This course explores contemporary Kenya in the context of its historical positioning and modern value to Western econo-political interests, and how this translates in daily livelihoods of Kenyans. Focus is on 4 themes: 1) Kenya as home to the earliest human origins and civilizations; 2) Kenya's evolution as an "anti-socialism" capital of Western capitalism in the region; 3) The country's central position in anti-terrorism war between the West and Middle East; 4) Problematizing Kenya/Africa's image of corruption as an explanation of underdevelopment. Course is experiential. Excursions count towards final grade.

Why do development projects succeed or fail? This course examines how to design a human-centered development project using anthropological theory and methods. It looks closely at what anthropologists mean by culture and why most development experts fail to attend to the cultural forces that hold communities together. By examining development projects from the vantage in North Africa, students learn the relevance of kinship, power, religion, and ontologies. Students will also work with local organizations in the High Atlas Mountains as a way to study development in practice.

A four-week summer immersion course in Lisbon, designed to increase students' linguistic and cultural fluency providing a deeper understanding of Portuguese culture and society through literary texts, periodicals, cultural excursions, and lectures. Students will explore the city as a means to discuss national and transnational identities, with particular emphasis on Portugal's relationship with Africa. We will investigate its histories of slavery, colonialism, immigration, commerce, and cultural exchange from the age of maritime expansion to the present day, revealing the way in which these have shaped the Portuguese cultural landscape.