POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN AFRICA

概要

The name “Africa” has become the center of interesting scholarly disagreements, semantic battles, and geopolitical competitions. Africa – a continent made of 54 diverse nations, diverse cultures, peoples, and political experiences – is also separated into the Arab world, attached to the Middle East, and Black Africa, situated south of the Sahara Desert (Sub-Saharan). In this course, Africa refers to the whole continent. It offers a critical introduction to contemporary African politics and society. It seeks to help students raise important questions about the place of this continent in global imaginaries. At the end, students will be equipped with theoretical and analytical tools to explore variations across African countries, make sense of the current state of affairs, and understand the challenges and opportunities facing Africa and its peoples in the 21st Century. Our starting point will reevaluate the existing stock of stereotypes, their origins and history, and the politics undergirding them. We will then move to consider African politics and society from various perspectives: semantics, ideologies, interests, structures, institutions, cultures, actors, history, health, economies, etc.

目標

Our main purpose therefore is to provide students with theoretical and analytical tools to: (1) read and comprehend critically what is Africa, and whose Africa is at stakes in international relations; (2) analyze and understand the impacts and legacies of slavery and colonialism on Africa’s societies; (3) evaluate current challenges and structures that explain continuities and changes; (4) make the link between theory and practice as far as African politics is concerned.

授業外の学習

Students will become critical thinkers able to objectively analyze Africa’s social realities. They will be able to make sense of Africa’s politics in the 21st century; they will begin to appreciate and love Africa, its politics, and societies differently. This course is about the development of a critical consciousness rather than a mere accumulation of knowledge. -study suggested readings for the class (100min) -Review the previous week’s studies (90min)

所要時間: 190 minutes