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Research in Present-day Africa

Vak
2023-2024

Admission requirements

This course is for BA African studies students in their first year.

Description

In this course, students of the BA African Studies will be introduced to the practice of research in Africa, and in particular, to how connectivity within and with Africa has been researched by Africanist scholars using ethnography. Through concrete examples from various studies and publications, as well as through practical assignments, students will learn about positionality, participant observation, interviewing, thematic analysis and other methods and techniques often applied in contemporary ethnographic research practice, as well as about how to present academic research findings. Students will learn about photo ethnography, digital ethnography as well as more classical approaches to ethnographic field research. Students will also become acquainted with debates about ethics and emotions in Africanist research and learn to reflect upon how they themselves in relation to these debates.
The assignments build up to a small, step by step, ethnographic research project, in which students develop their own research project related to the themes of Africa in the world, the world in Africa, or connectivity within and across Africa. Throughout the course, special attention will be given to developing ethnographic sensibilities and the use of digital, audio-visual tools in ethnographic research and in the presentation of research findings. In this way, the course helps to prepare students for future fieldwork research in or connected with Africa.

Course objectives

Knowledge and insight:
After this course, students will:

  • have become acquainted with various methodological approaches in the field of African studies, particulary ethnography;

  • have gained knowledge about specific themes and concepts in research in Africa;

  • have gained insight about some of the recent developments related to methodology in the study of Africa.

  • have gained knowledge about current debates about and the actual production of academic knowledge about Africa in African Studies;
    Skills:

  • be able to collect relevant scientific literature using traditional and digital methods and techniques and being able to critically analyse and judge their quality and reliability;

  • be able to use scientific literature to develop a clear, well defined problem statement and research question;

  • be able to carry out a small (ethnographic) research project, selecting and using a variety of relevant research methods, being able to explain and justify the selection and use;

  • have practiced various ways of analysing research findings;

  • have gained experience in oral presentations using digital/visual tools to support the presentation of research plans and findings;

  • actively participate in in-class academic debates related to research in Africa

  • give and receive constructive feedback

Timetable

The timetables are avalable through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

Seminar

Assessment method

Assessment

  • Participation in class and class-assignments: 15%

  • Poster presentation of research project (mid-way): 25%

  • Final research product (blog accompanied by reflection on methodology) and presentation: 60%

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Weighing

The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.

Resit

In case the sub-assignments and/or final product are not sufficient, students can take one resit for each of the subtests. The resubmission date will be decided upon together.

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

The compulsary and recommended list of literature and where to purchase or find it, will be disclosed on Brightspace.

Registration

Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.

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

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