Do you mean or could you use books on historiography? One I have the greatest regard for is entitled, "Difficult Reputations." The other thing you could do is make sure the books you are using are written by academics who actually have their "feet on the ground" re: the culture of the area in which they are performing research and/or viewing the intent of the author. In example, I read a horrible text on media in sub-saharan Africa which is more or less a guide on how to subjugate the populace using brand names. It was written by a former advertising executive turned professor of media studies. It was shocking, and it still is upon reflection, that someone would so blatantly re-visit the theme, if not the words of "Willie Lynch: How To Make a Slave." You have to be very careful when assigning work to also have a discussion regarding the body of work as well. I often wonder why would any Black or Haitian scholar quote Hegel knowing his stated and pointed views towards both. There is also a philosopher who is considered the bible regarding greatest books, can't remember his name now, but when he was asked why there were no books by African or African Americans on his list he replied, "there aren't any." Yes. He is responsible for canon in the humanities but he feels that there aren't any great works by anyone who is Black.
It is very curious to me, this matter of why we study what we study. In my own graduate degree I spent thousands of hours studying World War II. I was told and directed to texts for further research on ancillary subjects. Not once was I ever brought into acquaintance with the Brazzaville government. The only "place" for Africa in World War II is with Rommel and the battles in North Africa. In World War I the only mention of non-White actors in any battle, war, or conflict was the fact that colonial troops were culled from countries such as India and Senegal (Leopold Senghor). When studying key figures in World War I there is ample evidence and foundation knowledge which consists of the bread and butter of humanities (primary sources) but we are lightly introduced to Ghandi's early years while ignoring completely Mssr. Senghor.
So, sources such as "Difficult Reputations" become invaluable. If I take a single figure such as Bayard Rustin and his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King my assertions, I hope, become crystal clear. Rustin and King accomplished many great things. However, after a key meeting where a request was made that King refrain from interfering in domestic labor relations, Rustin went on the attack against King. He forsook him. Why is this important? Because presently Rustin is being deified by LGBT scholars. To a man and to a woman the agenda is to re-create Rustin into a victim. He most certainly was not. His sexual proclivities were only a problem for King when someone else made them a problem. Furthermore, Rustin was always out of the closet and his sexual preferences were for very young White males. He was caught, on at least two occasions, in sex acts in public (in the backseat of a car). He was not hiding in any way shape or form. His actions would have been frowned upon had he been heterosexual. I won't go on, I'll get to the point on why I present this with your query. The body of work on Rustin presents an entirely different view of his life, his work and his relationship with King. One is required to ask why. One must always have a part-time job which involves iconoclasm when involved in academic writing, teaching, or research. We must always have a question on the bathroom mirror: why do we study what we study?
La Vonda
On Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 11:53 PM, Shola Adenekan <sholaadenekan@gmail.com> wrote:
--Thanks in advance for thisDear All,Can folks please recommend good books on research skills in the humanities or cultural studies? I want to use them for seminars.
--Regards,Shola (Mr.)
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La Vonda R. Staples, Writer
BA Psychology 2005 and MA European History 2009
"If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough."
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, This Child Will Be Great; Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President.
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