Universität Wien
Warning! The directory is not yet complete and will be amended until the beginning of the term.

240038 SE BM7 In the skin of the City: an introduction to African Metropolises (2025S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 24 - Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Participation at first session is obligatory!

The lecturer can invite students to a grade-relevant discussion about partial achievements. Partial achievements that are obtained by fraud or plagiarized result in the non-evaluation of the course (entry 'X' in certificate). The plagiarism software 'Turnitin' will be used.
The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the attainment of partial achievements is only allowed if explicitly requested by the course instructor.
Mo 03.03. 15:00-18:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 10.03. 13:15 - 16:30 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 17.03. 15:00 - 18:15 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 24.03. 15:00 - 18:15 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 31.03. 15:00 - 18:15 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
  • Monday 07.04. 15:00 - 18:15 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

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.

Assessment and permitted materials

Attendance is expected, with the allowance to miss one 3-hour session. Active participation in discussions and group exercises is expected. Students are required to deliver a presentation analyzing an artistic work related to urban themes. Weekly readings are mandatory for collective text discussions.
In preparation for the final paper (2500 words), students will present a concise draft, providing an opportunity for feedback from peers and the lecturer. Throughout the semester, we will discuss various topics giving examples for the final paper.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

All the different assignments given during the semester have to be completed and submitted to pass the course. A minimum of 51% partial credit is also required. Students will have to submit a short-written assignment related to weekly readings for missed classes.
90-100 % = 1
77-89 %= 2
64-76 %= 3
51-63 %= 4
0-50 % = 5
Grade breakdown:
Presentations and chairing group work: 30%
In-Class participation: 25%
Draft + Final paper: 45%

Examination topics

Presentations, group work, active participation, in in-class discussions, draft and final written paper.

Reading list

Selected Reading List
ADICHIE Chimamanda Ngozi, 2019, Still Becoming: At Home In Lagos with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Esquire, https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a27283913/still-becoming-at-home-in-lagos-with-chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/
AMMANN Carole, SANOGO Aïdas, HEER Barbara, 2021, Secondary Cities in West Africa, Urbanity, Power and Aspirations, Urban Forum, vol. 33, p. 445-461
CHIRIKUBE Shadreck, 2020, Shades of Urbanism(s) and Urbanity in Pre-colonial Africa, towards Afro-centred Interventions, Journal of Urban Archeology, vol. 1, p. 49-66
MBEMBE Achille, NUTTALL Sarah, 2004, Writing the World from an African Metropolis, Public Culture, vol. 16, n°3, p. 347-372
NJOH Ambe, 2009, Urban planning as a tool of power and social control in colonial Africa, Planning perspectives, vol. 24, n°3, p. 301-317
ROBINSON Jennifer, 2002, Global and World Cities, A view from off the Map, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, vol. 26, n°3, p. 531-554
ROY Ananya, 2005, Urban Informality: Toward and Epistemology of Planning, Journal of the American Planning Association, vol. 72, n°2, p. 147-158
SIMONE AbdouMaliq, 2004, People as Infrastructure: Intersecting Fragments in Johannesburg, Public Culture, vol.16, n°3, p. 407-429WATSON Vanessa, 2013, African urban fantasies: dreams or nightmares? Environment & Urbanization, vol. 26, n°1, p. 215-231
WATSON Vanessa, 2013, African urban fantasies: dreams or nightmares? Environment & Urbanization, vol. 26, n°1, p. 215-231

Association in the course directory

Last modified: We 22.01.2025 07:46