History and Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa
A.Y. 2022/2023
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 cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
- The teaching program will not undergo any change in case the emergency phase will be declared again and it will be provided online and in sync with the same duration of the lessons in presence.
- The Reference Material: in addition to the textbooks adopted, in electronic format if available (thanks to the director of our library), attending students will have at their disposal the slides of the lessons on the Ariel course platform: https://cfiamingosia.ariel.ctu.unimi.it/
- Synchronous classes will be held on MsTeams in case of request. Since the course considers the distinction between attending and non-attending students, the lessons will not be recorded unless students have convincing reasons for this regard and the whole class accord.
- How to verify learning: until different arrangements, the exams will be carried out orally and according to specific, justified requests, on the MsTeams platform as well, after the in presence assessments.
Attending and non-attending students have various programs: non-attending students, in particular, will not bring the slides to support synchronous teaching and will have additional essays for the II teaching unit, to compensate. The oral exam consists of 3 questions. The first is a topic chosen by the student - in which he/she must demonstrate to juggle with language properties among the selected texts - at possible anchoring the themes of the case studies chosen in the textbooks. The other two questions are in-depth of the course attended (for attending students) and the central manual's themes (for everyone).
Regardless of the main handbook, attending and non-attending students can agree with the teacher on a program in line with their specific interests.
- The Reference Material: in addition to the textbooks adopted, in electronic format if available (thanks to the director of our library), attending students will have at their disposal the slides of the lessons on the Ariel course platform: https://cfiamingosia.ariel.ctu.unimi.it/
- Synchronous classes will be held on MsTeams in case of request. Since the course considers the distinction between attending and non-attending students, the lessons will not be recorded unless students have convincing reasons for this regard and the whole class accord.
- How to verify learning: until different arrangements, the exams will be carried out orally and according to specific, justified requests, on the MsTeams platform as well, after the in presence assessments.
Attending and non-attending students have various programs: non-attending students, in particular, will not bring the slides to support synchronous teaching and will have additional essays for the II teaching unit, to compensate. The oral exam consists of 3 questions. The first is a topic chosen by the student - in which he/she must demonstrate to juggle with language properties among the selected texts - at possible anchoring the themes of the case studies chosen in the textbooks. The other two questions are in-depth of the course attended (for attending students) and the central manual's themes (for everyone).
Regardless of the main handbook, attending and non-attending students can agree with the teacher on a program in line with their specific interests.
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 in the period of the course; forum 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.
3 Chapters / Case-studies (4 for non attending 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. (2012).THEORY FROM THE SOUTH: OR, HOW EURO AMERICA IS EVOLVING TOWARD AFRICA, Boulder and London: Paradigm Publishers.
· 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.
3 Chapters / Case-studies (4 for non attending 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. (2012).THEORY FROM THE SOUTH: OR, HOW EURO AMERICA IS EVOLVING TOWARD AFRICA, Boulder and London: Paradigm Publishers.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students who attend the 70% of the lessons are considered attending students. 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. It can be substituted with a presentation on whatever argument tied to the post-colonial period, on a bibliography agreed in advance with the lecturer, to be presented in the last 5 lessons, and opened to the class debate. The other two questions regard the rest of the program.
The aim of the interview is to assess the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student, and, in particular, the students' ability to use literature and to reason on the debates developed during classes in order to expose in a convincing way the contents of the course.
In particular, 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).
Attendance, if joint to a predominantly mnemonic acquisition of course's contents and discontinuous language and logical skills will be assessed in a grading range from good (24-26/30) to satisfactory (21-23/30).
Attendance, with a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with training gaps or inadequate language and logical skills, will get a grade 'barely passing' (18-20/30).
The absence of a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with inadequate language and logical skills and training gaps, will produce a fail grading, even in spite of an assiduous attendance.
The aim of the interview is to assess the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student, and, in particular, the students' ability to use literature and to reason on the debates developed during classes in order to expose in a convincing way the contents of the course.
In particular, 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).
Attendance, if joint to a predominantly mnemonic acquisition of course's contents and discontinuous language and logical skills will be assessed in a grading range from good (24-26/30) to satisfactory (21-23/30).
Attendance, with a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with training gaps or inadequate language and logical skills, will get a grade 'barely passing' (18-20/30).
The absence of a minimum level of knowledge of the course contents, combined with inadequate language and logical skills and training gaps, will produce a fail grading, even in spite of an assiduous attendance.
SPS/13 - AFRICAN HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONS - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Fiamingo Cristiana
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)
Reception:
The professor receives students at the end of the lessons or by appointment e-mailing to [email protected] to organize a Ms-Teams call or an in-presence meeting, if necessary.
Ist floor, room 10, via Conservatorio 7