SIS 490D is a preparatory course for students planning to participate in the UW-Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Autumn 2005 Study Abroad Program in Kumasi, Ghana. It includes an introduction to both academic issues relevant to the program, such as educational goals and basic study and research methods (field research, participant observation, service learning, internships) used in the program; and coverage of practical issues such as travel to and in Africa, health and safety, adapting to Ghanaian cultural norms, and adjusting to a different kind of university system. The format will include lectures, discussions, guest lectures, films and videos, and readings will be assigned weekly.

The best preparation for the program in Ghana is active participation in program activities; and so, participation in discussions and class activities is the major requirement for the class. Grading is pass/fail, based on participation in discussions and in special activities such as developing a contract for the program, fund raising for the Ping nursery/daycare center project, and attending the FIUTS orientation in April (see below).

1. Classes
1. KNUST classes
2. UW course
2. Site visits
1. Develop awareness
2. Develop observation
3. Exploring religion & identity & modes of spiritual, political, and economic empowerment
3. Field research
1. Collect data, do interviews, participate and observe
2. Formulate hypothesis or thesis
3. Develop analytical skills
4. Internships – Optional component
1. Orphanage
2. HIV/AIDS education
3. World Vision – Women & Child health care and access to nutrition (includes site visits to rural communities)
5. Service Learning capstone experience
1. Building a nursery in Ping, rural Upper-West Region of Ghana
2. Rural homestays
3. Empowerment in a rural community
4. Political economy of xylophone festivals

Learning Objectives

1. Enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of illusion, ignorance, & suffering
2. Wealth, riches, health, and happiness
3. Ability to think and write critically, analytically, and sympathetically about culture, society and religion
4. Growth of cultural awareness, sensitivity, and the ability to communicate, work, and develop friendships with people of another culture

Travel

1. DATES of Travel: 8/09 Leave Seattle; 8/10 arrive Ghana (2 day trip)

2. Passport and extra photos

3. Visa – Ghanaian embassy

4. Air Tickets – Rita Zawaideh – NW/KLM via Amsterdam or British Air via London
Port of entry in Ghana is Accra – Capital City

5. Inoculations – Hall Health

a. Yellow Fever – required

b. Polio

c. Hepatitis

d. Tetanus

e. Meningococcal

f. MALARIA prophylaxis

g. Typhoid

Communications:

1. Cell phone – GMS T-Mobile or ATT Cingular; better to buy in Ghana!

2. Laptop with wireless 802.11 G built in or PC card

Course Credits

1. UW credit for UW courses

2. UW credit for KNUST courses

3. Exploring the KNUST website

4. Checking with your home department for major requirements

PROJECT FUNDRAISING

STUDENT CONDUCT and STUDENT CONTRACT

Thursday 4-7

Ghana: History and Peoples

Health & Safety

• Food & Water
• Bathing
• Clothing
• Mosquito netting and repellants
• Highway travel and taxi travel
• Street smarts
• Hospitals and Clinics in Ghana and Kumasi

Thursday 4-14

Health & Safety (continued)

Learning Twi Language

Resources

Thursday 4-21

Ethics & Etiquette

Thursday 4-28

Writing the Contract

To Be Scheduled

Because of the need to schedule guest speakers, the exact dates for the following topics will be announced as they are set:

Fieldwork – methodologies, ethics, research plans

What to bring and what not to bring

Films and Videos

How to approach the study of Religion, Identity, and Empowerment

Week 2 - Ghana: History and Peoples

Naylor, Rachel 2000 Ghana: The Background / The Issues / The People. London: Oxfam.

A quick introduction to precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial history, emphasizing political and economic factors. Read pages 1-35.

Naylor, Part 1 Naylor, Part 2

Buah, F. K. 1998 A History of Ghana. Revised and updated ed. London: Macmillan.

Historical survey by one of Ghana’s leading scholars. Read pages 1-64, introducing the peoples and traditional cultures that form the foundations of contemporary Ghanaian society.

Buah, Part 1 Buah, Part 2

Week 3 - Health and Safety

Early Ideas about Preparations for Living and Health Care in Africa

Excerpts from books written in the 1890s and 1920s.

CDC 2005 West Africa Information

2005 health care information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control for West Africa, including Ghana

State Department 2005 Ghana Information Report

2005 safety information report from the U.S. State Department for Ghana

State Department Travel Warnings

Current travel warnings from the U.S. State Department (no warnings for Ghana!)

State Department 2005 Ghana Human Rights Report

2005 human rights report from the U.S. State Department for Ghana

Week 6 - Field Research Projects

UW 2005 Ghana Fieldwork Project Guidelines

Student Project: The Mosomagor Bamboo Orchestra

Busia, African Worlds

Ghana Embassy website

Koo Nimo, Ashanti Ballads

Sarpong, Peter K. 2002 Peoples Differ: An Approach to Inculturation in Evangelization. Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

State Department Ghana Country Profile

2005 information from the U.S. State Department for Ghana