History and Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
Through the analysis of Africanist and African literature, the course aims to provide students with the keys to interpreting the role of socio-economic, political, and cultural pressures, between the challenges of sustainability and the heavy legacies of colonialism also by evaluating the controversial knot of the link of traditional communities with the natural heritage and the land, and the citizens' expectations in term of social and economic justice, in the frequent imbalances between the reasons underlying the economic sustainability of States and the protection of their communities, with their values, and the environment, in regions rich in resources coveted by the rest of the world.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, in engaging in specific case studies, which the students themselves will choose and share with the class, it is hoped that they will be able to articulate informed and coherent topics about the aforementioned drivers, between tensions, conflicts, and creative solutions, adopted by the protagonists of contemporary African history and regional institutions, too often neglected by mainstream literature and the media, proving to be able to mediate, in good balance, between a critical approach to Africanist literature, the media, and their own opinion.
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
1st DU/
The first didactic unit aims at reaching a common level of basic knowledge of the African History (5 lessons). In the second stage with the help of some essays shared with the class, it will be discussed the colonial impact on the concept of modernity and development with peculiar attention to the use of the land/natural resources during the colonial and decolonization processes (5 lessons).
2nd DU/ The first stage of the second DU consists in the analysis of the passage from decolonization to the development of Sub-Saharan Africa, including the intriguing challenge of the "decolonization of the mind" and of knowledge (5 lessons); the second stage consists of the discussion of theses proposed by the students regarding the post-independence period between policies, politics and resources management (5 lessons)
AAA: BA Erasmus students have a different program (see bibliography).
The first didactic unit aims at reaching a common level of basic knowledge of the African History (5 lessons). In the second stage with the help of some essays shared with the class, it will be discussed the colonial impact on the concept of modernity and development with peculiar attention to the use of the land/natural resources during the colonial and decolonization processes (5 lessons).
2nd DU/ The first stage of the second DU consists in the analysis of the passage from decolonization to the development of Sub-Saharan Africa, including the intriguing challenge of the "decolonization of the mind" and of knowledge (5 lessons); the second stage consists of the discussion of theses proposed by the students regarding the post-independence period between policies, politics and resources management (5 lessons)
AAA: BA Erasmus students have a different program (see bibliography).
Prerequisites for admission
It is recommended, although not compulsory, to have some knowledge of modern and contemporary history and/or of history of international relations from 1400 onwards.
Teaching methods
Taught class: discussion after readings about some specific case studies to be compared; movie projection and debates. Lessons can be shared in collaboration with experts, if available during the course; forums following the projection of films and documentaries are part of the evaluation of the attending students.
Teaching Resources
PowerPoint of the presentations shared via the website: http://cfiamingohpssa.ariel.ctu.unimi.it are intended for attending students only:
· R. J. Reid (2019), A HISTORY OF MODERN AFRICA: 1800 TO THE PRESENT, Wiley-Blackwell 2nd Edition
· F. Cooper (2019), AFRICA SINCE 1940: THE PAST OF THE PRESENT, 2nd Ed., Cambridge U.P.
· The use of maps is highly recommended.
ATTENDING students (also MA ERASMUS students) may present a case study (the bibliography of which has been pre-agreed with the professor), during the last lectures.
3 Chapters / Case-studies (5 for NONATTENDING students) from:
· J. and J. Comaroff (2012), THEORY FROM THE SOUTH: OR, HOW EURO AMERICA IS EVOLVING TOWARD AFRICA, Boulder and London: Paradigm Publishers.
· M. Mamdani, 1996 CITIZEN AND SUBJECT. CONTEMPORARY AFRICA AND THE LEGACY OF LATE COLONIALISM, Princeton University Press
· E. Hunter (eds.) (2016) CITIZENSHIP, BELONGING, AND POLITICAL COMMUNITY IN AFRICA: DIALOGUES BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT, Ohio University Press.
· N. Cheeseman and J. Fisher (2020) AUTHORITARIAN AFRICA, African World Histories
BA Erasmus students' bibliography:
- Lessons' contents (Slides of the course, for attending students only)
- Reid R. J. (2019), A HISTORY OF MODERN AFRICA: 1800 TO THE PRESENT, Wiley-Blackwell 2nd Edition
- Comaroff, J. & J. (2019), THEORY FROM THE SOUTH: OR, HOW EURO AMERICA IS EVOLVING TOWARD AFRICA, Boulder and London: Paradigm Publishers (2 chapters for ATTENDING Erasmus students; 5 for NONATTENDING Erasmus Students).
· R. J. Reid (2019), A HISTORY OF MODERN AFRICA: 1800 TO THE PRESENT, Wiley-Blackwell 2nd Edition
· F. Cooper (2019), AFRICA SINCE 1940: THE PAST OF THE PRESENT, 2nd Ed., Cambridge U.P.
· The use of maps is highly recommended.
ATTENDING students (also MA ERASMUS students) may present a case study (the bibliography of which has been pre-agreed with the professor), during the last lectures.
3 Chapters / Case-studies (5 for NONATTENDING students) from:
· J. and J. Comaroff (2012), THEORY FROM THE SOUTH: OR, HOW EURO AMERICA IS EVOLVING TOWARD AFRICA, Boulder and London: Paradigm Publishers.
· M. Mamdani, 1996 CITIZEN AND SUBJECT. CONTEMPORARY AFRICA AND THE LEGACY OF LATE COLONIALISM, Princeton University Press
· E. Hunter (eds.) (2016) CITIZENSHIP, BELONGING, AND POLITICAL COMMUNITY IN AFRICA: DIALOGUES BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT, Ohio University Press.
· N. Cheeseman and J. Fisher (2020) AUTHORITARIAN AFRICA, African World Histories
BA Erasmus students' bibliography:
- Lessons' contents (Slides of the course, for attending students only)
- Reid R. J. (2019), A HISTORY OF MODERN AFRICA: 1800 TO THE PRESENT, Wiley-Blackwell 2nd Edition
- Comaroff, J. & J. (2019), THEORY FROM THE SOUTH: OR, HOW EURO AMERICA IS EVOLVING TOWARD AFRICA, Boulder and London: Paradigm Publishers (2 chapters for ATTENDING Erasmus students; 5 for NONATTENDING Erasmus Students).
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students who attend 70% of the lessons are considered attending students. Non-attending students will study a more extensive bibliography to compensate for studying lessons and slides on behalf of the attending students. Erasmus triennial attending and non-attending students will be asked to present a specific program. The final assessment consists of an oral examination shared in three questions. The first is a free choice argument based on the readings indicated in the "Readings/Bibliography" section of the course program or arranged in advance with the professor (see the different programs for the triennial Erasmus attending and non-attending students). It can be substituted by the ATTENDING STUDENTS with a presentation on whatever argument tied to the post-colonial period, on a bibliography agreed upon in advance with the lecturer, to be presented in the last lessons, and opened to the class debate. The other two questions regard the rest of the program (the lessons and the textbook contents), avoiding the essays programmed for the second didactic unit.
The interview aims to assess the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student, and, in particular, the student's ability to use literature and to reason on the debates developed during classes to expose the contents of the course convincingly.
It will be assessed the ability of the student to participate actively in class; such capacity, if combined with the achievement of a coherent framework of the topics developed during the lessons, the application of critical sense and suitable means of expression will be considered and evaluated with the maximum grading (27/30-30 cum laude).
If joint to a predominantly mnemonic acquisition of the course's contents and discontinuous language and logical skills, attendance will be assessed in a grading range from reasonable (24-26/30) to satisfactory (21-23/30).
Attendance, with a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with training gaps or vague language and logical skills, will get a grade of 'barely passing' (18-20/30).
The absence of a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with vague language and logical skills and training gaps, will produce a failure in grading, despite assiduous attendance.
The interview aims to assess the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student, and, in particular, the student's ability to use literature and to reason on the debates developed during classes to expose the contents of the course convincingly.
It will be assessed the ability of the student to participate actively in class; such capacity, if combined with the achievement of a coherent framework of the topics developed during the lessons, the application of critical sense and suitable means of expression will be considered and evaluated with the maximum grading (27/30-30 cum laude).
If joint to a predominantly mnemonic acquisition of the course's contents and discontinuous language and logical skills, attendance will be assessed in a grading range from reasonable (24-26/30) to satisfactory (21-23/30).
Attendance, with a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with training gaps or vague language and logical skills, will get a grade of 'barely passing' (18-20/30).
The absence of a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with vague language and logical skills and training gaps, will produce a failure in grading, despite assiduous attendance.
SPS/13 - AFRICAN HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONS - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours