An identification of central themes in the geography of tropical Africa : an examination of the treatment of tropical Africa in geography textbooks used in British Columbia schools
Date
1972
Authors
Smith, Stephen Armitage
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Abstract
One of the major problems facing the world today is the conflict resulting from the disparity between the rich and the poor nations of the world. Before such a problem can be solved, there must be an understanding of the issues involved. Geography is one subject on the school curriculum which explicitly professes to foster such understanding. It is important, therefore, that the textbooks used in geography classes help in reaching this objective. The purpose of this project was to examine the treatment of one segment of the underdeveloped world -- tropical Africa -- in the geography textbooks used in the schools of British Columbia.
Specialists in tropical African geography were consulted, and a list of central themes which characterize the geography of the region was compiled. Those geography textbooks used in British Columbia schools which make reference to tropical Africa were then selected, and their treatments of the region were examined and discussed according to four main criteria: inclusiveness or comprehensiveness, balance, accuracy, and objectivity.
It was found that less than three per cent of all the material contained in the geography textbooks used in British Columbia makes any reference to tropical Africa. This figure i s substantially lower than the region's population, area, and significance in present and future international affairs would warrant. The material that was relevant was found, on the whole, to be reasonably comprehensive and accurate. It was unbalanced, however, in that physical and economic themes were heavily overstressed at the expense of important political and cultural themes. It also tended to be biased in that it looked at tropical Africa only from a Western, materialistic viewpoint, with little or no consideration of the perceptions of Africans themselves.