Undergraduate Course: Advanced Issues in the Making of Contemporary Africa (AFRI10003)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Advanced Issues in the Making of Contemporary Africa takes a recent topic, one emerging in the news or in the academic literature, and provides students with the tools to situate it within the larger academic literature on contemporary Africa, the political context and methods of analysis. |
| Course description |
The learning aims of this course are to develop a wide and deep understanding of contemporary Africa, drawing on the multi-disciplinary approach of African Studies. Students will learn about the historical roots of modern phenomenon on the continent and situate these within a wider global context. Students will develop expertise about particular countries and regions as well as on particular themes, depending on the focus of the course for the year.
The substantive content of the course will change each year depending on topical issues and will be taught by experts on the issue itself or on particular approaches/methods from amongst permanent and postdoctoral staff. For example, around a particular set of approaches, contemporary events, regions or countries.
In each case, students will learn substantive information about the topic itself but perhaps more importantly they will acquire the generic skills to analyse social phenomena in contemporary Africa: how to place it within a larger context, where to look for information about context, the types of variables (whether social, economic, cultural, or political) to consider when analysing the phenomenon, how to identify wider theories and concepts to analyse the phenomenon and how to acquire evidence that would support one theoretical interpretation over another.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed
Africa in the Contemporary World (AFRI08008)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students who have not taken Africa in the Contemporary World (AFRI08008) but have taken a similar course, should contact the Course Organiser to confirm if they are eligible to take this course. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 4 Social Sciences courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Section for admission to this course **
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Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate comprehensive understanding of contemporary debates on the chosen event, from both a theoretical and empirical perspective.
- apply specialist in-depth knowledge of specific areas and issues in relation to the chosen event.
- critically engage with key explanatory theories, concepts, institutions and issues in the study of the chosen event.
- deploy effective communications skills, both written and verbal, to provide clear and concise analysis of the topic at hand.
- engage in critical thinking, reflection and debate for academic and non-academic consumption.
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Reading List
Manji, A, (2006) Politics of land reform in Africa: From Communal Tenure to Free Markets London: Bloomsbury
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S (2018) Epistemic Freedom in Africa: Deprovincialization and Decolonization, Palgrave
Nugent, P (2004) Africa Since Independence: A Comparative History, Palgrave Macmillan |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical thinking and analysis
Team work
Effective written and verbal communication
Effective research and analytical skills |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | |
Course secretary | |
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