TAFAAAG15U Thematic course: Africa and Globalisation: Linking and Delinking Practices in Perspective

Volume 2018/2019
Education

MA programme in African Studies

Content

Globalisation has been a major topic of discussion and concern in debates since the mid-1990s. So what is "globalization"? What are its implications for Africa and Africans? What are its potential benefits and risks? What can Africa do to benefit from it, to avoid its downside risks? Is there any good reason to fear globalization? To analyse and answer these and other questions, this course will give insights, analytical tools and cases from Africa, while situating perspectives and discussion related to local, national and international aspects for Africa and Africans. The primary objectives of this course are as follows: (1) Debate globalisation as a concept and its implications for Africa. (2) Develop understanding of key concepts including theories related to globalisation; and (3) Discuss specific cases from Africa related to globalisation.

Some key elements of the course:

  • Globalisation’s implications in Africa and the role African actors and institutions play in linking up or delinking from globalisation.
  • Globalisation’s relationship to the utilization of natural resources with respect to cost/benefit sharing, conflicts related to scarcity and abundance etc.
  • Globalisation with respect to the role of state, market and civil society in Africa
  • Globalisation in relation to debates about decolonisation of Africa and African values
  • Globalisation in relation to migration in and outside Africa.
  • Impact and coping strategies related to climate change in Africa 

 

Learning Outcome

The aim is for the student to acquire the following qualifications:

  • Ability to select a relevant sub-topic within the overall focus area of globalisation. The sub-topic should be geared towards specific conditions related to Africa.

 

  • Ability to independently and critically select relevant literature on the sub-topic related to globalisation

 

  • Ability to independently and critically analyse the sub-topic in question and to place it within the overall context of globalisation.
     
Literature

SUGGESTED PRELIMINARY READING

Baylis, John, Steve Smith & Patricia Owens 2016 The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. 7th Edition. Oxford University Press.

 

Dingwerth, Klaus and Philipp Pattberg 2006. Global Governance as a Perspective on World Politics. Global Governance. Vol. 12, No. 2 (Apr.–June 2006), pp. 185-203.

 

Duffield, Mark 2014. Global Governance and the New Wars. London: GB: Zed Books

 

Duit, Andreas and Victor Galaz 2008. Governance and Complexity—Emerging Issues for

Governance Theory. Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions, Vol. 21, No. 3, July 2008 (pp. 311–335).

 

Flahaux, Marie-Laurence and Hein De Haas 2016. “African migration: trends, patterns, drivers”. Comparative Migration Studies (2016) 4:1

 

Jenkins, R. 2005. ‘Globalization, Corporate Social Responsibility and Poverty’, International Affairs 81(3): 525-540.

 

Nederveen Pieterse, Jan 2009. Development Theory SAGE Publications Ltd, UK

 

Paterson, Matthew, David Humphreys and Lloyd Pettiford, 2003. ‘Conceptualizing Global Environmental Governance: From Interstate Regimes to Counter-Hegemonic Struggles’, Global Environmental Politics, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp.1-10.

 

This course is about learning rather than teaching. All members of the class are expected to show genuine commitment to maximizing the return from the time invested in the class. Reading course literature will be expected and the class sessions will build on this material.The course will consist of a combination of lectures and workshop-like activities with active student participation and presentations by a number of external lecturers including guests from the private sector, NGOs and researchers.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Course Preparation
  • 122
  • Exam
  • 120
  • Exam Preparation
  • 150
  • Total
  • 420
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination
A written paper on a topic of the student’s own choosing comprising 36,000-43,200 characters.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Exam period

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