PSCI 330: African Politics
Fall 2009 (CRN: 41954)
Humboldt State University
TR, 11:00-12:20, HGH 204
Prof. Noah Zerbe
Office: FH 139
Office Hours: T 8:30-9:30 / R 3:30-4:30
or by appointment
Phone: 826-3911
E-mail: noah.zerbe@humboldt.edu
“The greatest challenge we face which will say that we are serious about the
remaking of our world is the obligation to ensure that the objective of the rebirth
of the continent of Africa should and must succeed. Without this, all declarations
of the emergence of a new world will be without meaning.”
—Nelson Mandela (1998) 12th Nonalignment Movement Summit
Course Description Far too frequently Africa is perceived by both policy makers and the general public in the West as a
continent of conflict and disease—the “Heart of Darkness”—chaotic and mysterious. In this course, we
will explore a different, more complex reality, where peoples and countries—like in the rest of the
world—are struggling with war and peace, authoritarianism and democracy, colonial legacies and current
dilemmas, and a reality that calls into question some of the most fundamental beliefs and theories about
social and international relations. Along the way, we will encounter a great diversity of peoples, ideas,
cultures, and political practices. We will address the major issues currently debated by analysts and
experts in African politics and attempt to develop a broader sense of the ways in which politics affects the
millions of people who live on the continent.
Learning Outcomes By the end of the course, students will demonstrate through written and oral communication their ability
to
• Evaluate and critically assess the (mis)representations of Africa in the West;
• Explain the broad developmental trajectory of Sub-Saharan Africa, including its political,
economic, and social dynamics;
• Explain and place in their broad historical context the contributions of key African political
thinkers, including Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Kenneth Kaunda, and Julius Nyerere;
• Assess the contemporary challenges facing the continent today; and
• Apply broad theoretical concepts and debates to specific African case(s).
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General Course Information Required Texts The following books are required and are available at the HSU Bookstore:
• Charlayne Hunter-Gault. New News Out of Africa: Uncovering Africa’s Renaissance. (London:
Oxford University Press, 2007). ISBN: 978-0195331288. List: $14.95.
• Wangari Maathai. The Challenge for Africa. (New York: Pantheon Books, 2009). ISBN: 9780307377401. List: $25.00.
• Todd Moss. African Development: Making Sense of the Issues and Actors. (Boulder: Lynne
Rienner, 2007). ISBN: 978-1588264725. List: $25.00.
Additional required readings are available through the course Moodle site.
Course Requirements Your grade in this course will be based on the following assignments:
Critical Responses (15%): Each week, you may submit a one page critical response to the readings for that week. Critical responses
are due by 9:00 pm on Monday of the week that the readings are due (e.g., a critical response for the
second week, August 31-September 4would be due by 9 pm Monday, September 1). Late critical
responses will not be accepted. All responses must be in either MS Word or plain text format (or
included in the text of the email message itself). The response should consist of two single-spaced
paragraphs (one page). The first paragraph will briefly recount the main argument of the reading or
readings for that week. The second paragraph will critically evaluate and assess the reading(s). You
should also pose at least one discussion-type question in your response. Critical responses will be graded
on a √ / 0 (credit/no credit) scale, and critical responses that do not meet the basic expectations laid out
here will not receive credit. There are a total of 12 weeks in which you may elect to submit a critical
review (excluding week 1 and presentation weeks). Your grade for the critical responses is equal to the
number of responses submitted x 11.11%, to a maximum of 100% (e.g., 9 critical responses = 100%,
7=77.7%, etc.).
African Thinkers Report (10%): In week four, you will be responsible for presenting the political thought of one key African leader. I am
not looking for a biography here. Rather, I expect that your group will provide an overview of the key
contributions of one of the main African political thinkers of the twentieth century, placing the thinker in
the appropriate historical context and introducing the key elements of his or her thought. The report will
consist of two parts, weighted equally. In the first portion, groups will use a present the thinker,
introducing the theories and his or her historical contributions to class. You are welcomed to use
powerpoint, overheads, or other graphical presentations in your talk. In the second portion, groups will
provide a brief annotated bibliography (consisting of at least five items, at least two of which must be
written by the thinkers themselves) illustrating the breadth and depth of their knowledge. The write-up is
due by Thursday, October 1.
Country Notebooks (10%): Throughout the course, you will be responsible for being the “go to” person for a specific African
country. You will be responsible for tracking contemporary developments in your country by following
local news weekly. Key stories should be printed and summarized in your country notebook.
The country notebooks may be completed in small groups (3 students per group) or as individuals. If you
choose to do the project as a group, your group should provide at least one news story per week. If you
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decide to pursue this as an individual project, you are responsible for collecting at least eight news stories
over the course of the semester.
Video Conference Reaction Paper (7.5%): On Thursday, October 29, our class will take place as an interactive video conference with the American
University of Cairo. The conference discussion will center on the readings for that week (on the topic of
environment, climate change, and development). After participating in the conference, you will write a
short (one-page, typed, single-spaced) reaction paper based on the conference dialogue. Students who
cannot participate in the video conference will have the opportunity to earn up to the points through an
alternative short writing assignment Essay (25%): You will be responsible for writing an essay of 2,000 words (approximately 8 typed, double-spaced
pages) on a topic of your choice related to the topics considered in class. An outline and preliminary
bibliography is due Thursday, October 1. A draft of your essay is due for peer review no later than the
beginning of class on Tuesday, November 3. Failure to submit an outline, preliminary bibliography, or
paper draft will result in a per-item 10% penalty your final paper mark. The final draft of your essay is
due in class on Tuesday, December 1. Late papers will be penalized at one-half letter grade per day.
Please remember that this is an academic essay. I expect that the essay include citations from academic
sources (e.g., peer reviewed journals), and that it be generally free from grammatical and typographical
errors. I also expect that the essays advance some kind of thesis or argument.
You will also be responsible for commenting on one of your colleague’s papers through the peer review
process. In order to facilitate the peer review process, you will need to divide into groups of 2-3 students
based on paper topics and provide me with a list of the members of your group as soon as possible. Peer
review comments must be returned to the author of the essay and to me on Tuesday, November 10.
Failure to submit a paper for review, or failure to complete a meaningful review will result in a one-lettergrade penalty on your final paper mark.
Paper Presentation (7.5%): During the final week of class, students will present their research paper to the class. Details on the
presentation and discussion will be provided in class.
Class Discussion Facilitation (10%): Working in groups of 2-3 students, you will be responsible for facilitating class discussion. I will
introduce the basic ideas, concepts and debates on Tuesday of each week. Student-facilitated discussion
will take place on Thursday of each week (except weeks 1, 6, 10, 13, and 16). The exact nature of your
facilitation is up to you, and I am happy to discuss ideas with you before the seminar you lead
Participation (15%): This course is organized as a seminar. In order to be successful, you must come to class prepared to
discuss the material. Regular attendance and participation in class is expected. I expect that you have
completed the required readings for a given week before class, that you attend regularly and that you
contribute to seminar discussions. Attendance is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for doing well
on your participation mark.
Workload Expectations: It is generally expected that students will spend two hours in outside preparation for the class (e.g.,
reading, reviewing notes, working on assignments, etc.) for every hour spent in the class. Thus, you
should expect to spend approximately nine hours per week on this class (three hours in class plus six
hours outside of class).
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General Course and University Policies A Note on Written Work: All written assignments submitted for this course should be properly formatted and cited. I
expect that you will proofread your work before submitting it to me, and ideally you will have
someone else proof it as well. Consequently, a maximum of two errors (grammatical, improper
citation, etc.) per page will be accepted. One point will be deducted from your grade on the
assignment for each error beyond the second on each page. All citations must be in APSA
format. A style guide is available at
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPSA.html.
Moodle Site: Course information will regularly be posed to the course Moodle Site. Moodle is the freeware
alternative to Blackboard. I will provide a brief overview on accessing and using Moodle on the
first day of the course. You can access the course site at learn.humboldt.edu.
Contacting Me: The most effective way to contact me is through e-mail (noah.zerbe@humboldt.edu). Barring unusual
circumstances (being out of town, ill, in a blackout, etc.) I will respond within 24 hours. If not, send me a
followup. Please be sure your subject line includes “PSCI 464” and a general description of the topic so
that the e-mail is not filtered out as spam. Also, be sure to sign your e-mail so that I know who sent it
Academic Honesty: Plagiarism or other forms of cheating will not be tolerated, and will result in an automatic zero
for the assignment, failure of the course, and potentially more serious sanctions from the
University according to the Academic Honesty policy. Please don’t do it.
Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding academic honesty. For more information,
visit: Academic Honesty Policy
(http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/judicial/academic_honesty.php) or the HSU Catalog
(http://www.humboldt.edu/~humboldt/catalogpdfs/catalog2007-08.pdf)
Support: HSU offers excellent resources to help you succeed in your academic endeavors. These include
the Library, Computer Labs, Computer Help Desk, Academic Support Center, Learning Center,
and Writing Center. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of them!
Disability Resources: If you have a documented disability and would like to discuss academic accommodations, please
contact me as soon as possible. Our campus Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) can
assist you with the accommodation process and can be reached at (707) 826-4678 or (707) 8265392 (TTD). The SDRC is located in House 71 (Little Apartments) off Library Circle. See
http://www.humboldt.edu/~sdrc/ for more information.
Add/Drop policy: Students are responsible for knowing the University policy, procedures, and schedule for
dropping or adding classes. See Schedule Adjustments (Adding or Dropping)
(http://www.humboldt.edu/~reg/regulations/schedadjust.html) for more information.
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Emergency Evacuation: Please review the evacuation plan for the classroom (posted on the orange signs), and review
Campus Emergency Preparedness
(http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/emergencyops/campus_emergency_preparedness.php) for
information on campus Emergency Procedures. During an emergency, information can be found
campus conditions at: 826-INFO or Emergency Conditions
(http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/Download/emergencyops/emergency_operations_plan_guidel
ines.pdf)
Attendance and Disruptive Behavior: Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding attendance and disruptive behavior: Class
Attendance and Disruptive Behavior
(http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/judicial/attendance_behavior.php)
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Course Calendar Note: The calendar provided below is subject to change with appropriate notice.
Week 1: August 24-28: Imagining Africa
• Curtis Keim. “Changing Our Minds About Africa” Ch. 1 (pp. 3-14) in Mistaking Africa:
Curiosities and Inventions of the American Mind. (Boulder: Westview, 2009).
• Binyavanga Wainaina. “How to Write About Africa.” Granta. (92) (2006): 3 pgs.
• Curtis Keim. “Guidelines for Learning More About Africa” pp. 190-191 in Mistaking
Africa: Curiosities and Inventions of the American Mind. (Boulder: Westview, 2009).
(Class Handout).
Week 2: August 31-September 4: Pre-Colonial and Colonial Africa
• Moss. African Development, chs. 1 & 2 (pp. 1-36).
• Elizabeth Schmidt. Introduction and Chapter 2 (pp. 1-13 and 43-70) from Peasants,
Traders, and Wives: Shona Women and the History of Zimbabwe, 1870-1939. (Harare:
Baobab Books, 1996).
Week 3: September 7-11: African Independence
• Moss. African Development, chs. 3-5 (pp. 37-86).
• Akinpelu Olutayo and Ayokunle Omobowale. “Capitalism, Globalization and the
Underdevelopment Process in Africa: History in Perpetuity.” Africa Development. 32(2)
(2007): 97-112.
• Frantz Fanon. 1961. “The Pitfalls of National Consciousness.” Ch. 3 in The Wretched of
the Earth. (25pgs).
Week 4: September 14-18: African Political Thought
• Patrice Lumumba. 1960. “Speech at the Opening of the All-African Conference in
Leopold.” (4pgs) and “Speech at the Ceremony of the Proclamation of the Congo’s
Independence.” (2pgs).
• Steve Biko. 197x. “Black Consciousness and the Quest for a True Humanity.” (7 pgs.)
• Kwame Nkrumah. 1965. “Introduction” to Neo-colonialism, the Last Stage of
Imperialism. (7 pgs.)
• Julius Nyerere. 1962. “Ujamaa: The Basis of African Socialism.” (7 pgs.)
Week 5: September 21-28: The African State
• Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja. “The Crisis of the State in Post-Colonial Africa.” Ch. 4 (pp.
73-91) in Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Africa: Essays in Contemporary Politics.
(London: Zed, 1987).
• Julius Nyerere. “Good Governance for Africa.” (13 October 1998; 5pgs).
• Mahmood Mamdani. “Conclusion: Linking the Urban and the Rural.” Ch. 8 in Citizen
and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism. (Kampala,
Uganda: Fountain Publishers, 1996).
One of:
• Faranak Miraftab. “Feminist Praxis, Citizenship and Informal Politics: Reflections on
South Africa’s Anti-Eviction Campaign.” International Journal of Feminist Politics.8(2)
(2006): 194-218.
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•
Patrick Bond and Richard Saunders. “Labor, the State, and the Struggle for a Democratic
Zimbabwe.” Monthly Review. 57(7) (December 2005): 42-55.
Week 6: September 31-October 2: African Cinema
• Film TBA
Week 7: October 5-9: The Development Challenge
• Moss. African Development, chs. 6-10 (pp. 87-188).
• Zubariu Wai. “Whither African Development? A Prepatory for an African Alternative
Reformulation of the Concept of Development.” African Development. 32(4) (2007): 7198.
• Maathai. The Challenge for Africa. First half.
Week 8: October 12-16: Aid vs. Trade?
• Carol Thompson. 2004. “US Trade with Africa: African Growth & Opportunity Act?”
Review of African Political Economy. 13(101): 457-74.
• Additional Readings TBA.
Week 9: October 19-23: The African Environment
• Maathai. The Challenge for Africa. Finish.
• Robert Nelson. “Environmental Colonialism: ‘Saving’ Africa from Africans.”
Independent Review. Summer 2003. (17 pgs.)
Week 10: October 26-30: Climate Change and the Environment in Africa
• J. Timmons Roberts and Bradley C. Parks. “Fueling Injustice: Emissions, Development
Paths, and Responsibility.” Ch. 5 (pp. 133-184) in A Climate of Injustice: Global
Inequality, North-South Politics, and Climate Policy. (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2007).
• Heidi Bachram. “Climate Fraud and Carbon Colonialism: The New Trade in Greenhouse
Gases.” Capitalism Nature Socialism. 15(4) (December 2004): 1-14.
One of
• Siri Erikson, et al., Climate Change in Eastern and Southern Africa: Impacts,
Vulnerability and Adaptation. (Oslo: University of Norway, 2008). (27pgs).
• Oli Brown and Alec Crawford. Climate Change and Security in Africa: A Study for the
Nordic-African Foreign Ministers Meeting. (International Institute for Sustainable
Development, 2009). (30pgs).
Week 11: November 2-6: Food and Agriculture in Africa
Note: Topic cancelled due to furloughs.
Journal Questions: Assess your country’s food security situation. What challenges does your
country face in terms of maintaining food security?
• McCann. Maize and Grace. All.
Week 12: November 9-13: Africa in a Global Context
• Moss. African Development, chs. 11-13 (pp. 189-242).
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•
•
Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo. “China-Africa Relations in the Post-Cold War Era:
Dialectics of Rethinking South-South Cooperation.” CODESRIA Bulletin. 2007 (1-2): 816.
Issa Shivji. 2003. “The Struggle for Democracy.” (9pgs.)
Week 13: November 16-20: African Cinema II
Film TBA Week 14: November 23-27: No Classes. Happy Thanksgiving Break!
Week 15: November 30-December 4: The Future of Africa: Towards an African
Renaissance?
• Hunter-Gault. New News Out of Africa. All.
Week 16: December 7-11: Paper Presentations
This week you will present your final papers to the class. Guidelines on the presentations will be
handed out in class.
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