This course introduces students to the colonial history of Africa from the beginning of the European colonization/domination (ca.1910) to the process of decolonization and independence of the African countries (1960/1990). Students explore political, economic, social and cultural aspects of the European domination and its impact in the Africans, the African struggles against the European systems and historical methods through a combination of lecture, film, reading, and discussion. We begin with an introduction to the geography, resources, and developing demography of the continent in tandem with discussions of controversies around historiography, theory and methods.
Case studies acquaint students with complementary disciplines (Anthropology, Sociology and Economy), specific historical texts (oral history and epics, travel and exploration essays by "strangers") and African cultural and artistic expressions of the past (praise poetry). Each case study suggests the challenge of reconstructing Africa's past and develops a set of themes to illustrate a broad range of historical experience on the continent.
- Teacher: alda saide