Free Nelson Mandela: The Anti-Apartheid Struggle in South Africa and Beyond
| Module title | Free Nelson Mandela: The Anti-Apartheid Struggle in South Africa and Beyond |
|---|---|
| Module code | HIH1017 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Emily Bridger (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
Beginning in 1948 with the introduction of formalised racial segregation in South Africa (known as apartheid), this module introduces you to the history of the anti-apartheid struggle through the study of primary sources. It charts the major debates within the struggle, such as whether or not to employ violent resistance; key moments such as the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 and the Soweto Uprisings of 1976; and the roles played by central figures such as Nelson Mandela. The course does not assume prior knowledge of South African history, and encourages you to engage with a wide range of sources to further your own understanding of historical methodologies and the anti-apartheid struggle.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to:
- Introduce you to a broad range of sources available to historians of twentieth century Africa through the lens of the anti-apartheid struggle. It will examine topics and sources related to local struggles within South Africa, specific individuals such as Nelson and Winnie Mandela, and the global movements against apartheid based in Britain and elsewhere. The module’s seminars will focus on various sources, including memoirs of political prisoners; documentaries; court records; photographs; propaganda; magazines; oral history interviews; and testimonies made before South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
- Introduce you to the benefits and limitations of such sources, and provide an introduction to historical methodologies used in colonial and postcolonial contexts.
- Help you develop skills in source analysis and research to provide a foundation for future historical work.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand and assess the main developments in the anti-apartheid struggle from 1948 to 1994
- 2. Work critically with a range of written and visual sources relating to the topic
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Identify the problems of using historical sources, e.g. utility, limitations, etc., and compare the validity of different types of sources
- 4. Present work orally, respond to questions orally, and think quickly of questions to ask other students
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Conduct independent study and group work, including the presentation of material for group discussion, developed through the mode of learning
- 6. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment
- 7. Work with others in a team and to interact effectively with the tutor and the wider group
- 8. Write to a very tight word-length
Syllabus plan
Weekly seminar topics may vary, but can include:
- The ANC’s turn to armed struggle
- Experiences of political imprisonment
- The Soweto Uprisings of 1976
- Gender and the anti-apartheid struggle
- The involvement of children and youth in the liberation struggle
- Britain’s anti-apartheid movement
- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Each topic will be explored through two or more different sources, including oral history interviews, speeches, memoirs, newspaper articles, and photographs.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 2 | 2 hour lecture: Introduction to module |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 20 | 10 x 2 hour seminars. At a meeting of the whole class generally a different group of 3-4 students will give a presentation to the whole class, followed by class discussion and working through the sources for that week carefully. Additional sources may be issued in the class and the lecturer will also use the time to set up issues for the following week. |
| Guided Independent Study | 128 | You prepare for the session through reading and research; writing five source commentaries and an essay and preparing one group presentation in the course of the term |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation (3-4 students) | 10-15 minutes | 1-7 | Oral feedback |
| Lowest mark from portfolio of 4 source commentaries | 750 words | 1-3, 5-6, 8 | Mark and written comments |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 highest marks from portfolio of 4 source commentaries | 100 | 2250 words (750 per commentary) | 1-3,5-6,8 | Mark and written comments |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 highest marks of portfolio of 4 source commentaries | 3 highest marks of portfolio of 4 source commentaries | 1-3,5-6,8 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Beinart, William, Twentieth-Century South Africa (Oxford, 1994).
- Beinart, William and Dubow, Saul, Segregation and Apartheid in Twentieth Century South Africa (London: 1995).
- Posel, Deborah, The Making of Apartheid, 1948-61 (Oxford, 1991).
- Mandela, Nelson, Long Walk to Freedom (London, 1995).
- Mandela, Nelson, No Easy Walk to Freedom: articles, speeches and trial addresses of Nelson Mandela (London, 1973).
- First, Ruth, One Hundred and Seventeen Days: an account of confinement and interrogation under the South African ninety-day detention law (Harmondsworth, 1965).
- Thorn, Hakan, Anti-Apartheid and the Emergence of a Global Civil Society (Basingstoke, 2006).
- Lobban, Michael, White Man’s Justice: South African Political Trials in the Black Consciousness Era (Oxford, 1996).
- Brittain, Victoria and Minty, Abdul S. (eds) Children of Resistance: Statements from the Harare Conference on Children, Repression, and the Law in Apartheid South Africa (London, 1988).
- Bozzoli, Belinda. Theatres of Struggle and the End of Apartheid (Ohio, 2004).
- Krog, Antjie, Country of my Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa (London, 1999).
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 10/05/2016 |
| Last revision date | 22/08/2019 |