This module challenges conceptions of Central Africa as the Heart of Darkness, a place disconnected from civilization and unintelligible to all save for the hardened anthropologist. It starts during the intensification of European encounters in the region from late nineteenth-century and ends by covering the most deadly conflicts since the Second World War. It engages with broad historical questions relating to ethnic formation, violence, international development, and the mission encounter. To reveal the complexities involved in power relations in the Congo, this module will make use of a vast array of different kinds of sources from a range of cultural perspectives, such as literary accounts, photographs, and film, and will investigate Central African history in a global context. This module MUST be taken in conjunction with HST6700 History Research Dissertation.
