History 391 Long Walk to Freedom Nelson Mandela and Twentieth Century South Africa Spring 2021 Professor Poppy Fry pfry pugetsound edu Wyatt Hall 132 CMB 1033 Office hours TTH 11 12 F 12 2 and by appointment https pugetsound edu zoom us j 9106423104 pwd emc5N1E1VkEwb1pVdG85MjFyN2xJdz09 Nelson Mandela became an international symbol of South Africa s twentieth century tragedies and triumphs and for good reason his experience touches on many of the major themes in that country s history This course will use Mandela s autobiography Long Walk to Freedom as a starting point for exploring the history and historiography of South Africa Major topics will include rural life and the peasant experience tribalism and the significance of tradition urbanization and industrialization the development of apartheid and anti apartheid ideologies and the implementation of democratic governance Students will also consider the benefits and challenges of using autobiographies as historical sources analyzing Mandela s account in the context of other South Africans experiences and creating a final project which connects Long Walk to Freedom with another autobiography from 20th century South Africa This course will also take into particular consideration the ways in which learning about others experiences intersects with understanding one s own Course requirements Grades will be determined as follows Participation Participation includes having completed readings and arriving at class with comments or questions as well as engaging with classmates and the professor in discussion listening to others contributions and being willing to ask questions or express confusion 20 Quizzes and Homework Periodic quizzes will focus on South African geography and key historical events Homework may include finding online materials preparing outlines or summaries of readings and other tasks needed for thorough and rich class discussions 10 Short Papers These three roughly five page papers will respond to questions regarding course readings 40 total 10 reports 20 final paper and project Autobiography Project This project will stretch across the semester In the early weeks of the term students will find with the assistance of the professor an autobiography by a 20th century South African Possible texts include those by Desmond Tutu Rian Malan Mark Mathabane Antje Krog Winnie Mandela and many others Over the next weeks students will periodically report on their chosen autobiography in both oral and written formats At the end of the semester students will write a roughly ten page paper on their chosen autobiography and create an additional creative project relaunching the text to the public Required Texts Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Ezekiel Mphahlele Down Second Avenue Shula Marks Not Either an Experimental Doll Other readings will be available on Canvas Course Policies ACADEMIC HONESTY We have a shared responsibility to protect the integrity of this intellectual community by following the best practices of academic honesty Plagiarism of any kind will result in a grade of zero for the assignment as well as the notification of the Dean s Office In egregious cases plagiarism or cheating may result in an F for the course Please refer to the Academic Integrity link on the homepage of the Collins Library as a guide ignorance of academic dishonesty or its consequences will not be accepted as an excuse WRITING CENTER You are encouraged to make use of the resources available to you at the Center for Writing Learning and Teaching ACCOMMODATIONS If you have a physical psychological medical or learning disability that may impact your coursework please contact Peggy Perno Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodation 105 Howarth 253 879 3399 She will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate All information and documentation is confidential RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS The university provides reasonable religious accommodations for academic courses and programs and the university policy is found at https www pugetsound edu about offices services human resources policies campus policies student religious accommodations in academic courses or programs ATTENDANCE In light of this semester s parameters the course does not have a hard and fast attendance policy Participation is an important component of the course however If you need to miss class and especially if you must miss multiple classes please be in contact with the instructor LATE WORK Assignments turned in after class will lose 1 3 of a grade that is a B paper would become a B paper For each additional day the paper is late it will lose an additional 1 3 of a grade Under no circumstances will extensions be granted after an assignment s due date COMMUNICATION Announcements may be made either in class or electronically You must arrange for and maintain access to Moodle and to your Puget Sound email throughout the term If you miss class you should contact one or more of your classmates to ensure that you receive any needed information EMERGENCY RESPONSE Please review university emergency preparedness response procedures and a training video posted at www pugetsound edu emergency There is a link on the university home page Familiarize yourself with hall exit doors and the designated gathering area for your class and laboratory buildings If building evacuation becomes necessary e g earthquake meet your instructor at the designated gathering area so she he can account for your presence Then wait for further instructions Do not return to the building or classroom until advised by a university emergency response representative If confronted by an act of violence be prepared to make quick decisions to protect your safety Flee the area by running away from the source of danger if you can safely do so If this is not possible shelter in place by securing classroom or lab doors and windows closing blinds and turning off room lights Lie on the floor out of sight and away from windows and doors Place cell phones or pagers on vibrate so that you can receive messages quietly Wait for further instructions COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE Course materials are subject to the copyright law of the United States Title 17 U S Code They are for educational purposes only and limited to students enrolled in the course Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited Class Schedule Week One Introduction to South African History January 19 No reading January 21 Paul Gready