57799 - History and Institutions of Sub-Saharan Africa

Learning outcomes

When completed this course unit, the student: - has apprehended the political history of contemporary sub-Saharan Africa, with specific reference to the colonial period, to the decolonization processes and to the processes shaping the independent nation-states; - knows how to recognize and discuss the structural causes of the development crises, the roots, nature and main dynamics of civil and military conflicts; - knows how to discuss the relations between development, poverty, environmental crisis and consolidation or crisis of democracy; - is aware of the tools and methods to contextualize and debate the main issues related to the cultural, political and social dynamics of sub-Saharan Africa and its various regional contexts.

Course contents

This course unit addresses the different phases and the main themes of the contemporary history of Sub-Saharan Africa since the late pre-colonial period:

- The XIX century, the end of the slave trade, the development of international commerce, the colonial penetration and the scramble for Africa by the European powers.The main characteristics of the various colonial administrations and an analysis of the impact of the colonial domination on African societies.

- The decolonization in the post-World War II international context. The independences of the African states,the nation-state and the different policies and ideologies of the indipendent Governments. The debate on the heritage of the colonial State.The crisis of the African State and of the policies of economic development.

- The new development paradigms and the political and economic reforms since the 1980s

- Democracy, the fight against poverty, citizenship and development: the challenges of the current era

Specific sections will be organized with the involvement of the students and will be dedicated to the following themes:

- The "ethnic" issue in the history of the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the legacies of the colonial State

- The political transformations in Southern Africa from independence to the post-Cold war period.

- 1990s-2000 in sub-Saharan Africa: good governance reforms, democratization and the issue of citizenship.

Readings/Bibliography

Readings for students attending classes:

- A.M. Gentili, Il leone e il cacciatore. Storia dell'Africa subsahariana, Carocci, Roma, Nuova edizione aggiornata 2008

- C. Tornimbeni, Stranieri e autoctoni in Africa sub-sahariana. Potere, Stato e cittadinanza nella storia delle migrazioni, Carocci, Roma, 2010, chapters 4 and 5

- M. Zamponi, Democrazia e transizioni politiche. L'Africa sub-sahariana nell'era del post-Washington Consensus, in «'900», n. 14-15, 2007

- 1 choice between the following ones:

- J.-L. Amselle, E. M'Bokolo, L'invenzione dell'etnia, Maltemi editore, Roma, 2008: the papers by Amselle, Dozon and Chrétien

- M. Zamponi, Breve storia del Sudafrica, Carocci, Roma, 2009

- M.C. Ercolessi, L'Angola indipendente, Carocci, Roma, 2011

- Journal "afriche e orienti", Numero Speciale I 2006 “Stato-nazione e movimenti nazionalisti nell'Africa australe post-coloniale”: the papers by Gentili (Mozambico), Zamponi (Zimbabwe) e Pallotti (Tanzania).

- Journal "afriche e orienti", n. 1-2/2012 "Percorsi della democrazia in Africa": 3 articles on choice among those of the "Dossier"

- Journal "afriche e orienti", n. 3-4/2011 "Cittadinanza e politiche dell'appartenenza in Africa sub-sahariana": the papers by Tornimbeni, Geschiere and Sjögren

Readings for students not attending classes:

- A.M. Gentili, Il leone e il cacciatore. Storia dell'Africa subsahariana, Carocci, Roma, Nuova edizione aggiornata 2008

- C. Tornimbeni, Stranieri e autoctoni in Africa sub-sahariana. Potere, Stato e cittadinanza nella storia delle migrazioni, Carocci, Roma, 2010: chapters4 and 5

- M. Zamponi, Breve storia del Sudafrica, Carocci, Roma, 2009.

- J.-L. Amselle, E. M'Bokolo, L'invenzione dell'etnia, Maltemi editore, Roma, 2008: the papers by Amselle, Dozon and Chrétien

Teaching methods

Lessons and weekly discussions on the issues presented during classes.

Assessment methods

The final examination will be an oral examination. Students must demonstrate to be able to present and discuss the topics of the class with reference to the lessons and to the readings indicated on the programme.

Teaching tools

Maps; Italian, international and African press. At the beginning of the class the use of Internet for Sub-Saharan Africa studies will be illustrated.

A “small atlas” of the history of Africa useful to follow the classes and to study the readings will be available at the information desk of the library of the Department of Politics, Institutions, History

Historical maps will be also uploaded in the "materials of the teaching activity"

Office hours

See the website of Corrado Tornimbeni