HIU34524 Social and Political History of Africa in the 19th and 20th Century
Module Organiser: Dr Ailish Veale
Duration: Year Long
Contact hours: 2 hours per fortnight
Weighting: 10 ECTS
Assessment: 100% Continuous Assessment
This module aims to introduce students to a number of central themes in colonial and post-colonial African history. Using a broad range of primary source materials and considering different theoretical and historiographical perspectives, the course seeks to balance a broad social and political history of the continent with smaller, regional studies. The themes explored include gender and sexuality, medicine and disease, violence and ethnicity, science and technology, colonial economies and cultures, customs and laws, development aid and humanitarianism.
The first half of the course will study the imperial scramble to colonize Africa, the integration of African societies into the world economy and resulting colonial rivalries. The social and political impact of imperial policies will be considered, as will colonial and subaltern lived experiences of these policies. The second half of the course will explore the nationalist struggles that resulted in independent African states, and the persistent problems faced by those post-colonial states. This module will span the course of an academic year and will be a mix of class based debates and document analysis.