Ghana 2017 (History)

“The World and a Very Small Place in Africa” explores historical and contemporary globalization trends from an African perspective. Ghana, a small country in West Africa, is a strong example of increasing and intensifying global connections. In May 2017, our students will get to travel throughout the entire country of Ghana to explore how these “very small places” have always been part of globalization. To prepare students for this experience, our course will place West Africa squarely in the center of the world, rather than treating it as a peripheral region. Our hope is that students will think about the concept of globalization in a more holistic and critical way once they see how another part of the world experiences and contributes to the process of globalization. We will examine the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Black Atlantic connections, colonization, independence movements and the post-colonial experiences in Africa, Pan-Africanism, environmental challenges and opportunities and the more recent focus on sustainable development, heritage sites and the tourism industry, gender dynamics in an industrializing nation, education trends, indigenous religions and the spread of world religions, and the influence of 21st century globalization in technology, pop culture, and public health.