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 rule 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 independence of the African states and the building of the nation-state. The crisis of the African state,  the policies of economic development and the starting of the processes of democratization. The discussion about ethnicity and autochthony.

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 (new edition 2008)

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

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

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

  1 reading on choice among following ones:

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

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

journal "afriche e orienti", n. 3-4/2011 "Cittadinanza e politiche dell'appartenenza in Africa sub-sahariana": chapters by Tornimbeni, Geschiere, Lentz e Sjögren

   

Books for students not attending classes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliographical references are indicated jointly with the syllabus.

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 Political and Social Sciences

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; - to have developed the capacity to discuss the themes of the course unit with independent thinking; to be able to use a critical analysis in addressing the texts provided and the discussions developed during classes (for those attending classes), with attention given to the use of sources  

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