African Culture

In the first paper you will be asked to write, we will explore traditional African culture and processes of culture change as presented in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. As you read the novel, refer as needed to “A Glossary of Ibo Words and Phrases” at the back of the book. This assignment will also provide an opportunity to explore the impact of European colonization and Westernization on Africa in greater depth than can be obtained from other required readings.

This paper should discuss one sub-Saharan African culture, that of the Ibo (in what is today southeastern Nigeria) “in its first encounter with colonialism and Christianity at the turn of the century” — about 1900. I have chosen Things Fall Apart because of the particular cultural insights it provides. As you read and take notes, be sure to pay attention to the following questions:

What major features characterized Ibo culture before the Europeans came?
What changes and cultural conflicts were created by the introduction of Christian missionaries and other Western influences into Ibo villages?
What seems to have been the net impact of the coming of the Europeans on Ibo culture?