54
History and Institutions of Africa
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Master the terminology and key concepts of the history of Africa South of the Sahara.
- Understand the main socio-political and cultural transformations that have shaped the region, particularly the dynamics that defined its relations with the rest of the world.
KNOWLEDGE AND APPLIED UNDERSTANDING:
- Critically analyse significant historical events and processes, with particular focus on the period between the eighteenth century and the years immediately following independence.
- Identify and critically use the main historical sources related to the African continent.
- Develop the ability to read and interpret contemporary African realities.
FURTHER EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Develop independent critical and communication skills through the acquisition of appropriate conceptual tools and a long-term, comparative historical perspective.
Course Prerequisites
Ability to understand textbooks and specialised texts (including in English), a good knowledge of contemporary history, and a knowledge of search engines and word processing programmes.
Teaching Methods
The course consists of lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations and audiovisual materials (documentaries and short videos). Attending students will be required to take a written exam on the topics covered in the first part of the course; the date will be announced during the lectures. In the second part of the course, some sessions will take the form of seminars, involving group discussions based on selected readings provided by the instructor. These discussions will contribute to the final mark. Active participation in class is therefore considered an integral component of the learning process.
Non-attending students are required to complete additional reading assignments to make up for the missed in-class activities and access to distributed materials. The oral exam will cover the entire syllabus. Non-attending students must therefore contact the instructor well in advance via email to define the reading list.
Assessment Methods
The final exam consists of an oral discussion that will assess the student’s understanding of the course content, accuracy in the use of terminology, and ability to analyse and argue critically.
For attending students only, assessment of the first part of the course will include a written assignment administered in class on a date to be announced. Selected materials distributed during lectures will also be critically discussed in class. Both the written assignment and participation in in-class debates constitute an integral part of the final evaluation. Topics discussed during class sessions may be included in the oral examination. The overall mark, determined during the final oral exam, will therefore take into account attendance, coursework, active participation in discussions, and a critical engagement with the texts.
Non-attending students are required to read additional materials to account for missed class activities and access to lecture content. The oral exam will cover the entire syllabus. Non-attending students must contact the instructor well in advance via email to define the reading list and, if necessary, arrange an alternative programme.
The exam will be conducted in Italian. Erasmus students may take the exam in English, French, or Spanish.
Texts
Required readings:
Catherine Coquery-Vidrovitch, Breve storia dell'Africa, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2012.
John Iliffe, Africans: The History of a Continent, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2017 (chapters 8–11).
Catherine Coquery-Vidrovitch, Africa nera: mutamenti e continuità, SEI, Turin, 1990 (pp. 79–150; 275–344).
Frederick Cooper, Africa since 1940: The Past of the Present, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2002 (chapters 1–6).
During the course, attending students will receive additional readings in PDF format.
Recommended readings for further study:
G.P. Calchi Novati & P. Valsecchi, Africa: la storia ritrovata, Carocci, Roma, 2016 (pp. 143–239; 275–334).
R.O. Collins & J.M. Burns, A History of Sub-Saharan Africa, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (pp. 175–189; 201–226; 249–327; 331–343; 357–376). (Especially for Erasmus students, as an alternative to A.M. Gentili, Il leone e il cacciatore)
An effective teaching tool that combines cartography with a collection of concise and precise historical fact sheets is:
N. Kwamena-Poh, J. Tosh, R. Waller, and M. Tidy, Historical Atlas of Africa, SEI, Turin, 1989.
Contents
The course offers a general introduction to the history of sub-Saharan Africa. After an overview of African societies in ancient times, we will focus on the long nineteenth century, beginning with the impact of the abolition of the slave trade and analysing the causes and objectives of European colonisation. We will then examine early African responses; the profound social, cultural, and political changes brought about by colonialism; African responses, local initiatives and the limits of colonial rule. The course will also address the transformations linked to the two World Wars, the rise of Pan-Africanism and the national liberation movements. It will conclude with a reflection on the optimism surrounding independence and the challenges faced by postcolonial states.
Course Language
Italian
More information
The course aims to provide a solid understanding of the events and processes that have shaped the recent history of Africa South of the Sahara, along with essential methodological tools for analysing sources and historiographical debates. Thus, special attention will be given to developing the ability to grasp core arguments in assigned readings and to engage critically in class discussions.