Student Resources

Learning Objectives

Chapter 1

The African Experience is the only interdisciplinary survey to examine this region of the world from geographic, linguistic, social, historical, and political perspectives.

Drawing on research from all of the social sciences, this text captures Africa in its complex totality. The African Experience helps students develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of Africa, one that allows them to grasp the region’s internal dynamics and its evolving place in the world.

Learning Goals

•        Understand the history and political development of the African continent.
•        Analyze the effects of culture, history, politics, and European imperialism on the African people.

Chapter 2

Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Describe kinship.
• Describe the different forms of marriage.
• Explain nonkinship groups.
• Illustrate the role of an individual in African societies.
• Discuss the family and social life of the people in Africa.
• List the traditional and religious beliefs in Africa.
• Describe the political status of Africa.

Chapter 3

Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Describe the human evolutionary process that took place in prehistoric Africa.
• Describe the birth of political systems and governance in the ancient Egyptian kingdoms and other African civilizations.
• Compare the kingdoms that flourished in African countries during the medieval period.
• Explain how slave trade disrupted political development in early modern Africa.
• Describe how industrialization and European colonization affected the political development in Africa in the nineteenth century.

Chapter 4

Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Discuss the various reasons for European interest in Africa.
• Discuss imperialism in Africa and its rationale.
• Describe the civilizing missions of the European colonizers and Fanon’s Theory of French Racism.
• Analyze the styles of administration employed by colonial authorities in Africa.
• Describe the economic policies and practices of the colonial powers in Africa.
• Discuss whether colonization hurt or helped the African people.

Chapter 5

Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Discuss how colonial oppression, the works of Christian missionaries, and the two world wars gave rise to nationalistic feelings and resistance against colonization among the African people.
• Describe the role of religious associations, trade unions, welfare organizations, and political parties in the struggle for freedom in African nations.

Chapter 6

Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Discuss the decolonization and the transfer of Power in Africa.
• Discuss the various problems faced by the African nationalist leaders at independence.
• Explain the reasons for political instability and violence in independent Africa.
• Discuss the strategies used by African nationalist leaders to build unity and to win public support.
• Discuss the reasons for the downfall of the leaders of independent Africa.
• List the positive changes taken place in Africa after gaining independence.

Chapter 7

Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Identify the circumstances that led independent African nations to consider the need for democracy.
• Describe the political developments in Kenya that prevented it from becoming a truly democratic nation.
• Explain how Mugabe’s dictatorial leadership led to an unsuccessful democracy in Zimbabwe.
• Describe the formation of democracy in Congo and recall the events following it that impaired its successful running.
• Explain the four ways by which transition to democracy has occurred in Cameroon, Congo, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.
• Evaluate the impact of economic reforms by analyzing the recent developments in Africa in terms of eradicating poverty, primary education, women empowerment, and health.
• Analyze the effectiveness of NEPAD in Africa’s renewal and development.

Chapter 8

Upon completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Describe the impact of colonization and the consequences of ideological rivalries within African states.
• Explain the impact of the Cold War on African politics and economics.
• Identify the issues that led to the emergence of the Non-Aligned Movement and Africa’s role in it.
• Describe the challenges faced by the OAU during its formation, and compare and contrast the goals and structures of the OAU and the African Union.
• Compare US policies toward Africa during the various wars and the seventies.
• Describe the Soviet influence on African politics and military.
• Identify four efforts initiated to address Africa’s current socio-economic problems.