Culture and History of the Swahili Coast

  Tanzania

Zanzibar

Term: Summer 
Dates: June 30 - July 16, 2009

Description: On this two-week study abroad course, students will explore Zanzibars natural beauty and cultural history. The course, based in the city of Zanzibars historic Stone Town area, will also include field study of other parts of the city as well as several rural settings. Students will be housed in a comfortable guest-house that also serves as the classroom. Students can walk to dozens of affordable restaurants from the guest-house. Students will enroll in one course: AAAS 320/520 Language and Culture of the Swahili Speaking Communities (described below). In class most days, with guest lectures from prominent local scholars, students will have several field course excursions to other parts of the Zanzibar islands. The beginning of the course coincides with the famous Zanzibar International Film Festival, providing students with a lively and valuable opportunity to understand the multi-cultural, cosmopolitan, and globalized character of Zanzibar today.

Highlights: Setting
Zanzibar consists of two main islands (Unguja and Pemba) and dozens of small islets a few miles off of the East African coast, inhabited by a bit more than a million people. Almost all Zanzibaris are Swahili-speaking followers of Sunni Islam. The Zanzibar islands have been central to the emergence and expansion of the Swahili worlds sophisticated Islamic civilization over the course of the last 1500 years. The city of Zanzibar (2008 pop. est. 432,000) was the seat of power for a major commercial empire that dominated the East African (Swahili) coast from southern Somalia to northern Mozambique from the 1690s until the coming of British colonial rule in 1890. Scarcely a month after obtaining independence from Britain in December 1963, the islands Omani-dominated Sultanate was overthrown, in the January 11 Zanzibar Revolution. Four months after that, in April 1964, Zanzibars new government formed a union with the newly independent country of Tanganyika on the African mainland, and the new state became known as the United Republic of Tanzania. In the last 44 years, Zanzibar has retained a semi-autonomous status with its own President, House of Representatives, and government ministries. It has also emerged as a major destination for international tourism, capitalizing both on its natural beauty and extraordinarily rich cultural history as a meeting ground of diverse influences from Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Courses Offered

AAAS 320/520: Language and Culture of the Swahili Speaking Communities
This three-credit hour course is designed to introduce students to the language and culture of the Swahili speaking communities of East Africa. The aim is to provide students an opportunity to build Swahili cultural competency and enhance their understanding and appreciation of the Swahili peoples ways of life. Using the socio-cultural landscape of East Africa as a case study, students will critically examine a variety of Swahili cultural aspects, and other behavior as embedded in culture. Through selected readings the class will explore a wide range of topics: general concepts of culture and language, the geographical features of Tanzania/Zanzibar, Kenya and Uganda, the history & origins of Swahili, the role that Swahili has played and continues to play today in religious, economical, historical, political and social terms for all East Africans, while in the cultural context of Zanzibar city.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Approximately $1,730

Experience Required: yes

Open to students in good academic standing from any accredited US college or university. Minimum 2.5 GPA required.

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Transcript
• Written Application