This paper tends to examine tribalism as a foiled factor on Africa nation-building and proffers useful tips to salvaging the Africa land from this deadly social problem. Africans in times past had suffered enormous attacks, injuries, losses, deaths, destruction of properties and human skills and ideas due to the presence of tribalistic views in…

Over the years, dances from African cultures have been viewed in the Western world as caricatures of exotic bodies and representations of experiences that are abundant in the natural order of things. Valentino Y. Mudimbe (1988) has defined this otherization and objectification as the invention of Africa. With the continuous mobility of people and…

Learning materials have become significant determinants of quality learning environments for young children. This study presents an example of such learning material in the Finnish context -- a children's book entitled: "Bibi muuttaa Suomeen" (translated: "Bibi Moves to Finland") by Katja Kallio and Maggie Lindholm (2005). The…

Many predominantly White universities and colleges are seeking ways to both recruit and retain Black students (Simmons, J., Lowery-Hart, R., Wahl, S. T., & McBride, M. C. (2013). "Understanding the African-American student experience in higher education through a relational dialectics perspective." "Communication…

In this speech, the author uses five moments of his own existence to speak to how he thinks the West conceptualizes and depicts Africa and Africans. This involves autobiography in a sense because he used his own life, but the discussion is not about him. It is about western conceptions and representations of Africans as reflected in the following…

As Professor Michael Bamidele Adeyemi of the University of Botswana suggests, "Americans believe that Africa is a country, that Africa is "still uncivilized," that the average African is polygamous, and that Africa is not urbanized." In fact, the African continent encompasses a diverse set of more than 50 nations, each made up…

One of a series on topics of concern to the U.S. media, this guide is intended to provide journalists with a critical analysis of U.S. media coverage of Africa. Section I provides an overview of the folklore about Africa and the nature and sources of stereotypes and misconceptions about Africa and the Western world. Findings and interpretations of…

Eric Campbell, an English teacher, spent most of his working life in New Guinea and in East Africa, where he lived in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. He now lives in England and writes about Africa. People could expect an objective, and perhaps, a dispassionate account or depiction of African children and adults--their individual lives and…

Negative attitudes and stereotypes of Africans by expatriate managers and trainers retard human resource development. Instead of importing "remedies," collaborative research on the indigenous contexts of African problems will lead to appropriate solutions. (SK)

For many years, the dominant image of Africa seen on Western films was that of condescension and paternalism. The history of films about Africa, with some exceptions to the prevailing portrayals, is traced; and the origin and growth of the African film industry are reviewed. (SLD)

Asserts that Erik Erickson's concept of identity gave a strong impetus to cultural anthropological research. Asserts that it is impossible for all 2,000 distinct ethnic groups to remain unchanged in today's world. Maintains that difficult choices of cultural traits selection will have to be made by peoples of all cultures. (CFR)

Opening in 1981 to moviegoers in Japan, France, and the United States, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" became an international hit. Set in Botswana, the film covers a relatively small geographic area yet nevertheless can open classroom discussions about how many cultures and how much cultural diversity can exist in a small area. It has three…

African studies are especially important because many Americans are of African descent. An interdisciplinary approach should be taken to African studies, which should focus on one or two countries and be integrated into existing courses. Students must be made aware of stereotypes and given accurate information. (CS)

Reports on the Third International Social Studies Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1994. Discusses democracy, educational reform efforts, and the importance of tourism to the Kenyan economy. Asserts that U.S. teachers must use accurate and nonstereotypical instructional materials in teaching about Africa. (CFR)

Investigates 50 children's books set in West Africa and discusses 13 titles in-depth to examine how West Africa is portrayed in fiction for children and young adults. Suggests that white authors tend to portray West African culture as "incomplete," while black authors depict the culture as "pure" and untainted. Argues that…