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| Semester | spring semester 2019 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Danelle Van Zyl-Hermann (danelle.vanzyl-hermann@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Africa is often associated with images of desperate and distressing deprivation, a singular poverty depicted as timeless and uniform across the entire continent. Such representations obscure much more than they reveal. To be sure, in Africa – as in all parts of the world – poverty has always been a reality. However, this reality was and continues to be historically contingent and regionally specific, and therefore inherently dynamic and diverse. This Proseminar takes a bird’s-eye view of poverty and the poor across sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on specific regions, states, communities and cities, from the precolonial through to the contemporary era. This macro approach is combined with micro histories, providing insight into the varied and changing notions of, responses to and experiences of poverty on the ground, thereby revealing that poverty is not only a ‘chronicle of suffering; it is also a saga of survival’ (Bundy 2016). We will address issues such as access to resources, land and labour; the environment; violence and insecurity; families and community structure; religion; rural vs urban lives; social differentiation and class formation; and processes of accumulation and exploitation. Throughout, we will engage with the conceptual and methodological challenges of studying poverty. |
| Learning objectives | For those unfamiliar with historical and contemporary Africa, this Proseminar may function as an easily accessible introduction to the continent through the lens of poverty. 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 | - John Iliffe, The African Poor: A History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. - Matthew Graham, Contemporary Africa. London: Red Globe Press/Springer, 2019. - Samir Amin, ‘Underdevelopment and Dependence in Black Africa – Origins and Contemporary Forms’, The Journal of Modern African Studies, 10, 4, 1972, pp.503-524. |
| Comments | The medium of instruction and the assigned reading material is in English. Where necessary, students may also use German to contribute to the discussions, or write their assignments in German. |
| Admission requirements | Für Studierende des BSF Geschichte im Grundstudium und mit abgeschlossenem Einführungskurs Geschichte. Bei Überbelegung kann die Teilnehmerzahl beschränkt werden, bevorzugt zugelassen werden Studierende des BSF Geschichte, die noch kein Proseminar in dem Modul absolviert haben. Teilnahme an der ersten Sitzung. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Basis Neuere / Neueste Geschichte (Bachelor's degree subject: History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Aktive Teilnahme. |
| 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 |