CCGL9013 Global Issues
Globalization: African Experiences



[The lectures of this course wil be delivered on WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON (4:30 pm to 6:20 pm) in the LIBRARY of CHI SUN COLLEGE, 9 LUNG WAH STREET, KENNEDY TOWN]

Course Description

This course examines the social, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of globalization from an African perspective. We will cover a range of topics that exemplify the agency of the peoples of Africa in shaping the globalized world of today, as well as the impact of globalization on Africa. Pre-colonial patterns of exchange between Africa, Asia and other world regions were disrupted by European intervention from the 15th century onwards. We will see how, inspite of the difficult legacy of colonialism, African nations have taken up the challenge of political reconstruction, economic growth, and regional integration.

One focus of this course is the massive expansion of Africa’s creative industries – digital media, music, arts, literature, fashion, and film – both within the continent and on a global scale. We will have the chance to look at the pivotal roles of urbanization, mobility, digital technology, entrepreneurship, and the extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity and vibrancy of the peoples of Africa and the global African diaspora. Another aspect to be covered in detail is the rapid and far-reaching socio-economic change that African nations have been undergoing in the last three decades or so. Here we will consider, among other aspects, the reorientation of many African nations away from Western powers and their growing involvement with China and regional powers such as Brazil, India, Japan, Russia or Turkey.

Course Learning Outcomes

On completing the course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and describe the major global issues confronting Africa today.
  • Critically assess both the positive and negative consequences of specific phenomena of globalization for selected African countries and societies.
  • Compare the impact of globalization on African societies with the consequences of globalization on their own societies and cultures.
  • Identify and analyze the economic, political and socio-cultural implications of Africa’s increasingly complex interaction with various world regions, including China.

Offer Semester and Day of Teaching

First semester (Wed)


Study Load

Activities Number of hours
Lectures 24
Tutorials 10
Reading / Self-study 48
Assessment: Essay / Report writing 18
Assessment: Presentation (incl preparation) 16
Assessment: In-class quizzes (incl preparation) 8
Total: 124

Assessment: 100% coursework

Assessment Tasks Weighting
Short essay 40
In-class quizzes 20
Group project 40

Required Reading

  • Asante, M. K. (2015). The history of Africa: The quest for eternal harmony (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
  • French, H. W. (2014). China’s second continent: How a million migrants are building a new empire in Africa. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
  • Livermon, X. (2014). “Si-Ghetto Fabulous” (“We are Ghetto Fabulous”): Kwaito Musical Performance and Consumption in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Black Music Research Journal, 34(2), 285-303.
  • Lobato, R. (2010). Creative industries and informal economies: Lessons from Nollywood. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 13(4), 337-354.
  • Nederveen, P. J. (2009). Globalization and culture: Global melange. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Shipley, J. W. (2013). Living the Hiplife: Celebrity and entrepreneurship in Ghanaian popular music. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
  • Udé, I. (2011). Foreword. In H. Jennings (Ed.), New African fashion. Munich: Prestel. From http://www.randomhouse.de/content/edition/excerpts/265259.pdf.

Required Websites

Recommended Reading

  • Alden, C., & Alves, C. (2008). History and identity in the construction of China’s Africa policy. Review of African political economy, 35(115), 43-58.
  • Batibo, H. (2005). Language decline and death in Africa: Causes, consequences, and challenges. Clevedon; Buffalo: Multilingual Matters.
  • Bodomo, A. B. (2012). Africans in China: A sociocultural study and its implications on Africa-China relations. Amherst, NY: Cambria Press.
  • Koser, K. (Ed.). (2003). New African diasporas. London: Routledge.
  • Krings, M., & Okome, O. (2013). Global nollywood: The transnational dimensions of an African video film industry. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  • Tomás, A. (2014). Becoming famous: Kuduro, politics and the performance of social visibility, Critical Interventions, 8(2), 261-275.

Recommended Websites


Course Co-ordinator and Teacher(s)

Course Co-ordinator Contact
Dr K. Yakpo
School of Humanities (Linguistics), Faculty of Arts
Tel: 3917 7117
Email: kofi@hku.hk
Teacher(s) Contact
Dr K. Yakpo
School of Humanities (Linguistics), Faculty of Arts
Tel: 3917 7117
Email: kofi@hku.hk