Urban Africa

The era of rural Africa is over. Today, 40% of sub-Saharan Africans live in cities – seen as places with social services, economic opportunities, and accessible technology. Yet, African cities are also places of unemployment, social services challenges, and increasing inequality. In this course we will take a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of urban Africa through scholarly readings, media critiques, discussions, and data analysis. We will identify similarities and differences in the process of urbanization in Africa vis-à-vis other world regions. Students will actively contribute to our critical inquiry into African cities through individual research projects and in-class presentations. 3 hrs. lect