Contested terrains and constructed categories contemporary Africa in focus

Most of the essays in this volume, contested Terrain and Constructed Categories, were first presented as invited lectures to advanced undergraduate and graduate students at Columbia University. The lectures were part of a series of multi-disciplinary seminars developed at the Institute of African Studies (IAS) within the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). The seminars were taught at Teachers College, Columbia University, and funded from the IAS's Department of Education National Resource Center grant. They were part of the effort to disseminate information about Africa within the university system and to provide critical markers for exploring the construction and application of knowledge.