2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PIED1806 Contemporary Africas: Politics, Society and the Environment

20 creditsClass Size: 75

Module manager: Dr Jeremiah Arowosegbe
Email: J.O.Arowosegbe@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Module replaces

PIED1805 History, Society and Culture

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

What issues concern Africans in relation to political and social development? What factors shape African identities? What impact did colonialism and the West have on Africa? Are women oppressed in Africa? This module will focus on postcolonial Africa’s environment, history, politics and society. It is intended to be an introductory course for students interested in, but not necessarily particularly knowledgeable about, issues in contemporary African societies. By the end of the module students will have an understanding of a range of key issues relevant to the creation of contemporary societies in Africa. The module will begin with an overview of the recent history of the continent, and will move on to consider key topics such as climatic and ecological change, development, health, politics, gender and theology. In order to help nurture understanding of the range of African societies there will be a certain number of classes focussing on case studies from particular countries such as Egypt and South Africa.

Objectives

This module will focus on the environment, history, politics and society of postcolonial Africa. It is intended to be an introductory course for students interested in, but not necessarily particularly knowledgeable about, issues in contemporary African societies. It is intended to give you an understanding of key issues in the creation of contemporary societies in Africa; the history of colonial and post-colonial Africa; and of key issues such as development, environmental change, gender, language, theology and politics. This will be achieved by learning about a range of different African societies and particular issues relevant to them.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Demonstrate a familiarity with the basic concepts, events and institutions of Contemporary Africas, and some of the main theoretical approaches to its study. These will include: climatic and ecological change, development, health, politics, gender and theology,
2. Demonstrate awareness of some of the main debates within the study of Contemporary Africas.
3. Demonstrate awareness of some cases studies from Africa (such as Egypt, Tanzania and South Africa).

Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Retrieve, organise, and produce basic summaries of information and/or data.
2. Assemble basic arguments and be able to evaluate the arguments of others.
3. Work and discuss with others in a collaborative manner.
4. Have a basic understanding of digital technologies and be able to use them to retrieve data and information and to communicate this information to others.

Syllabus

Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Workshop	2	3.00	6.00
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			173.00
Total Contact hours			27.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

This will be achieved through monitoring attendance, ensuring all students participate in class discussion, through assessment of essay scripts, and in feedback sessions.

In addition, there will be a formative piece of work for this module. This will take the form of a 1,000 word essay to be staged mid-term.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Coursework	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same method as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 28/08/2024

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