85494 - Citizenship and Development in Africa

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage (cod. 9237)

Learning outcomes

This course unit aims at forming the student skills in analysing the relationship between social and political belonging, the formation of the nation-state and current and past development challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, this course unit will examine the historical trajectory from the modernization paradigm linked to the development of the nation-state after independencies (1960s) to the good governance reforms and democratization processes of the post-cold war context. In this regard, the course unit will point to the different visions about citizenship developed over the years, and to their relationships with local, national and transnational forms of belonging in sub-Saharan Africa.

Course contents

1. Citizenship and development in Africa: a conceptual and methodological introduction

Mandatory readings:

- F. Cooper (2002), Africa Since 1940. The Past of the Present, Cambridge University Press, Chapter 1

- E. J. Keller (2014), Identity, Citizenship and Political Conflict in Africa, Indiana University Press, 2014, Chapter 1

2. From ‘subjects’ to ‘citizens’. Nation-building projects at the time of independence

Mandatory readings:

- F. Cooper (2002), Africa Since 1940. The Past of the Present, Cambridge University Press, Chapter 3

- M. Mamdani (1996), Citizen and Subject. Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism, Princeton University Press 1996, Chapter 2

3. Citizenship under the modernisation paradigm

Mandatory readings:

- F. Cooper (2002), Africa Since 1940. The Past of the Present, Cambridge University Press, Chapter 4 and 5

4. Citizenship and development under structural adjustment and democratisation

Mandatory readings:

- C. Tornimbeni (2013), ‘Transmitting and Negotiating Paradigms on Citizenship, State and Development in sub-Saharan Africa: Introducing a Discussion on Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Dynamics’, in C. Tornimbeni (ed.), Working the System in Sub-Saharan Africa: Global Values, National Citizenship and Local Politics in Historical Perspective, Cambridge Scholars Publishing

- N. Cheeseman (2018) Institutions and Democracy in Africa: How the rules of the game shape political engagements. Chapter 1: “‘Understanding African politics: Why we need to bring the state back in”. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

5. Ethnic Federalism and the Developmental State. The case of Ethiopia

Mandatory readings:

- E. J. Keller (2014), Identity, Citizenship and Political Conflict in Africa, Indiana University Press, 2014, Chapter 5

- C. Clapham (2018) ‘The Ethiopian developmental state’, Third World Quarterly 39, (2017): 1–15

6. Religion and citizenship: the case of Uganda

Mandatory readings:

- A. van Klinken, E. Obadare (2018) ‘Christianity, sexuality and citizenship in Africa: critical intersections’, Citizenship Studies, 22:6, 557-568

- Valois, C. (2014) ‘Virtual Access: the Ugandan ‘anti-gay’ movement, LGBT blogging and the public sphere’, Journal of Eastern African Studies 9(1): 145-162.

7. Citizenship, identity politics, and violent conflict: the case of Rwanda

Mandatory readings:

- E. J. Keller (2014), Identity, Citizenship and Political Conflict in Africa. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Chapter 8, pp. 125-146

- S. Buckley-zistel (2006), Dividing and uniting: The use of citizenship discourses in conflict and reconciliation in Rwanda, Global Society, 20(1): 101-113.

8. Citizenship and the land question: the case of Zimbabwe and Malawi

Mandatory readings:

- M. Zamponi, ‘Land, State and National Citizenship in Zimbabwe’, in C. Tornimbeni (ed.), Working the System in Sub-Saharan Africa: Global Values, National Citizenship and Local Politics in Historical Perspective, Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2013

- D. Chinigò (2016) ‘Re-Peasantization and Land Reclamation Movements in Malawi’, African Affairs 115(458)

9. A new African Renaissance? Science and Technology and development in South Africa

Mandatory readings:

- S. Dubow (2019) ‘200 Years of Astronomy in South Africa: From the Royal Observatory to the ‘Big Bang’ of the Square Kilometre Array’ Journal of Southern African Studies 45(4): 663-687

- D. Chinigò, C. Walker (2020) 'Science, astronomy, and sacrifice zones: development trade-offs, and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope project in South Africa', Social Dynamics 46(3): 391-413

10. Debating citizenship and development in Africa

Mandatory reading:

- E. J. Keller (2014), Identity, Citizenship and Political Conflict in Africa, Indiana University Press, 2014, Chapter 2

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students

As far as the final exam is concerned, attending students will be evaluated based on all the mandatory readings for Lectures 1-4 and 10, and choose one of the two required readings for each of the Lectures 5-9.

Non-attending students

To prepare the final exam non-attending student are requested to prepare a partially different reading list. Non-attending students will be evaluated based on the following:

· F. Cooper (2002), Africa Since 1940. The Past of the Present, Cambridge University Press

· Choose one of the two required readings for each of the Lectures 5-9.

Non-attending students are kindly requested to contact the lecturer in due time before the exam for additional clarifications about the final exam.

Teaching methods

The course is organised as a set of lectures followed by extensive class discussion. Students are expected to read a diverse range of literature, while making use of specific case studies that elucidate pertinent concepts and themes.

Each lecture will rely on the mandatory readings (see ‘Course Content’), as well as additional supplemental material. Students are expected to prepare the two mandatory readings in advance of each class. Supplemental material can include additional readings, news articles, audio-visual material, and other web-based resources. Some lectures may include presentations from external experts in the form of a seminar. A more detailed programme will be made available to students at the beginning of the course.

Depending on the specific topic, class discussion will include group work and presentations, and extensive question & answer. Details will be defined and shared with students at the beginning of the course.

Assessment methods

Both attending and non-attending students will undertake an oral exam based on the two different syllabus and requirements outlined above (see “Readings/Bibliography”). The oral exam is articulated along three/four questions. Students will be assessed based on their ability to:

· Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of the key theories, concepts and issues most central to define questions about citizenship and development in Africa in historical perspective;

· Apply the knowledge, skills, and understanding gained in the course through engagement with research and news about Africa;

· Critically analyse and evaluate research and contemporary debates about African issues in order to make informed opinions and analyses;

· Communicate their knowledge of citizenship and development in Africa through theoretically informed and empirically grounded oral presentations;

· Demonstrate autonomy and critical thinking in their ability to question, examine, and understand key issues.

The ability of the student to achieve a coherent and comprehensive understanding of the topics addressed by the course, to critically assess them and to use an appropriate language will be evaluated with the highest grades (A = 27-30 cum laude).

A predominantly mnemonic acquisition of the course's contents together with gaps and deficiencies in terms of language, critical and/or logical skills will result in grades ranging from good (B = 24-26) to satisfactory (C = 21-23).

A low level of knowledge of the course’s contents together with gaps and deficiencies in terms of language, critical and/or logical skills will be considered as ‘barely passing' (D = 18-20) or result in a fail grading (E).

Teaching tools

Each week’s Power Point Presentation will be made available after class. Additional documents, web-based resources, and maps will be circulated through the course web platform.

Office hours

See the website of Davide Chinigò

SDGs

No poverty Reduced inequalities Partnerships for the goals

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.