Second and third year undergraduate courses (Special subjects)

Gender and Urbanisation in Southern Africa

Dr Rebekah Lee

HT53036A

Beginning with the mineral discoveries of the late nineteenth century, this course uses a gendered perspective to examine the process and consequences of urbanisation in southern Africa. The geographical focus is South Africa, but historical material from present-day Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe are also incorporated. We trace the development of the labour migrant system, the growth of mining areas, the emergence of the city in the African landscape, and colonial and post-colonial state responses to large-scale African urbanisation. Attention then turns to the lived experiences of Africans themselves. We explore how women and men differently negotiated the transition to urban life, and how they differently experienced and understood the ‘city’. Key themes include: changing gender relations and kinship structures, associational involvement, race and ethnicity, religion and ritual, housing, class formation and livelihood strategies. The development of new identities, and especially new gendered identities, is considered. We explore how language and narrative gave voice to these changing identities.

Students should normally have studied African history or European/British imperialism. Teaching is by weekly seminars, which include student presentations and discussion. Students are required to submit three essays, and to write analyses of extracts from the set texts.

The course is examined by one three-hour examination and a dissertation of 10,000 words.