Exploring Africa's Culture

Today, we will go back to the countries you examined last week to look at their culture. As a reminder, you may have been assigned to one of the following:

• Cameroon
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Gabon
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Nigeria
• The Republic of Congo
• Rwanda
• South Sudan (If using CultureGrams, search for Sudan)
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zambia

Note: The information you learned about your country will be eligible for inclusion on your exam. That includes last week's assignment as well as today's.

Life in Africa and in the United States

You are a student in the United States. You expect your life to be a certain way every day. If you were to move to another country, you might find that people's daily expectations are completely different.

Today, you will examine what life would be like in your assigned African country. It might be just like your life is in the United States. On the other hand, it might be completely different.

Go to the the PSM LRC Page. You may use any of the research sources on the lower left hand side of the page today. I would recommend the following sources:

• CultureGrams (login: 73-82792remote; password: bigchalk)
• Gale Student Resources in Context (login: psmlrc; password: psmlrc)
• The CIA World Factbook

We will focus on Religion and Lifestyle today. Use the information to answer the following questions on loose leaf paper. Although you may work with your partner from last week, you must complete the assignment on your own sheet of paper.

Title the assignment "Life in _______." Fill in the blank with your country's name. The assignment is worth 20 points.

You may also type the assignment. Either way, you will need a hard copy of today's work to bring with you to class tomorrow.

Answer completely. For each question, include the name of the source (i.e., Gale, CultureGrams, etc). 

1. Do most people in your country tend to live in an urban or a rural environment? Compare/contrast their typical environment with your environment.
2. What language(s) are spoken in your country? Could you hope to easily communicate with people there? Explain.
3. What religious beliefs do people have in your country? Compare and contrast religious practices in your country with the religious practices of your family.
4. Describe family life in your country. Compare and contrast it with your family's structure.
5. What type of housing do people typically have in your country? How is this similar or different to your home?
6. Compare and contrast the clothing worn by people in your assigned country with the clothing you and your friends wear.
7. What traditions does your country have related to dating and marriage? Are these similar or different to what people experience in the U.S.? Explain.
8. Compare the diet of a person from your country with your diet.
9. What do people in your country do for fun? Compare recreation in your country to the types of recreation you enjoy in the U.S.
10. What traditions does your country have in regards to the life cycle of an individual? How long can men and women expect to live in your country? Compare/contrast this with the U.S.
11. Free Space: Choose any topic available on the sources you are using today. Fully describe this topic and give any information on how it relates to your life in Chicago.