Write an essay of roughly 1,000 words on colonial rule in Africa.
The Basics:
Write an essay of roughly 1,000 words on colonial rule in Africa.
Colonial rule in Africa is a huge topic. To make it somewhat more manageable, this essay will focus on a theme that isn’t the main focus of most of the lectures: gender in colonial Africa. That’s actually still a huge topic, and so the three readings from this unit approach it from different angles. Lorelle Semley’s book chapter examines two women who exercised political power under the French in colonial Dahomey (present-day Benin). Saheed Aderinto’s article is a history of anti-prostitution campaigns waged by elite African women in Lagos, Nigeria, and the ways that their campaign both did and did not align with British colonial policy. Jane Parpart’s book chapter is about women who moved to mining cities in colonial Zambia, and the many responses that these women provoked among mine owners, African chiefs, and colonial officials.
Your assignment is to write an essay that uses these articles to analyze gender in colonial Africa. If you would like some questions to help guide you, here are some possibilities:
1. Both Semley and Aderinto describe women who had some degree of power under colonial rule. In what ways did these women exercise power? How was their power limited by gender, and/or by colonial rule? Note: if you don’t need an A, you can write this essay using only Semley.
2. Aderinto and Parpart analyze the role of morality in influencing colonial policies toward women. How was morality defined in colonial Zambia and Nigeria? What was the importance of morality in shaping how colonial authorities sought to control what women could, and could not, do? Note: if you don’t need an A, you can write this essay using only Parpart.
3. Both Semley and Parpart describe women doing new things under colonial rule – exercising political power in the case of Semley, and moving to cities in the case of Parpart – and the ways that this both did and did not change broader ideas about gender. In what ways did the histories described by Semley and Parpart bring fundamental change to gender relations? In what ways did gender roles stay the same, even despite these changes?
4. Both Parpart and Aderinto describe how colonial policies related to women were shaped by both the activities of women and by the demands of men. Write an essay that analyzes this dynamic. In what ways were the colonial laws and policies that governed women shaped not by women, but also by the needs and desires of men? Note: if you don’t need an A, you can write this essay using only Aderinto.
5. One big (although unanswerable) historical question is the extent to which social and cultural ideas are shaped by economic or political factors, and vice-versa. Using any two of these articles, write an essay that analyzes either how ideas about gender shaped the economics and politics of colonial rule, or how economic and political concerns under colonial rule shaped gender roles – or both.
As with the first essay, these prompts are just suggestions. You can write another essay on the articles, if you would like. If you wish to go this route, I would urge you to discuss your topic and argument with me before writing the paper, because not every argument will be likely to produce a good essay.
Finally, I want to acknowledge that these are academic articles and chapters, and they can be somewhat dense reading, particularly because you are not familiar with the names or organizations or acronyms that the authors are writing about. But if you are able to give yourself enough time to read them carefully, it shouldn’t be impossible to work your way through them.
The Details:
Just like with the first essay, you are not required or expected to use outside sources. You can use outside sources if you’d like, but if you do use outside sources, then you must cite them properly or risk getting a 0 on the assignment for plagiarism.
Remember: there is no excuse for not citing outside sources that you use. Ignorance and intent do not matter. Any papers that are plagiarized will receive a 0, and you will receive a date with the Honor Board. Do not plagiarize. If you use outside sources, cite them. My preference is for the Chicago/Turabian citation system, but other systems are also acceptable. The key point is that you acknowledge your sources; the format is less important.
As with the first essay, there is no word limit, and if you want to write more, do it. You should write as much as you need in order to fully complete your argument. At the same time, you should not write filler, because no one likes that.
As with the first essay, the quality of your writing will matter when your essays are graded. Take your writing seriously. Avoid misusing words. Avoid typos. Avoid meandering and awkward phrases. Good writing is a valuable skill; do your best to perfect it.
The Rubric (is the same as the first paper, but in case you would like to see it again):
An?A-range paper is clearly written and well-organized. It demonstrates that the writer has conducted a close and critical reading of all of the assigned texts, grappled with the issues raised in the course, and formulated a perceptive, compelling work of analysis.
A?B-range paper demonstrates many aspects of A-level work but falls short in one of several ways. The writing may lack organization and clarity, or the essay may have shortcomings in the formulation and presentation of its argument. It may be well-written, but be lacking in analysis and interpretation. Alternatively, it may not present its insights clearly or convincingly, due to weaknesses in writing, argument, organization, or use of evidence. Lastly, it may be a well-written and well-argued essay that does not effectively use all of the available sources in formulating and supporting its argument.
A?C-range paper offers little more than a mere summary, does not respond to the assignment adequately, suffers from frequent factual errors, unclear writing, poor organization, inadequate research, or presents some combination of these problems.
A?D?paper demonstrates serious deficiencies or severe flaws in the essay, reflecting that the student does not understand the material, or did not respond to the assignment.
An?F?paper demonstrates no competence. It indicates a student’s near-total neglect or lack of effort in writing the essay.
Please use only the files I sent for sources and may you cite the sources in the paper while writing.
Answer preview to Write an essay of roughly 1,000 words on colonial rule in Africa.
APA
1186 words