Swahili Language and Society in East Africa

This course treats the relationship between language and society in East Africa, both past and present. Topics include: Swahili in tradition, social change and modernity in East Africa, Swahili language as a reflection of social values and relationships in East Africa, Swahili in education, social organization and culture, women and gender roles in the Swahili language and literature, multicultural and multinational contact and borrowing in Swahili, Swahili as a tool for verbal communication with emphasis on Swahili mass media, Swahili language in rituals, magic and rites of passage, and Swahili's role in development research and development planning.

The objective of the course is to provide an in-depth analysis of the relationship between Swahili language and society in East Africa, to generate an awareness of the factors influencing East Africa's social atmosphere in the present day as in the past.

Lectures and exercises.
Assessment: One-week take-home exam. The size of the take-home exam depends partly on the subject, but is usually between 6-12 typed A4-pages (line spacing 1.5).