History

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the exciting inter-disciplinary study of contemporary Africa. The course will engage with African societies by examining the history, politics, economy, anthropology and culture of the continent and will explicitly draw on a range of disciplinary approaches. By taking this course students will gain knowledge of contemporary Africa and will be sensitized to the diverse experiences of continuity and change on the continent and how Africa is situated and understood by different actors within global debates on topical issues. Africa in the Contemporary World will appeal to students from a diverse range of courses that touch on issues related to contemporary Africa. It will also be appealing to students who wish to go to Africa to pursue work or study. For students who wish to continue to study Africa in more depth, the course will expose students to a range of disciplines and research processes relevant to the study of contemporary Africa. Africa is also a focus for students interested in questions of international development and globalization and the course will address and provide a context for a deeper engagement with these topics. The lectures will cover two related topics each week and will be delivered by lecturers from the Centre of African Studies as well as lecturers from across the school who will bring expertise on specific topics for this introductory course. Tutorials will provide the opportunity for students to discuss and develop their own ideas and form an independent response to the readings and lectures. The tutors will assist in clarifying key concepts and will assist students in developing a critical analysis of the material. The tutors will also provide feedback on presentations and support the peer feedback sessions on essay plans. Students will be encouraged to attend extra-curricular events run by the Centre of African Studies and the School such as film screenings and seminar series as well as University talks on topics related to Africa. Students will also be encouraged to read a number of contemporary African novels. Indicative Themes: Africa and the long duree Colonialism and post-colonialism Liberation struggles and nationalism Citizenship, ethnicity and identity Social movements and democratization Law and governance Conflict and civil war Poverty and economic change Aid, debt and trade The informal economy China in Africa Migration Land and the environment Food security and climate change Population dynamics Health and disease Religion, gender and the family Popular culture Cities Is Africa Rising? For Whom?

This course focuses on how Africans experienced the Atlantic trade and how they challenged the oppressive systems under which they were forced to labor. It provides a broadly chronological introduction to the ways in which Africans became slaves, the Middle Passage, and the establishment of plantations in the New World. It makes use of slave narratives, photographs, and abolitionist tracts to examine the origins, form, and structure of the Atlantic trade from a global perspective.

The course provides an overview over some of the most important aspects of Nazi Germany – covering political, cultural, social, and military history. The course provides insights into one of the darkest, most disturbing and most formative periods of modern European history. The course pays particular attention to different and conflicting interpretations of how the Third Reich came into being and why Hitler's dictatorship proved to be one of the most murderous in history. Particular attention is paid to racial thinking, the Holocaust and the question of European collaboration with the Nazis. The course improves students' capacity to engage with historical interpretations and different methodological approaches.

This course provides a study of the relationship between the labor market and economics, examining the main schools of economic thought from Adam Smith to the present as well as impacts of social movements on labor law. Other topics covered include: Marxism, socialism and labor movement; social protection and the welfare state; flexicurity; the duality of the Spanish labor market; the future of labor law.

This course covers the crises that the French Republic encountered from the end of the nineteenth century through today. The following crises are covered: the worldwide conflict from 1914-1918 and the victory of 1918; heavy threats for survival of the Republic from 1930s through 1940; the Third Republic and Fourth Republic; Reconstruction and dysfunctional institutions; two 8-year wars of decolonization; Charles De Gaulle and “a certain idea of France;” May '68; the oil crisis of 1973; “Mitterand Generation” and a period of alternating between shared governments.