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SP50236: Contemporary issues in African development

[Page last updated: 04 August 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: Department of Social & Policy Sciences
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Essay (CW 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites: In taking this module you cannot take SP50235
Aims: To allow students to develop a more in-depth and contextual understanding of key development issues in Africa. To give the student an opportunity to plan and implement a piece of research (based on secondary sources) on a topic of their own choosing.
To enable students to develop a systematic and detailed multidisciplinary understanding of their chosen topic and to critically evaluate recent research related to it.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit students will have a deeper, more coherent and up-to-date multi-disciplinary understanding of contemporary development issues and debates related to African development.
They will have improved their skills in locating and critically reviewing published research findings about the region and in discussing their views with others.
They will have identified and examined in-depth a contemporary development issue in the region and developed a systematic, detailed and critical multi-disciplinary perspective on it.

Skills: Cross-cultural and interpersonal sensitivity (Taught/Facilitated)
Comprehensive and scholarly written communication (e.g. essays) (T/F/Assessed)
Effective oral communication (e.g. seminar presentations) (T/F/A)
Ability to select, summarise and synthesis written information from multiple sources (T/F/A)
Ability to synthesise and critically evaluate multidisciplinary perspectives on the same problem (T/F/A)
Ability to formulate a research question, then develop and present an original & coherent answer (T/F/A)
Ability to produce work to agreed specifications and deadlines (T/F/A)
Ability to work independently, without close supervision of guidance (T/F/A)
Ability to work effectively as part of a group or team (F/).

Content: Part 1 comprises a review of contemporary debates on African development. These will be presented and analysed using multi-disciplinary perspectives. Cross cutting themes will be gender and youth. Topics to be covered will include:
* Politics and governance
* Economic development
* Agriculture, food security and natural resources
* Insecurity and conflict
* Urbanisation and migration
* Health and population challenges
* Education
* Mobile technology and ICT.
Part 2 Students will identify their own essay topics with support from the unit convenor. The last part of the unit will comprise a series of seminar presentations and discussions based on students essay topics in order to develop oral presentation skills and give formative feedback on essay development.

Programme availability:

SP50236 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

SP50236 is available for Auditing on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.