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Courses
The Arts and Culture in Mali, West Africa program consists of four courses:- Culture and Contemporary Life in Mali
- Aesthetic Traditions of Mali
- Apprenticeship/Arts Practicum
- Beginning French Language
- Intermediate French Language
- Advanced French Language
- Beginning Bamanankan Language
Courses are designed in modular fashion, allowing flexibility in teaching material according to the travel itinerary, availability of guest lecturers, and the scheduling of local cultural events and academic conferences.
Antioch University will award a total of 16 semester credits for completion of this program.
Culture and Contemporary Life in Mali
(4 semester credits)
The Republic of Mali is a modern, multi-party, democratic state and home to more than a dozen distinct cultural groups, each with a long and distinguished history – all contributing to the colorful mosaic referred to collectively as Malian culture.
Through this course students become acquainted with the multifaceted plural nature of contemporary Malian culture. Assigned readings are followed by lectures, seminars, and field trips. Through integrated academic and experiential learning, students attain an understanding of the complexities of Malian identity, the challenges of modernity and globalization, and the living heritage of Malian history and traditions.
Field trips to museums, cultural centers, historical sites, cities, towns, and villages provide students with exposure to the breadth of contemporary and traditional Malian cultural issues. Within each of a number of distinct cultural groups, students examine topics such as village and family social organization, the nature of authority and responsibility, concepts of valor as embodied by heroic figures, social roles of men and women, religion, and artisanal and industrial economic activities.
Objectives
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To learn about cultural traditions and contemporary life in Mali and Mali’s relationship to the rest of the world
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To learn about the contemporary struggle between tradition and modernity in the daily lives of Malians
Requirements/Evaluation Criteria
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Consistent attendance and active constructive participation in all class activities including lectures, seminars, cultural events and field trips
- Completion of required readings and response papers
- Regular field journal entries reflecting personal engagement with the course materials. Non-verbal reflections such as art, music, and performance to augment written entries are also encouraged.
- The final paper should demonstrate the student’s understanding of course content and an ability to extrapolate from the academic materials in applying course themes to an original field of inquiry to be determined in consultation with the Program Director.
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Aesthetic Traditions of Mali
(4 semester credits)
Mali is renowned as home to some of the world’s most impressive art, dance, and music traditions. This course is designed to introduce students to the vast array of traditional and contemporary art forms and media of Mali, including music, dance, theater, puppetry, sculpture, painting, pottery, cloth making and dyeing, jewelry design, metallurgy, photography, radio, television, journalism, film, and architecture. The methodology integrates academic and experiential learning opportunities.
Students are introduced to artistic productions including works of clay, metal, fiber, and wood. Students encounter exceptional adobe (mud brick) architecture throughout Mali including the Djenne mosque, a UN World Heritage site, traditional dance and music performances incorporating masks and other art forms, and contemporary art practices, such as film, photography, hip hop music, and dance, that may or may not reference these styles. Notions of tradition and modernity, authenticity, and the effects of the tourist industry and globalized economies on these themes are examined in readings, seminars, and discussions. As well, topics such as patterns of work and leisure, the importance of arts in daily life, and the role of artists in their communities are studied.
Students develop insights into the performing and plastic arts of Mali through workshops, lectures by guest speakers, assigned readings, and visits with and presentations by practicing visual and performing artists who represent the diverse ethnic groups of Mali.
Objectives
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To develop an understanding of the social, historical, and economic conditions within which Malian artists work
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To deepen understanding of Malian arts and culture through readings, hands-on involvement, interaction with artists, and workshops
Requirements/Evaluation Criteria
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Consistent attendance and active constructive participation in all class activities including lectures, seminars, cultural events and field trips
- Completion of required readings and response papers
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Regular field journal entries reflecting personal engagement with the course materials. Non-verbal reflections such as art, music, and performance to augment written entries are also encouraged.
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The final paper should demonstrate the student’s understanding of course content and an ability to extrapolate from the academic materials in applying course themes to an original field of inquiry to be determined in consultation with the Program Director.
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Apprenticeship/Arts Practicum
(4 semester credits)
Participants complete a Practicum in Arts in their chosen field of interest. Possible projects include: Bogolan (mud cloth painting), strip loom weaving, cloth dyeing, jewelry, costume or fashion design, wood sculpture, marionettes, leatherworking, blacksmithing, pottery making, painting (both contemporary and traditional techniques), drumming, dancing, singing, guitar, kora, balaphone and other traditional instruments, instrument fabrication, photography, and bronze metal casting.
Through observation, interaction, and participation in the life of local artists, the Arts Practicum will foster the development of one-on-one relationships between the students and the artists across cultural and linguistic barriers. The exchange takes place around an artistic technique determined by the student in consultation with the Program Director. Through the three-week apprenticeship, students gain knowledge and understanding of one focused area of Malian cultural production. The final three weeks of the apprenticeship focus on the final creative project, which may include collaboration with other students and mentors.
Objectives
- Develop and pursue a specific application of Malian art
- Develop a working relationship with a local artist
- Complete an artistic project that demonstrates what the student has learned about his/her chosen art form
Requirements/Evaluation Criteria
- Student initiative in the design and execution of the work
- Regular journal entries reflecting daily experience during the practicum period demonstrating observation, reaction, and analysis
- Completion of individual works of art in their chosen medium
- Well-prepared oral presentation of independent research about student's chosen area of interest; submission of a final paper
- Attendance at performances and other cultural activities
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Beginning French Language
Intermediate French Language
Advanced French Language
Beginning Bamanankan Language
(4 semester credits each)
All language courses begin with an assessment of students’ proficiency speaking, listening, reading, and writing French or Bamanankan, based on American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTLF) guidelines. Students may elect to take one of four courses: Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced French or Beginning Bamanankan. French is widely spoken throughout the country and is the official language; Bamanankan is the most commonly spoken African language in Mali. Students are not permitted to pursue more than one language course for credit.
Course Structure
Based on the oral proficiency approach, language instruction includes classroom exercises, direct practice in authentic language environments on program sites, and individual practice and study. During the first three weeks of the program, an intensive language acquisition approach is utilized, including three hours of instruction per day, five days per week. In the classroom, students engage with local language instructors in dialogues, interviews, and role-playing. An emphasis on listening and speaking is supplemented with homework assignments focused on reading and writing. Daily practice is also encouraged outside of the classroom.
Once at their homestays, students receive two private tutorials per week with their language instructor. These sessions are designed to further develop participants’ foundational linguistic skills alongside meeting the unique needs of each student pursuing an arts apprenticeship with their mentor. Through active engagement in daily situations, students connect the process of language acquisition with the culture of everyday life in Mali.
Instruction
All of the Arts and Culture in Mali, West Africa language instructors are graduates of the University of Bamako Faculty of Letters, Languages, Arts, and Social Sciences (FLASH). In addition, they have extensive experience teaching French and Bamanankan to young Americans for programs such as the Peace Corps.
Requirements and Evaluation
Attendance is required at all class meetings, exercises, and oral and listening activities. Students are expected to complete all course assignments and demonstrate knowledge of necessary vocabulary and syntactic structures. In addition, students should be actively engaged in language practice with their host families and apprenticeship mentors. Overall, students are expected to demonstrate effective use of French or Bamanankan in relation to the ambient culture.
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Examples of Previous Summer Readings
- Ba, Amadou Hampate. 1999 (1973). The Fortunes of Wangrin. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
- Ba, Mariama. 1989 (1981). So Long a Letter. London: Virago Press.
- Conde, Maryse. 1998 (1987). Segu. New York: Penguin.
- Niane, D. T. 1992 (1960). Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. Essex: Longman.
- Sembene, Ousmane. 1996 (1960). God’s Bits of Wood. Portsmouth NH: Heinemann.
- Spindel, Carol. 1989. In the Shadow of the Sacred Grove. New York: Vintage Books.
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