Arguably the world's most diverse continent, Africa is a hotbed for digital culture, as well as conflict and war. This course is wide ranging and offers an understanding of Africa through the framework of technology and digitalisation. First of all, we will consider the part that technology played in Africa's painful, colonial past, before delving into the fascinating topics of social media power, mobile money proliferation and new cinematic genres that all have a role in modern day life in Africa.
The course will analyse the substantial impact and influence of digitalisation in war and conflict in East Africa, as well as exploring digital art and culture through a screening of an African film from the 'Afrofuturism' genre. Course participants can expect to develop an appreciation for the fundamental role technology has had in shaping the continent we know today, and the immense importance digitalisation plays in society, politics and cultures in Africa.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes for this course are:
- Identify the connections between technology, the history of Africa, and colonialism.
- Evaluate the role of social media and mobile money in Africa.
- Analyse the impact and influence of digitalisation in war and conflict.
- Understand the concept of ‘Afrofuturism’ in the context of film.
Classes
1. Technology in shaping Africa’s Past, Present and Future.
2. Social media giants and mobile money power.
3. Film Screening and short lecture on ‘Afrofuturism’.
4. The current war in Tigray, Ethiopia, and the internet.
5. Summary session: society, politics and cultures in digital Africa.
Required reading
Bisschoff, L. (2017) The future is digital: an introduction to African digital arts, Critical African Studies, 9:3, 261-267. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/21681392.2017.1376506
Srinivasan, S. & Diepeveen, S. (2019) Communication Technology and African Politics, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. 28 Aug. 2019. Available at: https://oxfordre.com/politics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.001.0001/acrefore9780190228637-e-1381
Omna Tigray (2022) Telecommunications and Internet Blackout in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region – Report. Available at: https://omnatigray.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Tigray-TelecommunicationBlackout-Report.pdf
Typical week: Monday to Friday
For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.
| c.8.00am-9.00am |
Breakfast in College (for residents) |
| 9.00am-10.30am |
Am Course |
| 11.15am-12.30pm |
Plenary Lecture |
| 12.30pm-1.45pm |
Lunch |
| 1.45pm-3.15pm |
Pm Course |
| 4.00pm-5.15pm |
Plenary Lecture |
| c.6.00/6.15pm-7.15/7.30pm |
Dinner in College (for residents) |
| c.7.30pm onwards |
Evening talk/event |
Evaluation and Academic Credit
If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.
Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.
For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.
Certificate of attendance
A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.
