143089 SE Ecological Imperialism and the Shaping of the African Society (2025W)

In which ways has the environment been a factor in the colonization and domination of African societies by the West-historical processes so influential that their legacies continue to be felt at least half a century after attainment of political independence? By introducing students to this debate, the course offers an alternative way of analyzing the historical process-an approach that shifts attention from the dominant events and processes of European military conquest and political subjugation to environmental accumulation, dispossession and extraction. Historically, ecological imperialism in Africa manifested through the introduction of European crops and farming methods, the exploitation of forests, wildlife and minerals, and the spread of diseases affecting both human and animal populations. All this was complemented by the aggressive introduction of the colonial ideology of conservation which was rooted in the notions of degradation and Arican environmental profligacy. This did not only facilitate colonial control of the African ecosystems and landscapes, but more significantly, it transformed the relations between African societies and their environments and supplanted indigenous conservation practices. Yet the attainment of political independence since the mid-20th century has not done much to reconfigure these unequal ecological relations between Africa and the West. Exploitation of African resources through land grabbing, mining, green investment and debt-for-nature deals perpetuate Western ecological imperialism, albeit in more subtle forms sometimes through collaboration with or co-optation of African leaders. Both conceptual and case study themes will be used to explore the historical complexities.
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Teaching Methods:
The course will be delivered using an interactive seminar method. The lecturer will upload a course outline document on the Moodle learning platform which will also contain a list of key readings. Folders containing key readings specific to each seminar theme will be provided on the Moodle platform. However, students are encouraged to supplement the readings with their own. The lecturer will prepare a brief overview input for each seminar session. This will contain, among others, bigger debates and key content in the seminar theme. As part of the input, the lecturer will raise three to four reflective questions that they will ask students to respond to. Participating in the reflective questions will be highly encouraged because it forms the basis of mark allocation for class participation. In addition, students will participate in a class debate of which topic stated in the course outline document and on the Moodle platform. Moreover, students will be expected to present their concept notes and research progress for the seminar paper and get feedback from both the lecturer and fellow students. Although students are encouraged to engage in robust debates, they should do so in ways that are respective of diversity, culturally sensitive and ethical.