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76300-01 - Proseminar: Scrambles for Africa? A Long History of Competition for the Continent’s Resources (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Danelle Van Zyl-Hermann (danelle.vanzyl-hermann@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Whether rubber or gold, cocoa or cobalt, palm oil or petroleum, Africa’s vast natural resources have long been coveted by those beyond the continent. Since the late nineteenth century, efforts to control mineral, forest and agricultural resources in sub-Saharan Africa have in large part been driven by the needs of industrial economies in what is today termed the global north. This course offers an overview of the long history of efforts to access, extract and control African resources. Starting from the emblematic 1884/5 Berlin Conference at which Western European powers infamously partitioned the African continent between them; moving through the global upheavals of the 20th century; and culminating in present-day debates about ‘critical raw materials’, we will consider the role of European imperial nations like Britain, France and Belgium, by the USA, Switzerland, China and the EU, by postcolonial African elites, and by multinational corporations in African resource competition. Through a focus on particular commodities, we will investigate and historicise the motivations, strategies, conflicts and responses which characterise resource competition, noting the impact and entanglement of resource extraction with issues of land, labour, environment, (over)production, and consumer demand. |
| Learning objectives | The course may act as an introduction to key historical processes and concepts in the study of Africa and its place in the global capitalist economy – notably colonialism, extractivism, under/development, the gatekeeper state, the resource curse, core/periphery dynamics, etc. Students will acquire a historically informed and nuanced understanding of the subject, laying a foundation not only for further studies of African societies but also facilitating critical reflection on related processes elsewhere in the world. |
| Bibliography | Weekly readings are detailed in the course syllabus on ADAM. |
| Admission requirements | Für Studierende des BSF Geschichte im Grundstudium mit abgeschlossenem Einführungskurs Geschichte. Teilnahme an der ersten Sitzung ist obligatorisch. Die Teilnehmer:innenzahl ist auf 25 beschränkt. Bei Überbelegung werden Studierende des BSF Geschichte, die noch kein Proseminar in dem Modul absolviert haben, bevorzugt zugelassen. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 15.09.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 22.09.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 29.09.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 06.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 13.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 20.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 27.10.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 03.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 10.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 17.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 24.11.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 01.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 08.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Monday 15.12.2025 | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 2 |
| Modules |
Modul: Basis Neuere / Neueste Geschichte (Bachelor's degree subject: History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Geschichte |