Admission requirements
Description
By reflecting on critical debates and methodological approaches, this course provides the backbone of the master African Studies. It centralizes on the following elements: topics: (1) critical debates in African Studies, (2) (multi)disciplinary approaches employed in African Studies, and (3) methods and techniques to study and engage with Africa. We achieve these objectives by bringing together six themes (Framing Africa, Decolonizing?, Developing?, Dwelling and Moving, Caring, and World-viewing) and methodological approaches to study these themes. By coupling themes and methodological approaches, including their methods and techniques, we reflect on how changes on the African continent interact with and contribute to developments in other parts of the world, shaping the world we are in now: a world where social justice, mobility, freedom of religion, of expression and even basic needs are not granted to everybody. In addition, we explore how we, as (aspiring) Africanist researchers can study, analyze, interpret and contribute to the changes – for the futures of us all.
Concretely, the course consists of thirteen weeks, with three-hour classes every week, organized in two blocks of six weeks, with an additional class for fieldwork preparation in week 7 of the first block. We cover one of the six themes over the course of two weeks. Every ‘first’ week, a small group of students will organize and lead a discussion on the central theme (and make a podcast on this theme). In this way, they can become more aware of the theoretical and methodological choices relevant, and of their own framing. Every ‘second’ week, we debate and practice methods and techniques critical to studying and analyzing the themes. Students do exercises and partake in in-class discussions on, among others, archival research, interviewing, surveys, ethics, safety in the field and data-management. Students also learn about digital methods and techniques by attending three workshops in the humanities media lab. Students thus also gain hands-on practice with methods and techniques employed in African Studies. And what they learn in the lab, they can use in their assignments for this course, for their thesis later in the year, and in their careers after. Finally, students will be prepared in this course for their embedded research project.
Altogether, the activities in this class help students give substance to their final assignment, preparing them for the next phase of their master’s program, namely: the research proposal for their embedded research project, which they present in class through poster presentations. In the two courses of the MA African Studies program that run parallel, students reflect more in-depth on the six different themes from interdisciplinary perspectives.
In sum: over the course of this semester, students learn to view, read, interpret and debate central themes in African Studies in this course, and get a grasp on interdisciplinary approaches to study these themes. They develop their own critical, interdisciplinary lens and translate this lens into a research proposal. This way, students make a beginning with their own contributions to framing Africa and the world in ways that take into account the changes we have seen, currently see, and aspire to.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, the student:
can relate selected critical debates in African Studies to six central themes concerning Africa, i.e., Framing Africa, Decolonizing?, Developing?, Dwelling and Moving, Caring, and World-viewing.
can apply a variety of qualitative, quantitative, and digital methods and techniques related to the six central themes.
can explain and reflect on the role of social, cultural, academic and ethical aspects in the analysis of complex questions in African Studies.
can combine insights from the course into a written embedded research proposal and present it to a wider audience through a poster.
have developed presentation, debating and podcasting skills to facilitate and communicate the outcomes of the course
can apply insights from the course into the practical organization of an embedded research project.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Participation in class and in-class assignments: 20 % (relates to objectives 1 to 5)
Participation in media-hub: pass/fail (relates to objectives 2 and 4)
Debate & podcast (group): 30% (relates to objectives 1 and 3)
Mid-term problem statement (individual): pass/fail (relates to objectives 4 and 5)
Research proposal and final (poster) presentation (individual): 50% (relates to objective 4)
Participation in fieldwork preparation sessions and online assignments in Brightspace: pass/fail (relates to objective 6)
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
In case the sub-assignments and/or final product are not sufficient, students can take one re-sit for each of the sub-tests. The resubmission date will be decided upon together but will take place not later than 15 January.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Not applicable.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Reuvensplaats
Remarks
Not applicable.