Modern Africa, Honors

Modern Africa | Honors 

This course examines Africa’s recent history by surveying various social, political, and economic developments during the colonial era and independence struggles. We will explore the complexity of the African historical experience in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries--a period characterized by increasingly intense interactions with the West. Readings, films, lectures, discussions, and assignments will focus on the major changes that occurred in the face of European imperialism and its aftershocks. We will consider the reshaping of Africa’s political economy during the colonial period and analyze contentious legacies that remain in the postcolonial era. 

The works of African scholars, writers, and artists will offer diverse perspectives on the continent’s recent past. Challenges facing independent Africa will be explored in the context of debates about development, neocolonialism, and nation building. We will discuss American perceptions and representations of Africa, past and present. A focus on events and issues in several countries will add depth to this survey of the making of modern Africa.