CISO-4609 AFRICAN POLITICS IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

CISO-4609     AFRICAN POLITICS IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE, DEPARTAMENTO DE CIENCIA POLÍTICA, FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS SOCIALES

This course is designed to provide graduate students with a comprehensive introduction to the underlying dynamics and central themes of contemporary African politics. The first half of the course traces the historical development of the modern state system in Africa and the emergence of African economies. Our focus, during this portion of the term, is two-fold. First, we examine incipient processes of African state formation and nation building. Second, we will analyze the origins and consequences of the continent’s economic crisis, with a particular emphasis on its political ramifications. In the second half of the term, our focus shifts to a consideration of salient themes that characterize the nature of contemporary African politics, examining the continent’s diverse political trajectories.