240039 SE BM7 A critical introduction to urban dynamics in Africa (2024S)

This course invites students to cultivate a comprehensive and critical understanding of urban dynamics in Africa, the continent undergoing the fastest urbanization. The swift urbanization of both mega-cities and smaller urban areas in Africa prompts an examination of the transition towards the future city. How the global urban phenomenon manifests in these expanding cities is a central question. Is there something distinctive about African cities when compared to other global urban contexts? The course adopts an interdisciplinary approach to scrutinize the form and landscape of cities, offering a historical and decolonial lens. By blending diverse materials, ranging from artistic media to academic articles, this introduction provides an avenue to explore urban studies and the socioeconomic forces shaping cities in Africa. The course aims to nurture critical thinking skills, interdisciplinary understanding, and research abilities, empowering students to grapple with the complexities of urban development in Africa. It delves into specific themes such as the postcolonial and the ordinary city, informality and the urban poor, as well as globalization and urban futures.

Objectives
- Cultivate critical thinking and delve into prominent debates within urban studies, using various African urban contexts as case studies.
- Develop an interdisciplinary and analytical understanding of the city, where anthropology serves as the primary framework while embracing the confrontation of disciplines to comprehensively grasp urban dynamics.
- Engage urban theories with practical realities, incorporating for example artistic media, to recognize the diversity of urban contexts in Africa and fostering a specific, contextualized analysis of African urban environments. Highlight the crucial contribution of this scholarship on cities in Africa to urban studies.