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55720-01 - Research seminar: Key Issues in African Studies (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Every fall sem. |
| Lecturers | Elisio Macamo (elisio.macamo@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This lecture is meant to be an introduction into the methodology of African Studies. The idea behind the course is to invite students to appreciate how scholars construct their object in this field. This will be achieved by, first, acquainting students with the major theoretical debates concerning the status of African Studies as a legitimate field of scientific inquiry, second, by discussing major issues pertaining to the authority to speak about Africa and, finally, third by equipping students with key critical skills to engage with knowledge claims about Africa. A forthcoming book (Macamo 2019) spells out the major issues and will be made available to students as soon as it has been published (June 2019). |
| Learning objectives | Participants will acquaint themselves with key debates in the constitution of the field of African Studies. They will, in addition, acquaint themselves with key authors and their ideas. |
| Bibliography | Literature Macamo, Elísio 2019: Sovereign Reason – Essays in the methodology of African Studies. Cape Town. African Minds. Mudimbe, Valentin Y. 1988: The Invention of Africa – Gnosis, Philosophy and the Order of Knowledge. London: James Currey. |
| Admission requirements | •Participants are required to submit three (3) reading reactions; these can be chosen from the suggested reading and should be submitted before the session in which the respective reading material is expected to be discussed. They should be 1-2 pages long and can either be a summary of the main argument or a discussion of any aspect (of theoretical, conceptual and methodological interest) raised in the respective text. These should be sent to me by email as word or pdf documents. The file name should be your name plus the respective number of the reading response. •Any participant who misses more than two sessions (whether justified or not) will not be awarded credits for attendance. •Additional credits can be acquired through the submission of a seminar paper. |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Friday | 10.15-12.00 | Rheinsprung 21, Sitzungszimmer U4.002 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 18.09.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 25.09.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 02.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 09.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 16.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 23.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 30.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 06.11.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 13.11.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 20.11.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 27.11.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Dies Academicus |
| Friday 04.12.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 11.12.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Friday 18.12.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | --, -- |
| Modules |
African Studies: Recommendations (PhD subject: African Studies) Doktorat Soziologie: Empfehlungen (PhD subject: Sociology) Modul: Areas: Afrika (Master's degree program: European History in Global Perspective) Modul: Ungleichheit, Konflikt, Kultur (Master's degree subject: Sociology (Start of studies before 01.08.2026)) Module: Europeanization and Globalization (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Module: Fields: Knowledge Production and Transfer (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Interdisciplinary and Applied African Studies (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Societal Conflicts: Inequality, Institutions, Discourse (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Module: Societal Transformations: Ecology, Technology, Global Society (Master's degree subject: Sociology) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Participants are expected to produce three written reading responses in the course of the semester. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Soziologie |