Definitions of “civilization” and progress: How did Africans understand, shape, and resist European definitions of progress? What did they put in its place? assignment description: use a variety of primary and secondary sources to understand colonialism from African perspectives. Whether translating religious scripture or devising strategies for dealing with violent political systems, the sources reveal a much more nuanced picture than one of dominant Europeans and passive Africans. Indeed, readings from Cesaire and Boahen directly challenge the idea that European nations possessed more advanced and more desirable cultures of politics and economics.
