ASTK15449U COURSE: African politics

Volume 2017/2018
Education

Elective in the specialization "International Relations, Diplomacy and Conflict Studies"

Bachelorlevel: 10 ECTS

Masterlevel: 7,5 ECTS

Content

The African Politics provides a survey of political development in Sub-Saharan Africa, concentrating on the events since independence to the present. This course primarily focuses on the current issues of political and economic development across Africa, drawing on a wide variety of examples and cases. Such aspects as the state and state institutions, democracy, party systems, military coups and rule, bureaucracy and corruption, ethnicity, national and regional integration, political violence and civil conflict, as well as various economic strategies for development will receive primary attention.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge and understanding:

Students will gain insights into the development and main characteristics of African politics in the contemporary period during the post-independence era (since circa 1960). Students will be able to present and reflect on the main arguments in the academic literature on the development of the various political systems in Africa, as well as to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the different theories and methodologies on this topic.

 

Skills:

Students will be able to analyze specific cases and be able to discuss and analyze African political development in the post-independence period through the lens of different theories and methodologies.

 

Competences:

This course equips the student to understand current African politics and enhances the student’s ability to understand important questions within the realm of comparative politics and international relations. The course is relevant to students who aim for a career in, for example, international organizations, diplomacy and global corporations.

• Harbeson, John and Donald Rothchild (eds.), AFRICA IN WORLD POLITICS: ENGAGING A CHANGING GLOBAL ORDER (New York, NY: Westview Press), 2013, 5th edition.

• Taylor, Scott D,  GLOBALIZATION AND THE CULTURES OF BUSINESS IN AFRICA. FROM PARTIMONALISM TO PROFIT (Bloomington, IL: Indiana University Press), 2012.

• Bach, Daniel and Mamoudou Gazibo (eds.), NEOPATRIMONIALISM IN AFRICA AND BEYOND, London, UK: Routledge, 2012 (260 pages)

• Additional required readings will be posted on Absalon. 

None
This course will combine several types of instruction and collaborative learning. This includes lectures, several videos, group discussions/work and student presentations.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Total
  • 28

I provide regular feedback on student written assignments, along with several group activities designed to have students discuss their papers in small groups and with the class.

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Written
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment
  • Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
  • Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
  • Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner