Course Listings

POLI 387 Africa and the World (1)

How had world politics changed Africa? How has Africa changed the world? Africa is often treated as a continent set aside from the rest of the world, a place of unimaginable crises, and an "exception" or "special case." Recognizing that the politics of Africa is profoundly implicated in international political and economic relations, this class examines the ways in which world politics and the colonial legacy shape African nation-states and political leadership; the politics of "tribes," ethnicity, race, class, and gender; the politics of culture, tradition, and modernity; African liberation struggles and social movements. The class will focus on the international dimensions of violent conflicts in Africa; African "underdevelopment" and Africa's contribution to economic development of Europe and the Americas; humanitarianism and humanitarian intervention in Africa; the politics of international aid agencies; international justice and courts in Africa. Case studies include Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Darfur, South Africa, Maasailand; pan-Africanism and the African diaspora.

• Offering: Alternate springs
• Instructor: Koomen