POL40320 Africa: Crisis and Opportunity?

Academic Year 2020/2021

This module will encourage thought and discussion around the economic, social, political and cultural conditions of African countries, and how these conditions have evolved over time. Some key concepts that will be focused on include: the appropriate role of the African state; the legitimacy (or the lack of it) of Africa's territorial structures and units as well as its state structures; economic reform; civil society; democratisation; conflict; and the foreign policies of actors such as the European Union, the USA and China. Specifically, the course will explore these concepts through a detailed analysis of the history, present situation and possible futures of African state formations and their relationships to different African societies.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Learning outcome: the capacity to interpret contemporary (including media) debates about Africa (poverty, corruption and others) within a wider explanatory framework based on an understanding of political-economic structures and historical change.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20

Autonomous Student Learning

200

Total

220

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Principally lecture-based, with scope for in-class Q&A and some groupwork/discussion 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Essay: 6000 words Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

60

Essay: 4000 words Week 7 n/a Graded No

40


Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual feedback to students within 3 weeks of assignment completion