From Cape to Cairo:

African Urban Studies

Instructor: Andy Clarno

Spring 2009

Mondays 3-6 pm 

International Studies (INST) 301
African and African-American Studies (AAST) 390

Note: This section of AAST 390 is a 300 level TOPICS course, NOT a final project research course. 
AAST 206 is NOT a prerequisite for this course.

Cities across the world are currently experiencing extraordinary growth rates.  African cities such as Cairo, Lagos, Kinshasa, and Johannesburg are among the fastest growing cities on earth.  How is rapid urbanization transforming these societies?  This course begins by looking at Africa’s urban past – from the centers of great civilizations to the outposts of European colonialism.   It then examines cities in contemporary Africa.  In addition to bridging the divide between sub-Saharan and North Africa, the course will compare African cities with cities throughout the global south.  We will explore a range of themes, including: globalization and neo-liberalism; housing and informal settlements; urban governance; policing and private security; youth organizing; health and HIV/AIDS; gender and sexual practices; urban social movements; displacement and immigration; and war and terror.