Postgraduate Course: African Borderlands (PGSP11344)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | In recent years, there has been a veritable explosion of multi-disciplinary writing about borders and borderlands in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which has in part offset the privileged attention academics have traditionally given to European and North American vantage points and settings. This course introduces students to the main strands of these multidisciplinary contributions, emphasizing the analytical and policy stakes of the debates that they have generated. We will focus both on the big stories of nation-state construction and the small stories that convey the day-to-day experiences of borders. Thematic sessions will be built on in-depth case studies on border dynamics in various parts of the world, while using these cases as the basis of comparative perspectives. |
| Course description |
The course provides an understanding of how borders are changing due to major transformations in the global political economy but also how borders often play key roles in these changes. The course introduces students to key concepts and theoretical positions in this multidisciplinary field of study. Weekly sessions will cover:
-spatial histories and colonial/postcolonial legacies,
-border conflict, violence and secessionism
-urbanism, border cities and towns
-infrastructure and regional integration
-cross border-trade and smuggling
-mobilities and migration
-security and securitization
-border identities and cultures
Weekly lectures (1 hour, delivered by the course organizer and select guests showcasing fresh research and diverse disciplinary approaches) will be followed by seminars (1 hour, discussion loosely structured around previously announced guiding questions).
The course builds on our School's long-term expertise in the field of borderland studies, including the role of Prof. Paul Nugent and colleagues in the African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE). While open to students in other programmes, the course is particularly recommended for students in the MSc International Development, MSc Conflict, Security & Development; and MSc Africa & International Development.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 10 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
20% Group presentation (18 min. & 10 slides)
80% Final essay (3,000 word)
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| Feedback |
On a weekly basis, students' understanding of the material will be assessed in class discussions and group activities, with verbal feedback provided from the course organiser and peers. Students are expected to be active participants in class, contributing to the discussions and activities and also taking the opportunity to ask questions on matters they need assistance with. Formative feedback will be provided on the first assignment due in week 6, thus enabling students to gauge their understanding of the topics covered in the first half of the course. Written feedback will be provided on the final essay assignment |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key theories, concepts and policies relating to borders and borderlands
- Critically analyse competing perspectives within debates on the significance of borders and borderlands across the world, while forming independent opinions on the subject matter.
- Review and analyse various forms of evidence in order to interrogate claims and policies regarding the political, economic and sociocultural dimensions of borders and borderlands
- Communicate their knowledge and understanding they have obtained in both written and oral form
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Reading List
- Wilson, T. M., and H. Donnan (2012) A Companion to Border Studies. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
- Billé, F., and C. Humphrey (2021) On the Edge: Life Along the Russia-China Border. Cambridge: Harvard UP.
- Jusionyte, I. (2016) Savage Frontier: Making News and Security on the Argentine Border. Oakland: University of California Press.
- Nugent, P. (2019) Boundaries, Communities, and State-Making in West Africa: The Centrality of the Margins. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Graduates will be knowledgeable of a significant range of the key theories, concepts and policies relating to borders and border regions. They will be capable at an advanced level of identifying and critically analysing differing perspectives within complex, current debates on the subject.
Besides these attributes specific to the subject area, graduates will enhance their ability to evaluate and synthesize different types evidence, review and critically analyse literature, and independently formulate well-informed opinions on complex problems. They will have the capability to communicate the knowledge and understanding they have obtained in written, oral and visual forms. Finally, graduates will have the ability to work both autonomously and in collaboration with peers on research tasks. These skills will be transferable across a variety of academic and professional contexts. |
| Keywords | Frontiers; Boundaries; Borderlands; Regional Integration; Borderscapes; International Development; |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jose Munoz Martin
Tel: (0131 6)51 5678
Email: J.Munoz@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Maria Brichs
Tel: (0131 6)51 3205
Email: mbrichs@ed.ac.uk |
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