IN 208 - Rainbow Nation? Race, Class, and Culture in South Africa

Credits: 4
With the end of apartheid and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president, South Africa became known as a “rainbow nation.” While this “new” South Africa became a symbol of hope for the possibilities of racial reconciliation around the world, more than fifteen years after the first multiracial election inequality remains a stark reality. This course examines the intersection of economic, political, social, and cultural forces shaping contemporary South African society. Through engagement of a variety of texts (including literature, memoir, and film), students explore topics such as apartheid and Afrikaner cultural identity; black intellectual, cultural, and political resistance movements; the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and hope and disillusionment in post-apartheid South Africa.

Liberal Arts Perspective(s): Interdisciplinary, Global Diversity and Justice