There is a movement in Africa to bolster pride in the continent by debunking European myths about ‘wild Africa,’ i.e. that before Europeans arrived here there was no civilization. This effort is attempting not only to reveal the truth about that period, but also build local pride in the ancient civilizations there. But, given the actual impact that human civilizations have had on the planet and on people outside any given society, is civilization really something to build pride upon? How we understand this history has impacts on not only Africans but people of all civilizations – the way we perceive ourselves and the future directions we take. For this piece I have drawn on my own observations of Ghana, my visit to Ghana’s Mole National Park, interviews with a tour company operator, recent developments regarding the San (Bush People) of Botswana and that country’s recent Supreme Court decision to allow them back onto their tribal lands but with strict conditions imposed, and extensive secondary research into African politics and history.
Tag: History
The Evolution of Multiple Agricultures and their Cultural Dispersals — A Descent-Based Approach to the Study of Agricultural Origins and Dispersals
This paper was written as a thesis submitted to the University of Queensland’s School of Social Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a Bachelor of Anthropology Honours Degree. It describes how a proper understanding of cultural evolution dispels…
The Truth (Damned Truth) of Election Statistics
The year 2004. A multiple of four. That means at least three things. A leap year, the Summer Olympics, and the U.S. Presidential election. As for leap year, though it certainly applies this year, it actually doesn’t happen every multiple…
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Thomas S. Kuhm
The Culture of Wilderness: Agriculture as Colonization in the American West
The Culture of Wilderness: Agriculture As Colonization in the American West (Studies in Rural Culture) Frieda Knobloch
Insatiable Is Not Sustainable
Insatiable Is Not Sustainable Doug Brown
Titanic
Titanic (Special Collector’s Edition) Written and Directed by James Cameron
Inherit the Wind
Inherit the Wind Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee
The Crucible
The Crucible (Penguin Classics) Arthur Miller
The Skin of Our Teeth
The Skin of Our Teeth: A Play (Perennial Classics) Thornton Wilder