Back to selection
74107-01 - Seminar: Introduction to African Politics (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Tobias Hagmann Leupin (tobias.hagmann@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This interactive seminar introduces students to the study of African states and politics, taking its point of departure in key academic debates and concepts that have emerged since the post-colonial period. Drawing on the comparative politics and Africanist political science literature, we explore important political processes in Sub-Saharan Africa ranging from elections, political regimes, service delivery to state-society relations. Students engage with theoretical debates, country case studies and reflect on the challenges of understanding both state and non-state politics in Africa beyond Eurocentric cliches. Seminar participants familiarize themselves with main debates and concepts pertaining to the analysis of contemporary African politics, they get to know different empirical contexts and sharpen their comparative analytical skills. Language of instruction will alternate between English and German. |
| Learning objectives | - Participants familiarize themselves with key debates and concepts prominent in the study of African politics. - Participants practice comparative analytical skills and reflect on the strengths and limitations of institutionalist analysis. - Participants gain an understanding of contemporary political processes and state-society relations in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| Bibliography | Chan, S. (2021). African Political Thought: An Intellectual History for the Quest of Power. London: Hurst. [See 10 episodes on YouTube] Cheeseman, N., Anderson, D. and A. Scheibler (eds) (2015). Routledge Handbook of African Politics. London: Routledge. Englebert, P. and K. Dunn (2019). Inside African Politics. 2nd ed. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. Herbst, J. (2014) [2000]. States and Power in Africa: Comparative Lessons in Authority and Control. 2nd ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Thomson, A. (2023). An Introduction to African Politics. 5th ed. New York: Routledge. |
| Comments | Achtung: Alle Seminare im Fach Politikwissenschaft werden benotet. Notenskala 6.0 bis 1.0, wobei 4.0 genügend (Bestanden) ist. Die Teilnehmerzahl ist aus Gründen der Qualitätssicherung der Lehre beschränkt. Bei Überbuchung haben Studierende der Politikwissenschaft Vorrang. Selektion nach Belegungsdatum. |
| Admission requirements | Achtung: Alle Seminare im Fach Politikwissenschaft werden benotet. Notenskala 6.0 bis 1.0, wobei 4.0 genügend (Bestanden) ist. Die Teilnehmerzahl ist aus Gründen der Qualitätssicherung der Lehre beschränkt. Bei Überbuchung haben Studierende der Politikwissenschaft Vorrang. Selektion nach Belegungsdatum. |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 08.15-09.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
Dates
| Modules |
Module: Basics: Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Extension Political Science (Bachelor's degree subject: Political Science) Module: Extension Social Sciences BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Political Science) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Fields: Governance and Politics (Bachelor's Studies - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) Module: Specialization in International Relations (Bachelor's degree subject: Political Science) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular course attendance, presentation of one PechaKucha in class and written final essay. Essays are graded with standard marks. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |