Zebulon Dingley | College of Charleston (original) (raw)

Journal Articles by Zebulon Dingley

The Journal of African History, 2024

This article analyzes the transformation of an image of ritual violence on the Kenyan coast from ... more This article analyzes the transformation of an image of ritual violence on the Kenyan coast from the sixteenth century to the present. Drawing on a range of sources, it shows how understandings of “mung’aro” — a ritual of senior male initiation among Mijikenda-speaking peoples — changed as it became an object of inquiry for generations of missionaries, explorers, colonial administrators, local intellectuals, and foreign historians and anthropologists. In the mid-twentieth century, mung’aro became a key feature of Mijikenda traditions of origin in Singwaya, but in such a way that it reversed the direction of a specific form of ritual violence described in nineteenth-century traditions. By focusing on the transposition and recombination of ritual motifs across practical and discursive modalities (namely, ritual and narrative), this article offers a new approach to “the limits of invention” regarding traditions of origin.

Visual Anthropology, 2023

This article analyzes visual aspects of an otherwise verbal communicative genre: rumor. The focus... more This article analyzes visual aspects of an otherwise verbal communicative genre: rumor. The focus is an episode of public panic in southern coastal Kenya in 2013, about "mumiani"-politically connected gangs said to murder children for their eyes. I argue that widespread defacement of public images during the panic expressed dimensions of mumiani imaginaries that went unspoken in the verbal spread of rumors about them. These defaced images-the eyes of which were scratched out-also evoked regional cultural motifs relating to power, value and rain, expressing in a visual modality both the content of contemporary mumiani fears and the historical associations that make such rumors plausible.

Africa, 2022

This article analyses an episode of public anxiety when, in late 2013, word spread throughout Ken... more This article analyses an episode of public anxiety when, in late 2013, word spread throughout Kenya's rural Lunga Lunga constituency that politically connected gangs called mumiani were abducting and killing children for their eyes, tongues and genitals. The rapid spread of these rumours coincided with a regional drought, parliamentary election campaigns, and the apparent discovery of 'devil worship paraphernalia' inside a shipping container at the nearby port of Mombasa. I analyse the 2013 mumiani scare in relation to histories of famine survival strategies, predatory patronage and occult speculation to argue that the 2013 mumiani panic condensed and expressed these histories in figural rather than temporal form. As 'constellations' of coastal Kenyan historical consciousness, mumiani are (and have long been) a key feature of, and at the same time iconic of, a broader critical discourse about the dark side of political largesse – 'politics by night'.

Journal of Religion and Violence, 2020

This article explores a violent episode in Kenya’s late-colonial history in which a confrontation... more This article explores a violent episode in Kenya’s late-colonial history in which a confrontation between police and members of an anti-colonial religious movement called Dini ya Msambwa resulted an estimated fifty deaths. Drawing on archival documents and interviews with survivors, I reconstruct the event—the “Kolloa Affray,” as it became known—before showing how its violence has been preserved and transformed in the historical theology and ritual practice of the Dini ya Roho Mafuta Pole ya Afrika, which claims to be a continuation of the Msambwa movement. For survivors of the violence itself, and for others who suffered communal punishment in its aftermath, it is an historical wrong for which the British government owes compensation. For the Mafuta Pole faithful, however, the death of Dini ya Msambwa’s leader Lukas Pkech at Kolowa becomes a kind of second crucifixion, “cancelling” the violence of the past and ushering in a new era of forgiveness and reconciliation. The simultaneous preservation and negation of this violent past in Mafuta Pole historical consciousness is shown through an analysis of its discursive, ritual, and memorial practices.

The Journal of African History, 2018

This article analyzes an instance of collective panic about gangs of killers called Watu wa Mumia... more This article analyzes an instance of collective panic about gangs of killers called Watu wa Mumiani (‘Mumiani People’) in Digo District, Kenya in 1945. Popularly believed to work for the colonial government, Watu wa Mumiani were said to abduct Africans from roads and kill them for their blood. I offer an interpretation of this episode in terms of the history of a medicine called Mumia, a nineteenth-century ritual called Mung’aro, regional strategies for surviving famine (including ‘pawning’ kin), and a wartime labor conscription campaign. Rather than emphasize the alterity of ‘vampires’ like Watu wa Mumiani, I show how the 1945 panic articulates concerns about powerful intermediaries, arguing that the stories told about them encode a history of concerns about predatory patrons, especially under conditions of ecological distress.

Syllabi by Zebulon Dingley

This graduate seminar provides a rigorous introduction to a range of efforts from across the soci... more This graduate seminar provides a rigorous introduction to a range of efforts from across the social sciences to theorize the relationship between “history” and “memory.” We will read a broad selection of historical, anthropological, theoretical, and philosophical texts. Our goal is not to arrive at a definition of what history and memory are, or of what the essential differences between them may be, but rather at an understanding of the arguments for, and affordances of, these concepts from a variety of theoretical perspectives. What, for example, are the presuppositions and entailments of construing certain relationships to the past as either “history” or “memory”? What sort of “work” (whether rhetorical, political, analytical, clinical, disciplinary, etc.) does such a distinction “do,” for whom, according to whom, and under what circumstances? When, and why, does such a distinction become meaningful, and what does the elaboration of various sub-fields (e.g., public history, collective memory, etc.) clarify or obscure about the nature of the distinction? What is the relationship between the conceptual pair of “memory” and “history” and forms of forgetting, repression, or erasure, and what is the place of institutions, ritual, language, and violence in mediating that relationship?

This advanced seminar explores recent historical and ethnographic attempts to theorize important ... more This advanced seminar explores recent historical and ethnographic attempts to theorize important dimensions of colonial and post-colonial African popular culture. These include various key media (film, literature, and music), sites (cities), agents ("youth"), and modalities (movement, technology) of cultural production, circulation, and consumption across twentieth and twenty-first century sub

An introduction to the pre-colonial history of sub-Saharan Africa. We will examine (among other t... more An introduction to the pre-colonial history of sub-Saharan Africa. We will examine (among other topics): the rise of West African empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay; the spread of Islam in West and East Africa; the Bantu migrations; Central African kingship myths and Kongo political culture; Great Zimbabwe and its links to Swahili city-states on the East African coast; missionization and Zulu expansion in southern Africa; and the Atlantic Slave Trade, its abolition, and the re-creation of Africa in the Americas by its victims. Through these and other case studies, the course also introduces students to key methods, primary sources, and theories for the study of pre-colonial Africa, including oral history, historical linguistics, archaeology, ethnography, and archival research.

This class offers an introduction to the study of gender and sexuality in African societies. We w... more This class offers an introduction to the study of gender and sexuality in African societies. We will explore not only the cultural construction and ritual production of men and women in Africa, but also how and why these can and do change historically. The course will cover a range of important issues, including kinship and family structure, bridewealth and marriage payments, homosexuality and "woman-woman" marriage, male circumcision and so-called "female genital mutilation," as well as slavery, HIV/AIDS, and human rights. Through a series of historical and ethnographic case studies we will develop a reflexive understanding of how concepts of gender and sexuality shape the ways we understand the history of legal, political, religious, and economic change. GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course meets the following General Education requirements for Humanities: Student Learning Outcome 1: Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments. These outcomes will be assessed through an analysis of a primary source in African religious and ritual history. COURSE PREREQUISITES None. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are expected to attend class having completed the assigned reading and to be prepared actively to participate in class discussions. Please bring a copy of the reading to class to facilitate discussion. Class participation is a large part of the final grade, so please do be prepared to contribute, and to respond to the contributions of others. Each student will be responsible for two in-class presentations of the assigned reading for that day's class. These should be brief (no more than 5 minutes) and should encapsulate the argument and evidence of the reading as well as pose a few questions for discussion. They should not be summaries or outlines of the reading. There will be an online map quiz which all students must pass with a grade of 90% or higher in order to pass the class. You may make as many attempts as it takes. The midterm will be a short primary source analysis assignment in which students will be asked to identify the author, title, and date of a document, as well as describe its historical context and broader significance in detail. Lastly, a 5-7 page final paper will be assigned on the last day of class, due by 17:00 on Wednesday, May 3. REQUIRED TEXTS All course readings will be available online in .pdf format on OAKS. If you have difficulty accessing any of the readings, please let me know as soon as you are aware of the problem.

This class offers an introduction to a broad range of African religious beliefs and ritual practi... more This class offers an introduction to a broad range of African religious beliefs and ritual practices, as well as to a variety of theoretical approaches to their study. We will explore several "classic" topics in the field-spirit possession, divination, initiation, witchcraft, healing, sacrifice, etc.-together with the history of so-called "world religions" (like Christianity and Islam) in Africa. We will approach these through case studies drawn from across the continent from the precolonial period to the present, carefully situating each in their social and historical context. Along the way, we will query each of the three terms of the course title: What is "ritual," for example? How do we know it when we see it? What do we mean by "religion"? And in what sense are any of these "African"? GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course meets the following General Education requirements for Humanities: Student Learning Outcome 1: Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments. These outcomes will be assessed through an analysis of a primary source in African religious and ritual history.

This course provides students with an introduction to the economic history of sub-Saharan Africa ... more This course provides students with an introduction to the economic history of sub-Saharan Africa from the precolonial period to the present. Our focus throughout will be what large-scale economic processes mean to ordinary people. How is value produced, exchanged, and consumed? How is the economy embedded in other domains of life, such as kinship, religion, and politics? Moving between macro-and micro-scales, we will explore (among other topics): the Atlantic Slave Trade; precolonial economic formations; colonial transformations of concepts of ownership, property, and wealth; migrant labor and marriage payments; "corruption" and "hyperinflation;" and structural adjustment programs, neoliberalization, and "occult economies." GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course meets the following General Education requirements for Humanities: Student Learning Outcome 1: Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments. These outcomes will be assessed through an analysis of a primary source in African economic history. COURSE PREREQUISITES None. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are expected to attend class having completed the assigned reading and to be prepared actively to participate in class discussions. Please bring a copy of the reading to class to facilitate discussion. Class participation is a large part of the final grade, so please do be prepared to contribute, and to respond to the contributions of others. Each student will be responsible for two in-class presentations of the assigned reading for that day's class. These should be brief (no more than 5 minutes) and should encapsulate the argument and evidence of the reading as well as pose a few questions for discussion. They should not be summaries or outlines of the reading. There will be an online map quiz which all students must pass with a grade of 90% or higher in order to pass the class. You may make as many attempts as it takes. The midterm will be a short primary source analysis assignment in which students will be asked to identify the author, title, and date of a document, as well as describe its historical context and broader significance in detail. Lastly, a 5-7 page final paper will be assigned on the last day of class, due by 17:00 on Monday, December 13. REQUIRED TEXTS All course readings will be available online in .pdf format on OAKS. If you have difficulty accessing any of the readings, please let me know as soon as you are aware of the problem. COURSE POLICIES Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when identified, are investigated. Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved. Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from the instructor. Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook at: http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honorsystem/studenthandbook/index.php ATTENDANCE: Class attendance and participation are course requirements, and count toward your final grade. Attendance will be taken at the start of each class. If you will miss classes for, e.g., approved athletic events, religious holidays, or because of illness, let the professor know as soon as possible so that rescheduling arrangements can be made.

This course introduces students to a range of beliefs and practices in Africa frequently referred... more This course introduces students to a range of beliefs and practices in Africa frequently referred to as "Witchcraft." We will approach these phenomena and ideas about them not as mere cultural exotica, but rather as sophisticated forms of theory and practice. Through a series of case studies drawn from across the African continent, the course poses a number related questions: Is witchcraft irrational? Is it a matter of belief? How is it related to other aspects of politics, economy, and society? How do we explain observable patterns in witchcraft accusations? Is witchcraft a crime? In addressing these and other questions we will explore theories of rationality and emotion, intentionality and embodiment, mediation and representation, and engage "witchcraft" in African history as a symbolic idiom, moral philosophy of nature, and theory of political economy. GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course meets the following General Education requirements for Humanities: Student Learning Outcome 1: Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments. These outcomes will be assessed through an analysis of a primary source in African history dealing with "witchcraft" or "the occult." COURSE PREREQUISITES None. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are expected to attend class having completed the assigned reading and prepared actively to participate in class discussions. Please bring a copy of the reading to class to facilitate discussion. Class participation is a large part of the final grade, so students should be prepared to contribute and to respond to the contributions of others. Students will also write short (~1 page) weekly response papers for each week's reading assignments. These will be due by 17:00 on Friday each week and may ***Final Paper Topics will be distributed in class on Monday, April 19*** ***Final Papers are Due on Wednesday, April 28 by 17:00***

Conference Presentations by Zebulon Dingley

African Studies Association Annual Meeting, November 16–20, 2021

Frederick Douglass Institute New Directions Symposium, University of Rochester, 18-19 April 2019.

Bodies, Memories, Landscapes Conference, University of Chicago, 12 April 2019

On Suspicion and the Contemporary Conference, Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, Un... more On Suspicion and the Contemporary Conference, Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, April 19-20, 2018.

Society for the Anthropology of Religion biennial conference, New Orleans, May 15-17 2017

American Ethnological Society Conference, "Exposure," March 30–April 1, 2017.

American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, November 16-20, 2016.

Satterthwaite Colloquium on African Religion and Ritual, Grasmere, England, 2016

The Journal of African History, 2024

This article analyzes the transformation of an image of ritual violence on the Kenyan coast from ... more This article analyzes the transformation of an image of ritual violence on the Kenyan coast from the sixteenth century to the present. Drawing on a range of sources, it shows how understandings of “mung’aro” — a ritual of senior male initiation among Mijikenda-speaking peoples — changed as it became an object of inquiry for generations of missionaries, explorers, colonial administrators, local intellectuals, and foreign historians and anthropologists. In the mid-twentieth century, mung’aro became a key feature of Mijikenda traditions of origin in Singwaya, but in such a way that it reversed the direction of a specific form of ritual violence described in nineteenth-century traditions. By focusing on the transposition and recombination of ritual motifs across practical and discursive modalities (namely, ritual and narrative), this article offers a new approach to “the limits of invention” regarding traditions of origin.

Visual Anthropology, 2023

This article analyzes visual aspects of an otherwise verbal communicative genre: rumor. The focus... more This article analyzes visual aspects of an otherwise verbal communicative genre: rumor. The focus is an episode of public panic in southern coastal Kenya in 2013, about "mumiani"-politically connected gangs said to murder children for their eyes. I argue that widespread defacement of public images during the panic expressed dimensions of mumiani imaginaries that went unspoken in the verbal spread of rumors about them. These defaced images-the eyes of which were scratched out-also evoked regional cultural motifs relating to power, value and rain, expressing in a visual modality both the content of contemporary mumiani fears and the historical associations that make such rumors plausible.

Africa, 2022

This article analyses an episode of public anxiety when, in late 2013, word spread throughout Ken... more This article analyses an episode of public anxiety when, in late 2013, word spread throughout Kenya's rural Lunga Lunga constituency that politically connected gangs called mumiani were abducting and killing children for their eyes, tongues and genitals. The rapid spread of these rumours coincided with a regional drought, parliamentary election campaigns, and the apparent discovery of 'devil worship paraphernalia' inside a shipping container at the nearby port of Mombasa. I analyse the 2013 mumiani scare in relation to histories of famine survival strategies, predatory patronage and occult speculation to argue that the 2013 mumiani panic condensed and expressed these histories in figural rather than temporal form. As 'constellations' of coastal Kenyan historical consciousness, mumiani are (and have long been) a key feature of, and at the same time iconic of, a broader critical discourse about the dark side of political largesse – 'politics by night'.

Journal of Religion and Violence, 2020

This article explores a violent episode in Kenya’s late-colonial history in which a confrontation... more This article explores a violent episode in Kenya’s late-colonial history in which a confrontation between police and members of an anti-colonial religious movement called Dini ya Msambwa resulted an estimated fifty deaths. Drawing on archival documents and interviews with survivors, I reconstruct the event—the “Kolloa Affray,” as it became known—before showing how its violence has been preserved and transformed in the historical theology and ritual practice of the Dini ya Roho Mafuta Pole ya Afrika, which claims to be a continuation of the Msambwa movement. For survivors of the violence itself, and for others who suffered communal punishment in its aftermath, it is an historical wrong for which the British government owes compensation. For the Mafuta Pole faithful, however, the death of Dini ya Msambwa’s leader Lukas Pkech at Kolowa becomes a kind of second crucifixion, “cancelling” the violence of the past and ushering in a new era of forgiveness and reconciliation. The simultaneous preservation and negation of this violent past in Mafuta Pole historical consciousness is shown through an analysis of its discursive, ritual, and memorial practices.

The Journal of African History, 2018

This article analyzes an instance of collective panic about gangs of killers called Watu wa Mumia... more This article analyzes an instance of collective panic about gangs of killers called Watu wa Mumiani (‘Mumiani People’) in Digo District, Kenya in 1945. Popularly believed to work for the colonial government, Watu wa Mumiani were said to abduct Africans from roads and kill them for their blood. I offer an interpretation of this episode in terms of the history of a medicine called Mumia, a nineteenth-century ritual called Mung’aro, regional strategies for surviving famine (including ‘pawning’ kin), and a wartime labor conscription campaign. Rather than emphasize the alterity of ‘vampires’ like Watu wa Mumiani, I show how the 1945 panic articulates concerns about powerful intermediaries, arguing that the stories told about them encode a history of concerns about predatory patrons, especially under conditions of ecological distress.

This graduate seminar provides a rigorous introduction to a range of efforts from across the soci... more This graduate seminar provides a rigorous introduction to a range of efforts from across the social sciences to theorize the relationship between “history” and “memory.” We will read a broad selection of historical, anthropological, theoretical, and philosophical texts. Our goal is not to arrive at a definition of what history and memory are, or of what the essential differences between them may be, but rather at an understanding of the arguments for, and affordances of, these concepts from a variety of theoretical perspectives. What, for example, are the presuppositions and entailments of construing certain relationships to the past as either “history” or “memory”? What sort of “work” (whether rhetorical, political, analytical, clinical, disciplinary, etc.) does such a distinction “do,” for whom, according to whom, and under what circumstances? When, and why, does such a distinction become meaningful, and what does the elaboration of various sub-fields (e.g., public history, collective memory, etc.) clarify or obscure about the nature of the distinction? What is the relationship between the conceptual pair of “memory” and “history” and forms of forgetting, repression, or erasure, and what is the place of institutions, ritual, language, and violence in mediating that relationship?

This advanced seminar explores recent historical and ethnographic attempts to theorize important ... more This advanced seminar explores recent historical and ethnographic attempts to theorize important dimensions of colonial and post-colonial African popular culture. These include various key media (film, literature, and music), sites (cities), agents ("youth"), and modalities (movement, technology) of cultural production, circulation, and consumption across twentieth and twenty-first century sub

An introduction to the pre-colonial history of sub-Saharan Africa. We will examine (among other t... more An introduction to the pre-colonial history of sub-Saharan Africa. We will examine (among other topics): the rise of West African empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay; the spread of Islam in West and East Africa; the Bantu migrations; Central African kingship myths and Kongo political culture; Great Zimbabwe and its links to Swahili city-states on the East African coast; missionization and Zulu expansion in southern Africa; and the Atlantic Slave Trade, its abolition, and the re-creation of Africa in the Americas by its victims. Through these and other case studies, the course also introduces students to key methods, primary sources, and theories for the study of pre-colonial Africa, including oral history, historical linguistics, archaeology, ethnography, and archival research.

This class offers an introduction to the study of gender and sexuality in African societies. We w... more This class offers an introduction to the study of gender and sexuality in African societies. We will explore not only the cultural construction and ritual production of men and women in Africa, but also how and why these can and do change historically. The course will cover a range of important issues, including kinship and family structure, bridewealth and marriage payments, homosexuality and "woman-woman" marriage, male circumcision and so-called "female genital mutilation," as well as slavery, HIV/AIDS, and human rights. Through a series of historical and ethnographic case studies we will develop a reflexive understanding of how concepts of gender and sexuality shape the ways we understand the history of legal, political, religious, and economic change. GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course meets the following General Education requirements for Humanities: Student Learning Outcome 1: Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments. These outcomes will be assessed through an analysis of a primary source in African religious and ritual history. COURSE PREREQUISITES None. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are expected to attend class having completed the assigned reading and to be prepared actively to participate in class discussions. Please bring a copy of the reading to class to facilitate discussion. Class participation is a large part of the final grade, so please do be prepared to contribute, and to respond to the contributions of others. Each student will be responsible for two in-class presentations of the assigned reading for that day's class. These should be brief (no more than 5 minutes) and should encapsulate the argument and evidence of the reading as well as pose a few questions for discussion. They should not be summaries or outlines of the reading. There will be an online map quiz which all students must pass with a grade of 90% or higher in order to pass the class. You may make as many attempts as it takes. The midterm will be a short primary source analysis assignment in which students will be asked to identify the author, title, and date of a document, as well as describe its historical context and broader significance in detail. Lastly, a 5-7 page final paper will be assigned on the last day of class, due by 17:00 on Wednesday, May 3. REQUIRED TEXTS All course readings will be available online in .pdf format on OAKS. If you have difficulty accessing any of the readings, please let me know as soon as you are aware of the problem.

This class offers an introduction to a broad range of African religious beliefs and ritual practi... more This class offers an introduction to a broad range of African religious beliefs and ritual practices, as well as to a variety of theoretical approaches to their study. We will explore several "classic" topics in the field-spirit possession, divination, initiation, witchcraft, healing, sacrifice, etc.-together with the history of so-called "world religions" (like Christianity and Islam) in Africa. We will approach these through case studies drawn from across the continent from the precolonial period to the present, carefully situating each in their social and historical context. Along the way, we will query each of the three terms of the course title: What is "ritual," for example? How do we know it when we see it? What do we mean by "religion"? And in what sense are any of these "African"? GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course meets the following General Education requirements for Humanities: Student Learning Outcome 1: Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments. These outcomes will be assessed through an analysis of a primary source in African religious and ritual history.

This course provides students with an introduction to the economic history of sub-Saharan Africa ... more This course provides students with an introduction to the economic history of sub-Saharan Africa from the precolonial period to the present. Our focus throughout will be what large-scale economic processes mean to ordinary people. How is value produced, exchanged, and consumed? How is the economy embedded in other domains of life, such as kinship, religion, and politics? Moving between macro-and micro-scales, we will explore (among other topics): the Atlantic Slave Trade; precolonial economic formations; colonial transformations of concepts of ownership, property, and wealth; migrant labor and marriage payments; "corruption" and "hyperinflation;" and structural adjustment programs, neoliberalization, and "occult economies." GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course meets the following General Education requirements for Humanities: Student Learning Outcome 1: Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments. These outcomes will be assessed through an analysis of a primary source in African economic history. COURSE PREREQUISITES None. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are expected to attend class having completed the assigned reading and to be prepared actively to participate in class discussions. Please bring a copy of the reading to class to facilitate discussion. Class participation is a large part of the final grade, so please do be prepared to contribute, and to respond to the contributions of others. Each student will be responsible for two in-class presentations of the assigned reading for that day's class. These should be brief (no more than 5 minutes) and should encapsulate the argument and evidence of the reading as well as pose a few questions for discussion. They should not be summaries or outlines of the reading. There will be an online map quiz which all students must pass with a grade of 90% or higher in order to pass the class. You may make as many attempts as it takes. The midterm will be a short primary source analysis assignment in which students will be asked to identify the author, title, and date of a document, as well as describe its historical context and broader significance in detail. Lastly, a 5-7 page final paper will be assigned on the last day of class, due by 17:00 on Monday, December 13. REQUIRED TEXTS All course readings will be available online in .pdf format on OAKS. If you have difficulty accessing any of the readings, please let me know as soon as you are aware of the problem. COURSE POLICIES Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when identified, are investigated. Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved. Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from the instructor. Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook at: http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honorsystem/studenthandbook/index.php ATTENDANCE: Class attendance and participation are course requirements, and count toward your final grade. Attendance will be taken at the start of each class. If you will miss classes for, e.g., approved athletic events, religious holidays, or because of illness, let the professor know as soon as possible so that rescheduling arrangements can be made.

This course introduces students to a range of beliefs and practices in Africa frequently referred... more This course introduces students to a range of beliefs and practices in Africa frequently referred to as "Witchcraft." We will approach these phenomena and ideas about them not as mere cultural exotica, but rather as sophisticated forms of theory and practice. Through a series of case studies drawn from across the African continent, the course poses a number related questions: Is witchcraft irrational? Is it a matter of belief? How is it related to other aspects of politics, economy, and society? How do we explain observable patterns in witchcraft accusations? Is witchcraft a crime? In addressing these and other questions we will explore theories of rationality and emotion, intentionality and embodiment, mediation and representation, and engage "witchcraft" in African history as a symbolic idiom, moral philosophy of nature, and theory of political economy. GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES This course meets the following General Education requirements for Humanities: Student Learning Outcome 1: Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted, or valued in various expressions of human culture. Student Learning Outcome 1: Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments. These outcomes will be assessed through an analysis of a primary source in African history dealing with "witchcraft" or "the occult." COURSE PREREQUISITES None. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are expected to attend class having completed the assigned reading and prepared actively to participate in class discussions. Please bring a copy of the reading to class to facilitate discussion. Class participation is a large part of the final grade, so students should be prepared to contribute and to respond to the contributions of others. Students will also write short (~1 page) weekly response papers for each week's reading assignments. These will be due by 17:00 on Friday each week and may ***Final Paper Topics will be distributed in class on Monday, April 19*** ***Final Papers are Due on Wednesday, April 28 by 17:00***

African Studies Association Annual Meeting, November 16–20, 2021

Frederick Douglass Institute New Directions Symposium, University of Rochester, 18-19 April 2019.

Bodies, Memories, Landscapes Conference, University of Chicago, 12 April 2019

On Suspicion and the Contemporary Conference, Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, Un... more On Suspicion and the Contemporary Conference, Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, April 19-20, 2018.

Society for the Anthropology of Religion biennial conference, New Orleans, May 15-17 2017

American Ethnological Society Conference, "Exposure," March 30–April 1, 2017.

American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, November 16-20, 2016.

Satterthwaite Colloquium on African Religion and Ritual, Grasmere, England, 2016

Insecurity, Anxiety and Uncertainty in Kenya Conference, British Institute in Eastern Africa, 2014

Time, Place, and the Problem of Uncertainty Conference, University of Chicago, 2011

Making History: Terence Ranger and African Studies Conference, University of Illinois Urbana-Cham... more Making History: Terence Ranger and African Studies Conference, University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, 2010

Politics in Africa: A Re-examination on the 70th Anniversary of African Political Systems Confere... more Politics in Africa: A Re-examination on the 70th Anniversary of African Political Systems Conference, University of Chicago, 2010

Memory + Truth Conference, University of Colorado Boulder, 2009