57799 - History and Institutions of Sub-Saharan Africa

Course contents

The course discusses the main phases and issues of the contemporary history of Sub-Saharan Africa since the starting of the colonial domination:

- 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. Periodization of the colonial period and analysis of the impact of the colonial domination on African societies. The colonial administrations;

The decolonization in the new post-war international context. The independences of the African states and the nation-state. The crisis of the African state and of the policies of economic development. Processes of democratization and conflicts.

A monographic part will be devoted to the history of South Africa in the XX century.

Readings/Bibliography

Books for students attending classes:

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

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

Dossier “Trasformazioni democratiche in Africa” in “Afriche e Orienti”, n. 3-4/2006

 

Books for students not attending classes:

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

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

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

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

 

Teaching methods

Lessons and week discussions of the issues presented during lessons.

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

Assessment methods

The final examination will be an oral examination. Students must demonstrate to be able to present and to discuss the topics of the course.

Teaching tools

Transparencies, maps, Italian, international and African press. At the beginning of the course will be illustrated the use of Internet in order to study Sub-Saharan Africa.

Office hours

See the website of Mario Zamponi