57799 - History and Institutions of Sub-Saharan Africa

Learning outcomes

The course  discusses Sub-saharan countries political and economic developments in colonial and postcolonial societies.. The method is comparative with specific attention to the characteristics of colonial exploitation, the organisation of nationalism,  the modes of social transformation. The course will analyse  the dynamics of  independent nation-states ; the development crisis; the roots, nature and dynamics of civil and military conflicts. The third module of the couse deals with the the post-colonial nation-state , rural communities, land , productiveand labour force reforms in Southern Africa.   The student should be able, by means of the comparative analysis, to understand the specificity of the processes of African political developments in the context of the rapid change of international political and economic  priorities.

Course contents

First module :
The political and economic history of contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa: the XIX century; the end of the slave trade; the development of trade activities; the colonial scramble of Africa between the European powers; periodization of the colonial era and the impact of colonial systems imposed on African societies; land, production, and the circulation of people and goods in the colonial period; colonial administration and the construction of the image of Africa.
Political issues: decolonisation within the transformation of the second world war international context; the independence of African states; political and economic resources; the nation-state in Sub-Saharan Africa; democracy and processes of democratization; origins of political and social conflicts; sub-saharan Africa in the international system.

Second module
Comparing regions in Post-colonial Africa .Nation-State and globalization. Political development and security. 

Readings/Bibliography

First module: readings

A.M. Gentili, Il leone e il cacciatore. Storia dell'Africa subsahariana, Carocci, Roma, 1995( new edition 2008)

G. Mizzau, La terra degli antenati. Regime fondiario tradizionale dei coltivatori africani, F.Angeli, Milano 2001

E. M'Bokolo, J.L. Amselle, L'invenzione dell'Etnia, Meltemi, Roma 2008

First and second module: readings

A.M. Gentili, Il leone e il cacciatore. Storia dell'Africa subsahariana, Carocci, Roma, 1995

G. Mizzau, La terra degli antenati. Regime fondiario tradizionale dei coltivatori africani, F.Angeli. Milano
2001

E. M'Bokolo, J.L. Amselle, L'invenzione dell'Etnia, Meltemi, Roma 2008


AA.VV: Stato Nazione e Movimenti nazionalisti nell'Africa Australe Post-coloniale, numero speciale di "Afriche e Orienti", anno VIII/2006

AA.VV. Africa australe. Comunità Rurali, sistemi d'autorità e politiche di decentramento, numero speciale di Afriche e orienti, anno X/2008 


Erasmus and Overseas students are invited to meet professor Gentili to decide upon substituitons with English and/ or French study texts.  


Readings for students not attending lectures (6 credits)

A.M. Gentili, Il leone e il cacciatore. Storia dell'Africa subsahariana, Carocci, Roma, 1995

M. Emiliani, Petrolio, forze armate e democrazia. Il caso Nigeria, Carocci, Roma, 2004

G. Mizzau, La terra degli antenati. Regime fondiario tradizionale dei coltivatori africani, F.Angeli, Milano 2001

E. M'Bokolo, J.L. Amselle, L'invenzione dell'Etnia, Meltemi, Roma 2008

Readings for students not attending lectures (9 credits)

A.M. Gentili, Il leone e il cacciatore. Storia dell'Africa subsahariana, Carocci, Roma, 1995

E. M'Bokolo, J.L. Amselle, L'invenzione dell'Etnia, Meltemi, Roma 2008

M. Emiliani, Petrolio, forze armate e democrazia. Il caso Nigeria, Carocci, Roma, 2004

G. Mizzau, La terra degli antenati. Regime fondiario tradizionale dei coltivatori africani, F.Angeli. Milano 2001

M. Zamponi, Terra produzione, lavoro. Storia agraria dell'Africa australe, AIEP, S. Marino, 2001

Teaching methods

Lectures, distribution and discussion of documents and papers. Conferences of scholars and experts. Videos and documentaries.

Assessment methods

The final examination will be oral in order to test both the attention to  lectures and the study of the literature  indicated in the program.

Teaching tools

Transparencies, Maps, press , videos.Presentation and discussion with experts and African visiting scholars

Some internet web sites useful for for information  on African politics and society: 
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/guide.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/
http://www.eldis.org/
http://www.crisisgroup.org
http://allafrica.com
www.irinnews.org

Reference  : Africa South of the Sahara, 2008, Europa Publications, London .

On Africa, Middle East, Asia and Latin Americasee the Center Amilcar Cabral Library (Biblioteca del Centro Amilcar Cabral ,Comune di Bologna), Via San Mamolo 24.  www.amicabr.comune.bologna.it

 

 

Office hours

See the website of Anna Maria Gentili