History of Postcolonial Africa (HISTORY 238P)

5 credits · Graduate

This course offers an in-depth examination of postcolonial African history through a consideration of common problems and themes across three distinct national contexts: Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire, and Angola. Emerging out of different imperial systems and charting different courses during the processes of decolonization, our study will provide insight into a diverse range of postcolonial African experiences. The specificities that characterize each of these national histories, however, emerged out of a shared set of issues that continue to shape life and governance across the continent today. These include, but are not limited to: the redistribution (or lack thereof) of land and wealth accumulated under colonial rule; the forging of ethnic, national, and internationalist political cultures; the complexities of enduring connections to former imperial powers; and relationships to post-WWII international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the United Nations.