Sustainability

African countries are generally among the poorest countries on the planet. On average, their incomes are low as are their levels of education. Poor African countries also have a range of peculiar characteristics that negatively affect their living standards. As these standards decline, western audiences have increasingly been targeted by aid organizations seeking donations to help the African cause. Despite growing awareness of African poverty, however, few attempts have been made to locate discourses on African poverty within historical, theoretical, and contemporary contexts.

This course provides an overview of the key issues foundational for understanding the dynamics of poverty and human development in African societies. It examines various academic conceptualizations of poverty, the dimensions of poverty in African countries, as well as poverty’s various causes and consequences. The course also intends to highlight the complex nature of the social, political, and economic causes of African poverty and their implications. Furthermore, it will identify the important challenges to poverty alleviation in African societies, the effectiveness of foreign aid, and alternative strategies to poverty alleviation.

The course will also provide unique opportunities for students to develop a focused understanding of specific issues that affect Africa’s socioeconomically vulnerable groups as well as related issues relevant for understanding the dynamics of poverty in specific areas on the continent.