73289 - International Relations and Development in Africa

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired, in a critical manner and with reference to international academic research literature, a good knowledge of the political history of contemporary Africa in its international dimension. In particular, the student will be able to: A) analyze and discuss the main elements of the political development and transformations of the political systems of contemporary African considering the internal, regional and international context; B) analyze and discuss the main factors defining the role and location of Africa in contemporary global politics and international relations; C) analyze and evaluate empirically the development strategies and governance reforms, also in relation to the role of the international policies of the major donors; D) find and arrange documentary and bibliographic sources using libraries, databases and websites, and organize, both verbally and by written essays, the knowledge acquired during the course.

Course contents

The course is organized in lectures and seminars, as detailed in the following program. Lectures (16 hours in remote on MS TEAMS) aim to introduce students to the core tenets of the discipline. Seminars (12 hours) aim to provide occasions for in-depth discussions of class materials and exercises. For the seminar section of the course, students will be divided in two groups according to their preferences and according to rules concerning the current pandemic emergency: one group will do the seminar in classroom (12 hours) and another group will do the seminar remotely on MS TEAMS (12 hours), for a total of 28 hours for each student. Students are required to carefully read the assigned material before the session and - in the case of seminars - active participation through presentations of existing scholarship and case studies will also be expected. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS.

PART (A), LECTURES (16 hours): After a brief overview of the background history of sub-Saharan Africa, this section will analyse the relationship between the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the international community within the framework of the prevailing development issues in following periods: the various phases of independence and the Cold War; the Washington and post-Washigton consensus (1980s and 1990s); the third millennium and the new international consensus on 'stability' and 'security'.

Readings for Part A (mandatory for all):

* A. Pallotti and M. Zamponi, L'Africa sub-sahariana nella politica internazionale, Le Monnier - Mondadori, Firenze, 2010, chapters 1, 2, 3 (only pp. 58-62), 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10; 12, 13, (only pp. 197-202), 14, 18 (only pp. 277-282).

* A. Pallotti, Alla ricerca della democrazia. L'Africa sub-sahariana tra autoritarismo e sviluppo, Rubettino, Soveria Mannelli, 2013: chapters 6 and 7

* C. Tornimbeni, "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, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013.

* R. Abrahamsen, “Discourses of Democracy, Practices of Autocracy: Shifting Meanings of Democracy in the Aid-Authoritarianism Nexus”, in T. Hagmann and F. Reyntjens (eds), Aid and Authoritarianism in Africa: Development without Democracy, London: Zed Books, 2016.

* D. Anderson and J. Fisher, “Authoritarianism and the Securitization of Development in Africa”, International Affairs, 91 (1), 2015.

PART (B), SEMINARS (12 hours): Democratisation, good governance, stability and security; 5 case-study discussions and 1 final debate.

Readings for Part B (1 reading to be chosen among the following case-studies):

* A. Pallotti, Alla ricerca della democrazia. L'Africa sub-sahariana tra autoritarismo e sviluppo, Rubettino, Soveria Mannelli, 2013: chapters 8 (Tanzania) or 10 (Zimbabwe).

* R. Marshall-Fratani, “The War of "Who Is Who": Autochthony, Nationalism and Citizenship in the Ivorian Crisis”, in S. Dorman, D. Hammett and P. Nugent (eds.), Making Nations, Creating Strangers. States and Citizenship in Africa, Brill 2007

* E. Morier-Genoud, “Mozambique since 1989. Shaping Democracy after Socialism”, in A.R. Mustapha and L. Whitfield (eds.), Turning Points in African Democracy, Boydell & Brewer, 2010

* E.J. Keller, Identity, Citizenship and Political Conflict in Africa, Indiana University Press, 2014: chapter 7 (Kenya).

* P. Englebert, “The DRC’s Electoral Sideshow”, Journal of Democracy, 30 (3), 2019.

* T. Hagmann and F. Reyntjens (eds.), Aid and Authoritarianism in Africa: Development without Democracy, London: Zed Books, 2016: chapters 3 (Uganda), or 4 (Ethiopia) or 5 (Camerun)

Readings/Bibliography

For a better understanding of the topics developed during this course unit, it is suggested the preliminary reading of one of the following volumes: A.M. Gentili, Il Leone e il cacciatore. Storia dell'Africa sub-sahariana, Nuova edizione, Carocci, Roma, 2008; A.M. Medici, A. Pallotti e M. Zamponi, L'Africa contemporanea, Firenze, Le Monnier-Mondadori, 2017

Mandatory readings for the final exam for students ATTENDING classes

* All mandatory readings of part (A) and one of the readings to be chosen from Part (B)

Mandatory readings for the final exam for students NON-ATTENDING classes

* A. Pallotti and M. Zamponi, L'Africa sub-sahariana nella politica internazionale, Le Monnier - Mondadori, Firenze, 2010, chapters 1, 2, 3 (only pp. 58-62), 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10; 12, 13, (only pp. 197-202), 14, 18 (only pp. 277-282).

* A. Pallotti, Alla ricerca della democrazia. L'Africa sub-sahariana tra autoritarismo e sviluppo, Rubettino, Soveria Mannelli, 2013: chapters 6, 7, 8

* C. Tornimbeni, "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, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013

* D. Anderson and J. Fisher, “Authoritarianism and the Securitization of Development in Africa”, International Affairs, 91 (1), 2015.

* T. Hagmann and F. Reyntjens (eds), Aid and Authoritarianism in Africa: Development without Democracy, London: Zed Books, 2016: chapter 1.

Teaching methods

Part (A): Each class will be first presented by the professor, and then will be debated with the students on the basis of the readings that students are requested to analyse in advance.

Part (B): Seminars in which students will prepare specific case studies (1 for each student) to be presented in class for discussion with the professor and the other students.

Assessment methods

The final exam consists of an oral examination: it will evaluate the student's method for the study of the proposed themes, and her/his knowledge of the evolution of the continent's political systems in relation to the prevailing development paradigms of the various historical periods.

For the students attending classes, the oral examination will also take into account the preliminary evaluation of their preparation and participation in the seminars.

Teaching tools

At the beginning of the lessons the use of search engines and specialized sites for the multidisciplinary study of sub-Saharan Africa will be illustrated.

Office hours

See the website of Corrado Tornimbeni