Cameroon: Social Pluralism and Development

“The SIT Cameroon program was the most meaningful and important semester I’ve had in college. From the linguistic and cultural immersion of the homestays to the classroom debates on the ethics of “development,” I learned more during those three and a half months than a lifetime of classroom study could teach me. The Independent Study Project capped off the semester with a chance to apply what I had learned via a self-directed process that helped prepare me to write my senior thesis.”

-- Abi Weber, Pomona College

Examine social, economic, and political development patterns in one of West Africa's most ethnically and geographically diverse countries.

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Home to more than 200 ethnic groups and even more local languages and dialects, Cameroon faces the challenge of finding common ground for its national agenda. Famous for its folklore, art, and natural environment, Cameroonians are striving hard to preserve their cultural heritage and diversity in the face of globalization and the country’s socioeconomic needs.

Against the backdrop of Cameroon's rich ethnic pluralism, the program explores:

Cameroonian history including Cameroon before colonization; German, French, and British colonization; the fight for independence; the impact that colonization has had on Cameroonian society today
Development theories and approaches in the specific context of Cameroon
Gender including the role and place of women and men in Cameroonian society; contemporary gender roles and existing gaps between modern and traditional roles
Minorities including the "place" of the Anglophone in Cameroon and prejudices against Anglophones; culture and traditions of the Pygmies
Art, tradition, and cultural expression including history and traditional ceremonies of the Bamilékés and traditional structures like the Chefferies
Islam and traditional power in the Grand North including examining the interaction of traditional authorities, political power, and modernity

The program is based in Yaoundé, Cameroon's political capital. Students have access to cultural activities, academic resources, and many of the international development organizations headquartered in the city.

The program also spends extensive time in other regions of Cameroon. A two-week stay in the northern town of Ngaoundéré and excursions to western and coastal Cameroon give students insight into how social change is manifested in different regions. Learn more about the program’s excursions.

In-country resources and program partners typically include:

University of Dschang
Centre for Development and Research of Ngaoundéré
University of Ngaoundéré
Cercle Socio, anthropologique, histoire, et psycho of the University of Yaoundé I
Unity Cooperative Society (UNICS), Microfinance Institution
Peace Corps Cameroon
OPED (Organization for Environment and Sustainable Development)

Study alongside Cameroonian students. Each semester, a small number of Cameroonian students participate in the full SIT Cameroon program. Learn more.

Sarah with the teachers at the Doumbouo Primary School. Completing the construction at the school was Breaking Ground's first project.

Program alum draw upon lessons learned from SIT in building local NGO
“During our program with SIT, we were introduced to a vast array of development strategies...In building Breaking Ground, we tried to take the best aspects of all these different approaches.”

Learn more about the work Breaking Ground is doing in Cameroon.

Browse this program's Independent Study Projects/Undergraduate Research

Credits: 16

Duration: 15 weeks

Program Base: Cameroon, Yaounde

Language Study: French, Fulfulde, Pidgin English

Prerequisites: 3 semesters French Read more...