4.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing one of its most difficult and turbulent phases. Processes of profound political, economic, social and cultural transformation are shaking African societies. Democratization, or the so-called “Second Liberation” which started so hopefully in the early nineties, has run into serious difficulties. State-building, democratization, ethnic and religious diversity, problems of conomic development as well as state failure will be major topics to be explored. Pre-colonial rule, Slave trade, the “scramble for Africa” by European colonizers and other basic topics will be dealt with by the Professor at the beginning of the course as important backgrounds for understanding present day as well as future African developments. The challenge how to develop governance systems which are not only in accordance with international standards of democratization but also with local conditions in Sub-Saharan African countries and the need for African ownership will be a guiding issue of this course. (Cross listed: IR/CM, IDEV, AFR, EM).