History Third-Level Courses

Students will be required to take four courses out of a choice of eight. Each course will run over a period of about six to seven weeks, and will be highly intensive. As students will only be taking one course at any time, it is expected that much more time will be devoted to independent study and reading.

• History 319: The 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 in South Africa, Past and Present

Over the last few years, student protests in South Africa have been shaped by the question of what (and who) the university is for. This course will engage with this question by providing a broad overview of the history of the university in South Africa, from its colonial foundations, to calls for decolonised education in the contemporary moment of neoliberalism and austerity. Themes in this course include the complicity of disciplines with colonial and apartheid knowledge production; the university, the state and the making of the nation; the figure of the student activist; and the changing visual culture of universities over the 20th century.

Lecturers: Dr. Thumbran

• History 311: South African Environmental History

This course examines a number of themes: indigenous ecological knowledge and practice; the impact of colonialism and settler agriculture and pastoralism; the exploitation of wildlife resources; environmental degradation; the rise of conservationism and the move from protectionism to contractual parks. The course ends by examining the lessons which can be drawn for conservation in the twenty-first century.

Lecturers: Prof. Kirkaldy

• History 306: Africa in Crisis

The course examines in a frank, some might say politically incorrect way the causes and current manifestations of the African crisis. Interrelated themes include: kleptocracy and the criminalisation of the state; the debt crisis and its causes; the interventions by the IMF and the World Bank; structural adjustment programmes; the demographic explosion; the problems of the African 'peasant' and declining per capita food production; famine; civil wars; global warming; and environmental destruction. There will be additional material on genocides, including western Sudan, and on power-sharing. We will also pay particular attention to complex economic issues. The course is designed for those wishing to examine the nature of the post-independent African crisis, and for those who wish to pursue careers in international relations, developmental, environmental, or related fields.

Lecturers: Dr. Madimu

• History 318: A Specialized Course

This course will be offered in a field depending on student demand and/or the interests of a visiting lecturer.

Last Modified: Thu, 13 Jan 2022 14:47:07 SAST