HST31037 - Resistance and Liberation in South Africa: Gandhi to Mandela

HST31037: Resistance & Liberation in South Africa: Gandhi to Mandela

40 credits (semesters 1 and 2)

Module Leader: Dr Simon Stevens (2024-25)

Module Summary

This special subject analyses resistance to segregation, apartheid, and white supremacy in South Africa. Drawing upon memoirs, oral histories, novels, films, speeches, news reporting, online databases, and document collections, we begin with the non-violent campaigns led by Mohandas Gandhi in the 1900s against the segregation of Indians in South Africa, and end with Nelson Mandela’s election as president in the country’s first non-racial democratic elections in 1994. We will explore the inspirations, nature, and effects of a wide range of forms of political, social, and cultural resistance by opponents of white supremacy – from ordinary people to elite politicians – both inside South Africa and around the world.

Aims

This module aims to:

• Provide students with an advanced critical understanding of the history of resistance to segregation and apartheid in South Africa;

• Enable students to evaluate critically the historiographies on resistance to segregation and apartheid, including secondary works from the fields of political, social, cultural, intellectual, labour, sports, gender, diplomatic, and transnational history;

• Familiarise students with – and enable them to analyse – a diverse range of primary sources relating to resistance to segregation and apartheid in South Africa;

• Develop students’ abilities to articulate their own arguments both orally and in writing.

Teaching

The module will be delivered through twice-weekly two hour seminars over two semesters. These seminars will involve group work, presentations and analysis of primary sources, as well as secondary reading, to enable students to acquire an advanced critical understanding of the history of resistance to segregation and apartheid in South Africa, and to contextualise a diverse range of relevant primary sources. Seminars will be used to provide students with the opportunity to test and refine their own interpretations of primary sources and secondary literature, while formative essays, source analysis, and other work will prepare the class for the summative assessment.

Assessment

Please see this page for further information about assessment.  

Selected Reading

To follow

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students completing this module will be able to demonstrate:

• Demonstrate an advanced critical understanding of the history of resistance to segregation and apartheid in South Africa.

• Be able to evaluate critically and engage with the historiographies on resistance to segregation and apartheid in South Africa.

• Demonstrate an advanced critical understanding of the primary source material relating to resistance to segregation and apartheid in South Africa.

• Demonstrate confidence in expressing ideas oral orally both in individual seminar contribution and group work.

• Advance arguments and supporting evidence in clear and persuasive prose.