearest value in the following table, in order to arrive at a final grade for each course. Unexcused late assignments will be downgraded one quarter point per day.

Table

  • A: 4.0
  • A-: 3.7
  • B+: 3.3
  • B: 3.0
  • B-: 2.7
  • C+: 2.3
  • C: 2.0
  • C-: 1.7
  • D+: 1.3
  • D: 1.0
  • F: 0.0

Weighting


  • Music 144/444/544: Participation (70%); CSL reports (15%); Expressive culture and development in Ghana (15%). Your final grade will depend primarily on active participation, not on proficiency in music and dance sessions. However it is essential to practice and participate actively in all domains--singing, percussion, dancing--to the best of your ability.
  • Music 365/565: Reading review cards for required Music 365 readings marked with an asterisk (all) or dollar sign (grad only) (15%); fieldnotes/blog (15%); interview project: Musical change (15%); music and healing (10%); Expressive culture and development in Ghana (15%); CSL reports (15%); participation (15%)
  • INT D 325/530: Reading review cards for required INT D 325/530 readings marked with an asterisk (all) and dollar sign (grad only) (15%); fieldnotes/blog (15%); interview project: Working (15%); literature and development (20%); map quiz (5%); Expressive culture and development in Ghana (15%); participation (15%)

Official statements

Course prerequisites: none
Course-based ethics approval, Community service learning: YES
Past or representative evaluative course material: NAr
Additional mandatory instruction fees: No

Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar. (GFC 29 SEP 2003).

Academic Integrity
“The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentBehaviour.aspx ) and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.

Learning and working environment
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment. The department urges anyone who feels that this policy is being violated to: • Discuss the matter with the person whose behaviour is causing concern; or • If that discussion is unsatisfactory, or there is concern that direct discussion is inappropriate or threatening, discuss it with the Chair of the Department. For additional advice or assistance regarding this policy you may contact the student ombudservice: (http://www.ombudservice.ualberta.ca/ ). Information about the University of Alberta Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures is described in UAPPOL at https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca/PoliciesProcedures/Pages/DispPol.aspx?PID=110

Academic Honesty:
All students should consult the information provided by the Office of Judicial Affairs regarding avoiding cheating and plagiarism in particular and academic dishonesty in general (see the Academic Integrity Undergraduate Handbook and Information for Students). If in doubt about what is permitted in this class, ask the instructor. Students involved in language courses and translation courses should be aware that on-line “translation engines” produce very dubious and unreliable “translations.” Students in language courses should be aware that, while seeking the advice of native or expert speakers is often helpful, excessive editorial and creative help in assignments is considered a form of “cheating” that violates the code of student conduct with dire consequences. An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Academic Discipline Process.

Recording of Lectures:
Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the instructor.

Attendance, Absences, and Missed Grade Components:
Regular attendance is essential for optimal performance in any course. In cases of potentially excusable absences due to illness or domestic affliction, notify your instructor by e-mail within two days. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for addressing course components missed as a result, consult sections 23.3(1) and 23.5.6 of the University Calendar. Be aware that unexcused absences will result in partial or total loss of the grade for the “attendance and participation” component(s) of a course, as well as for any assignments that are not handed-in or completed as a result. In this course, 10% of your grade depends on regular attendance and energetic participation.

Policy for Late Assignments:
See section on Evaluation, above.

Specialized Support & Disability Services:
If you have special needs that could affect your performance in this class, please let me know during the first week of the term so that appropriate arrangements can be made. If you are not already registered with Specialized Support & Disability Services, contact their office immediately ( 2-800 SUB; Email ssdsrec@ualberta.ca; Email; phone 780-492-3381; WEB www.ssds.ualberta.ca ).

Media Archives and Departmental Broadcasting of Audio-visual Material
Audio or video recording of performances, lectures, seminars, or any other academic or research environment activities are carried out by the Department of Music for archival purposes. These archives may be collected and housed in the Music Library. Recorded material is to be used solely for non-profit, educational, research, and community outreach purposes, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without obtaining the express permission from all parties involved. Please be advised that your solo or group performance may be featured on the University of Alberta's Department of Music website and/or social media platform(s). If you object to this use of audio and/or video material in which you will be included, please advise your instructor or the Department of Music in writing prior to participating in any performance, lecture, seminar or public event held by the Department of Music.

Assignments: Readings, listenings, watchings (TENTATIVE)

Course materials are listed below, grouped with the corresponding course segment. Most materials must be acquired in advance - either purchased, or downloaded. Many readings are available online, but your Internet access in Ghana will be a bit sporadic, so don't count on acquiring materials there. You can download/print the essentials, or bring an electronic device (laptop or kindle or...) allowing you to read without printing.


Assignments are listed in three groups:

  1. Before arriving in Ghana: please do these before your departure
  2. Associated with specific teachers: please do these before meeting the teacher. I've tried not only to provide relevant assignments, but also the teacher's own works. TBD.
  3. Associated with travel: please do these before we arrive at the stated destination. TBD.

For course materials, see Preparing for the Ghana Program

Before arriving in Ghana please read, listen, and watch as follows:

Music 365/565 pre-program assignments

Read:

Required readings:

J. H. Kwabena Nketia - The Music of Africa (Norton, 1974). Prof. Nketia is the foremost living ethnomusicologist of African music, as well as one of the most important ethnomusicologists in the history of the field, and one of Ghana's foremost composers. This is his classic work. Please read chapters 1-4,10,20-21. Skim Section 2 (chapters 5-9). He's one of our teachers at Legon, so please save up your questions and ask him in person.

African Music, African Sensibility, by John Miller Chernoff (University Of Chicago Press, 1981). Chapters 1 & also 2, if you can. (I do recommend this book for purchase; it's a classic.)

Popular Music in Africa, by Angela Impey

Required to listen/read:

Listen to two CDs we helped produce, and read the notes:

  • Kinka: Traditional songs from Avenorpedo*. Please purchase this CD with accompanying liner notes, as explained in the preparation section.
  • Giving Voice to Hope: Music of Liberian Refugees In the past we visited the Buduburam camp where this music was produced. Now the camp has been closed. Please order the album to learn about the project, and help support these refugee musicians. Minimally, listen to the exerpts online at the above link, and read notes. See Giving Voice to Hope for the subsequent evolution of this project. Think about what music (ethnomusicology?) can do to change the world for the better...


Listen to required audio from both Smithsonian Folkways and Contemporary World Music series, and read their liner notes.

You can read the liner notes anytime, but may not be able to access the internet in order to listen while in Ghana. You don't necessarily have to listen to every track in full, but get a sense of the music. You can find all materials online via our Library, but if you'd like to purchase you may also do so via emusic.com and other web retail services.

Smithsonian Folkways:

Contemporary World Music:

Required to Watch:

Listening to the Silence: African Cross Rhythms* (featuring Ewe music, Prof. John Collins, and many other wonderful things)

Highlife: Ghana's Musical Soul (History of Highlife)


Optional readings:

Music in Africa. Read Overview by Gerhard Kubik (which will work well with the opening chapters of Shillington); skim the rest for whatever interests you.

West African Music, by Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje. Skim for gist, linking to your historical readings.


Other materials can be read/watched in Ghana (listed below by instructor and location).

Music 300/500 pre-program assignments

Required to read:

  • History of Africa, 3rd edition - Shillington. Read these chapters--providing a background to modern West Africa--now. Other chapters--from nationalism to the present--will be read in Ghana. The publisher's website  for this book contains some additional materials you may like to browse or download. Note: No reading cards are required for Shillington, however I expect you to draw on this material in your final essays - and to cite it!
    • Prehistory: read chapters 1 and chapter 2, pp. 22-30
    • The Iron Age in West Africa: read chapter 3, pp.43-46,54-56, map 3.1
    • Background on North Africa and Islam: read chapter 5, pp. 69-75, 79-84
    • Trans-Saharan trade and medieval West African state of Ghana, Mali, Songhay: chapters 6, 7 (read in full)
    • Atlantic slave trade: chapters 12, 13 (read in full)
    • West-central Africa to the 18th century: read chapter 14, pp. 203-207
    • West African in the 19th century: chapter 16 (read in full)
  • Ghana: An Oxfam Country Profile, by Julie Naylor. A wonderful, readable overview, and a free download from Oxfam. (Optionally you can also read chapter 1 and skim chapter 2 in the thoroughly excellent Library of Congress Ghana country study. I used to assign this book, but it's seriously out of date, and a bit dry...)

Required to watch:

Please watch the latter six parts from Basil Davidson's acclaimed BBC Africa series (first two parts optional), created in 1984. Though dated in some ways, they're outstanding. Far more than an academic observer, Davidson, who passed away only recently, in 2010, at the age of 95 (see this obituary in The Guardian ), was an activist journalist and historian, a charismatic, outstanding, and scathing critic of Europe's colonial history and imperial present, and a prolific writer. A white British citizen, he traveled throughout Africa, at the cusp of independence, where he got to know its people from the inside, and participated as an important voice of its nationalist and post-colonial history. Davidson wrote over 30 books, including histories and novels. These films will stick with you.


Browse:

Browse the Ethnologue's Languages of Ghana, and note the distribution of languages on a map.

Note the position of Ewe within the Niger-Congo family.

Browse The souls of black folk, by W.E.B Dubois (optional). We will visit the Dubois Center in Accra. You don't have to read this long work, but simply try to develop an appreciation for the tremendous importance of his writings for modern pan-African history.

Browse Maps.


Study geography:

Also please learn to locate all the countries of Africa (and, optionally, their capitals) using this interactive map quiz for countries, and this one for capitals. I will give you a map quiz at some point during the course, and you can study again in Ghana. But the online materials make studying easier -- dare I say fun?


Optional reading: you may like to get a start on your West African literature assignment. At the University of Ghana you can browse a large collection of novels and plays, but you can also order a novel in advance. See some suggestions here.

In Ghana

Other materials can be read/watched in Ghana (listed below by instructor and location). NB: this section is especially subject to change, depending on scheduling of instructors...

Music 144/444/544

Read chapters 1 & 2 from African Music, African Sensibility*, by John Miller Chernoff.

Listen to Kinka: Traditional Songs from Avenorpedo and read the notes.

Listen to Ewe music of Ghana and read the notes.

Aaron Bebe is a master xylophonist and seprewa player. Kofi Atenteben is a master of the atenteben, an Akan  flute adapted by the famous Ghanaian composer Ephraim Amu

Read Documenting spoken and sung texts of the Dagaaba*

Bewaare: They Are Coming - Degaare Songs and Dances from Nandom, Ghana (Pan (Netherlands), PAN 2052CD, 1995); listen and read notes

Seprewa Kasa performed by Korankye, Osei; Kyerematen, Baffour & Banaman, Alfred Kari (Riverboat, 330051); listen and read notes.

Music 365/565

The following reading list will be revised - stay tuned:

Music:


Dance:


  • Read: African Music, African Sensibility*, by John Miller Chernoff (University of Chicago Press, 1981). Chapter 2 (review - you should have already read this; if you haven't, read it!)



The following should already have been completed pre-trip:




INT D 325/530

Note that in addition to the following readings, you'll each read one novel by a West African author (your choice--there are plenty to choose from in the campus bookstore), as well as Kofi Anyidoho's essay The Pan African Ideal in Literatures of the Black World.

Language and society:



Review the following:

Ethnologue report for Ghana and Language map of Ghana (browse)

History of Ghana:

  • Read: Shillington on modern West African history: chapter 20 (focus on West Africa), ch. 21 (pp. 311-324), ch. 22 (fig. 22.3 on p. 334), ch. 23 (pp. 343-349, 353-360), ch. 24, ch. 25, ch. 26 (p. 389-396), ch. 29 (pp. 433-443), ch. 30, ch. 31 (pp. 458-460, 464-469), ch. 32 (pp. 479-481)
  • Optionally examine Ghana country study Chapter 1, sections 7.1 - 7.4 (Browse according to your interests. This work is dated but informative.)

Religion:

Read his article: Return home movements in Ghana*

Story telling:

Read his Story-telling: A crossroad to interdisciplinary Pedagogy and National Development*

Indigenous slave trade:

Review: Shillington, chapters 12, 16 

Read: A History of Indigenous Slavery in Ghana*, by Prof. Akosua Perbi, Introduction and Chapter 1. (A wonderful book, available for purchase in Ghana.)

Women writing:

Read her Women Writing Africa: West Africa and the Sahel* (Introduction) A rich and extensive treatment of women's writing in the region, with attention to "orature" - skim, then focus on what interests you the most.


Oral literature:


Optional: Oral literature of Mali - the Griot

Dagomba:



Also see this recent article from the Globe and Mail


Slave trade:

Watch the following films:

Changing Nature: Population and Environment at a Crossroads. A view of Ghana's environmental issues, especially the rain forests, and their relation to human health and economic welfare...

Dark passages (Slave trade)

Door of no return (Slave trade)

Optional: Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North. Katrina Browne was shocked to discover that her distinguished Rhode Island forebears had been part of the largest slave-trading dynasty in American history. Once she started digging, Browne found the evidence everywhere—in ledgers, ships’ logs, letters, and even in a local nursery rhyme. This film documents one family’s painful confrontation with their ancestors’ involvement in the slave trade, and in so doing reveals the pivotal role slavery played in the growth of the American economy.

Kumasi

Tamale

Retrieved from "https://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/fwa_mediawiki/index.php?title=Ghana_2017_syllabi&oldid=3448204"