What does it mean for Africa to be socially constructed?

Africa to be socially constructed means that people have constructed an idea of and a definition for Africa itself. In some ways, it can disregard the actual history and land of the continent. It creates an idea of the land and generalizes the diversity or the people, cultures, land, history into one idea.

In which ways can knowledge about the social construction of Africa help us towards a just framing of Africa in the classroom? In which ways can it be dangerous? 

Acknowledging that Africa as a social construction is the first step in a more just framing of Africa in the classroom. The first thing is to be more aware of the resources I use in my classroom. It reminds me to be more critical of the resources I introduce to my students. It allows me and my students to reflect on the author themself. Questions like “is this a eurocentric point of view?” “What is the author’s background and other pieces of work?” “what might be the author’s perspective and motivation for writing this piece?”. It allows students to be more critical of the resources they encounter in the classroom. 

Knowledge about the social construction of Africa helps both the teacher a student break free from just being a passive learner. The social construction of Africa is something that my students and even myself have learned throughout my educational life. Thus, understanding the social construction of it, allows for more doors of knowledge to be opened.