BACHELOR OF ARTS HONOURS ZIMBABWEAN HISTORY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (HIA)
| Module Code | Module Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HIA101 | Introduction to the Study of History (CORE) | This module exposes students to the theoretical and practical approaches to the study of History as a subject. It introduces students to the basic methods and techniques of writing History and constitutes the foundation for understanding and comparing different historical writings. These are critical in guiding contemporary writings. |
| HIA102 | Survey of African (CORE) | This module makes a survey of the major historical processes in Africa. It exposes students to issues like imperialism, colonialism, decolonization and independence as well as the development of African history as a discipline. This helps in fostering an appreciation of the African Heritage which should be at the core of development on the continent. |
| DAH101 | Introduction to Archives and Historical Records (OPTIONAL) | Borrowed from Honours in Digital, Archival and Historical Information Management |
| HIA103 | Emergence and Development of African History and African Studies (OPTIONAL) | This module examines the emergence and development of the fields of African history and African studies. In particular, the module examines the process that led to the establishment of African history as a discipline in the post-second world war period and with it the emergence of the field of African studies. The module engages with imperial historiography which had insisted that Africa did not have a history prior to the coming of Europeans in Africa. The module also discusses the centrality of oral traditions in African history. |
| HIA104 | Research Methods in History (OPTIONAL) | This module looks at various research methods in the study of History. |
| HIA106 | Introduction to Gender and Sexuality (OPTIONAL) |
The module introduces students to use gender as a tool of analysis in history. It trains students to engage the gender perspective in analysing historical events, and to view gender as both an object of analysis and a methodology. The module trains students to go beyond the popular historical sources, to use alternative sources to retrieve gender history, which is often not immediately visible in standard grand historical narratives. |
| HIA107 |
Europe in History and Global Affairs (OPTIONAL) |
This module examines historical developments in Europe and Europe’s historical interactions with the rest of the world. In particular it examines issues such as Mercantilism, Capitalism, Imperialism, Socialism, Cold War, etc. This enhances learners’ understanding of the colonial and imperial mind, which in turn enables them to interpret Europe’s contemporary interactions with the world. |
| DAH201 | Preserving Records and Archives (OPTIONAL) | Borrowed from Honours Digital, Archival and Historical Information Management |
| HIA108 | Imperialism in History (OPTIONAL) | This module examines the various theories of imperialism. |
| HIA109 | History of Ideas (OPTIONAL) | This module examines the history of ideas and philosophers who introduced those ideas at different eras. For example, ideas about enlightenment, capitalism, socialism, communism and democracy |
| HIA201 | Theories and Methods in History (CORE) | This is an advanced module on research methodologies in history. The module exposes students to various qualitative and quantitative research methods in history, research techniques as well as approaches to writing history. This allows for effective, efficient and ethical research which yields useful data necessary for sustainable human development. |
| HIA202 | History of Zimbabwe before 1890 (CORE) | This module examines the history of what later became Zimbabwe. Its major focus is on the developments among the early farming communities on the Zimbabwean plateau, state systems, Mfecane states, missionaries' encounters, and colonial encroachment. The module is critical in laying the foundation for a heritage-based development model for Zimbabwe. |
| HIA203 | Colonialism, Resistance and Decolonization (OPTIONAL) | The module examines the historical dynamics of colonialism, resistance, and decolonization in the global south. It exposes students to theories of imperialism and decolonization as well as the historical processes that engendered these phenomena. This is critical in learners’ understanding of the colonial and imperial mind in order to anticipate imperial machinations and shenanigans. |
| HIA204 | Cold War and its legacy (OPTIONAL) | The module deals with the global cold war politics and how it affected countries in the global south. It focuses on issues like proxy wars, cold war and liberation struggles as well as its legacies. |
| HIA205 |
African Regional Organizations (OPTIONAL) |
The module examines the various regional bodies that were formed in Africa since independence. It discusses their role in resolving the challenges faced by African countries paying particular attention to their successes and failures. The key topics of the module are: Formation of various regional organizations in Africa, how these organizations have resolved challenges that confront Africa, their role in Africa's hotspots and their role in global issues. |
| HIA207 | African Political Ideas (OPTIONAL) | To be borrowed from Governance and Public Management |
| HIA208 |
History of Zimbabwe, 1890-1980 (CORE) |
The module explores the political, social and economic features of colonial Zimbabwe paying particular attention to the marginalization of Africans. The responses of Africans to colonial domination and the subsequent liberation struggle are also examined. The topics that the module covers are: the occupation of Mashonaland and Matabeleland by the white settlers, African resistance to occupation, the establishment of the colonial economy and political systems, rise of African nationalism and the armed struggle for independence. This history is critical in determining the base upon which socio-political and economic fundamentals in the country are anchored |
| HIA209 | The Middle East in Global Affairs and African History (OPTIONAL) | The Middle East has continued to play a significant role in global affairs since the establishment of Israel after the second world war. This module examines the role of the middle east in global affairs which include wars, terrorism, and resource conflicts, among other issues. This knowledge is valuable in formulating policy and the nature of Zimbabwe’s international relations. |
| HIA210 | History of Southern Africa (OPTIONAL) | The module focuses on the peopling of Southern Africa by African and non-African societies and their organization. It also dwells on various forms of interaction among the societies within the region as well as with the outside world. It further dwells on major drivers of change in the region such as the Mfecane, South Africa Mineral revolution, colonization, decolonization and major trends in the post-colonial period. |
| HIA211 | International Organisations and Gender. (OPTIONAL) | The module as a central category of analysis in examining how feminist critiques have contributed to gender mainstreaming in international organisations. The module also uses gender as an analytical variable in analysing the construction and operations of international organisations. The module highlights the role played by the UN first, followed by regional organisations, in making women visible. Some of the questions that the module addresses are; why UN bureaucrats and governmental representatives decided that women's issues were important and at what particular point in history? Who set the agenda and how? Was there any resistance to their efforts and how did they overcome it? Are all outputs the UN produced beneficial for all women? |
| HIA301 | History of African Migrations the African Diaspora (OPTIONAL) | Africa has always had a role to play on the global stage. This module examines African migrations and the emergence of an African diaspora. It examines issues such as the slave trade, colonialism and the African diaspora. Apart from these themes, the module also examines bilateral and multilateral labour migration agreements, remittances and illicit migration. This is pertinent in shaping Zimbabwe’s bilateral and multilateral labour migration agreements, remittances and illicit migration dynamics. |
| HIA302 | Community History Project (OPTIONAL) | This module requires students to use their historical knowledge and research skills to provide services such as writing community histories, family trees, collect and preserve oral traditions and oral histories. The module assists students to develop research and analytical skills in collecting data, selection and analysis of data and writing an accessible long essay. |
| HIA303 | Zimbabwe Since 1980 (CORE) | The module explores Zimbabwe's foreign relations since independence. It devotes considerable attention to the shifts and contradictions in Zimbabwe's foreign policy. It also determines the extent to which Zimbabwe's domestic policies affected its relations with the international community. The module covers the following areas: Zimbabwe's international relations since 1980, her membership and role in regional and international organizations and the dynamics between Zimbabwe's international posture and the economic and political dispensation obtaining in the country |
| HIA304 | History of Central Africa (OPTIONAL) | This module focuses on historical developments in Central Africa from the earliest times. In particular it focuses on political developments in the post-colonial period, resource curse in Angola and DRC, colonial legacies of identity and conflicts in the Great Lakes Region. |
| HIA305 | Oral Histories and Oral traditions (OPTIONAL) | The module examines the transmission of Africans' unwritten history by word of mouth. It explores the various methods through which this history was generated and assesses its usefulness and limitations. In the process, the course enables students to compare oral traditions with other sources of history. The module equips students with necessary skills to handle , analyse, interpreting and archiving oral traditions and oral histories. |
| HIA306 | History of Latin America and the Caribbean (OPTIONAL) | The module discusses the organisation of Latin American and Caribbean societies before European conquest. It also looks at European colonialism in the region, struggles for, and attainment of independence. The module covers the following topics: The economy, culture and society of the Aztec, Inca and Maya Empires, conquest of Mexico and Peru, colonial economy, Spanish political institutions and the independent trajectory of Spanish and Portuguese Latin America. |
| HIA307 |
Historiography and Historiographical Traditions (OPTIONAL) |
This module examines the major historiographical traditions in western, Asian and African historiography. It exposes students to the skills needed to examine historical writings from a historiographical perspective. |
| HIA308 |
History of Science and Technology (OPTIONAL) |
This module is an introduction to the history of technology in Africa since the Stone Age period. The module examines production and consumption as it relates to the utilization of technology over time, the technological construction of gender roles, and the relationship between humans and machines. |
| HIA309 | Identity, Ethnicity and Belonging in Africa (OPTIONAL) | The module examines the history of ethnicity and identity politics across the globe. It engages with theories of identity and belonging and draws on case studies which speak to certain theories of belonging. This is pertinent in the quest for stability, harmony and tolerance among the various ethnic identities in Zimbabwe and beyond. |
| HIA310 |
History of Local and Global Social Movements (OPTIONAL) |
This module examines a number of local and global social movements. This includes social movements such as Landless People’s Movements, Feminist Movements, and Informal Settlements Dwellers movements, among others |
| HIA311 | Asia in History and Global Affairs. (OPTIONAL) | The module examines the dynamics of Asia and African relations in the 21st century. The module covers the following topics; growth of Asian dominance in Africa, nature of the economic relations between Asia and the host African states, the extent to which Africa benefits from the relationship and the challenges and prospects for African economies. |
| HIA401 | Land and Environmental History of Sub-Saharan Africa (OPTIONAL) | The module explores the nature of human-environmental interaction in Africa since pre-colonial times. Focus will be on how Indigenous Knowledge Systems contribute to conservation and sustainable development in Africa. It will also examine how colonialism shaped conflict over environmental control and rural ecological change and the legacies of such dynamics in the post-colonial state. |
| HIA402 | Urban Poverty, Livelihoods and resilience (OPTIONAL) | To be borrowed from Community and Social Development |
| HIA403 |
Themes in Medical History (OPTIONAL) |
This module is designed to introduce students to the main debates in the history of medicine. It focuses on the development of ideas, institutions and practices in history and how communities responded within their given cultural contexts. This will enable students to be able to carry out medical related research which will influence policy. Such knowledge will also help in the struggle to either adapt to or combat emerging and new diseases and pandemics. |
| HIA404 | Political Economy of Extractive Industries in Africa (OPTIONAL) | The module examines the political economy of extractive industries in Africa since the mineral revolution. Its main objective is to examine the different ways in which mining, tapping of rubber, oil extraction and other extractive industries have affected African countries since the mineral revolution in South Africa. |
| HIA405 | History of West Africa (OPTIONAL) | The module discusses the social, political and economic organization of pre-colonial West African states. The interaction of people within and among these states, and with international dynamics also receives considerable attention. The key areas are: History of West African kingdoms, Rise and fall of Ghana, Mali, Shanghai, the Hausa and Fulani Jihad states of the of the Volta Basin, Alan and Early Coastal States, the rise and fall of Asante, Dahomey and Oyo, the Atlantic Slave trade. The module is further an overview of the dynamics and impact of British and French colonialism in West Africa. It also looks at the social, political and economic effects of colonial rule on the region, African nationalism and the attainment of independence. The module focuses on the following topics: African resistance to colonial occupation, British and French colonial rule, colonial economic system and rise of nationalism and resistance politics. |
| HIA406 | History of North America (OPTIONAL) | The module examines the domestic and foreign policies and practices of the United States during the period spanning from the American Civil War to the end of the Second World War. Particular attention is devoted to the rise of the United States as a super power. The module covers the following topics: Reconstruction after the Civil War (1865-1890), Progressivism and Idealism, The First World War, The Age of Prosperity and Depression, the New Deal and the Second World War. |
| HIA407 |
African Boundaries and Borderlands (OPTIONAL) |
The module covers the history of pre-colonial and colonial African borders. It considers the paradoxical nature of borders as both restrictive structures, and as avenues of opportunity. Considerable attention is devoted to ways in which Africans sought livelihoods across borders. The key topics of this module are: Debates on the existence of borders in pre-colonial Africa, Wars and contestations over borders in pre-colonial Africa, Livelihoods across pre-colonial African borders, Partition of Africa and the impact of colonial borders on African ways of life, and Cross-border mobility during anti-colonial struggles. The module further examines the porosity of African borders as ordinary people seek opportunities, sometimes informally. It also explores how ordinary people have exploited borders in times of crises such as wars. It also discusses various forms of cross-border interaction by ordinary people. The key topics of this module are: National boundaries and Pan-Africanism, Border disputes in independent Africa, Informal negotiation of borders for survival in times of crises, and Wars and cross-border refugees. |
| HIA408 | History of East Africa (OPTIONAL) | The module examines the social, political and economic features of pre-colonial East African polities. It also discusses the nature of interactions of people within and among these states, and with international forces. The major topics covered in this module are: Formation as well as socio-economic and political structures of East African states which include the western and eastern groups of states and Arab impact on East Africa. The module further discusses the political, social and economic developments in East Africa during the colonial period. It devotes considerable attention to the impact of colonial rule on the region, liberation movements and the attainment of independence. The key areas of the module are: Kenya under British rule, Tanzania under Germany and British rule, Uganda under the British, economic and social development before independence. Finally, the module provides for the study of the socio-economic and political development of the East African countries since independence. It also explores the interaction of the east African countries with the international community. The major topics covered in this module are: The colonial heritage in East African countries, growth of economies and policies of the independent states of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. |
| HIA410 | Project (CORE AND COMPULSORY) | A student is expected to write a project on a topic approved by the department. The dissertation identifies a critical problem and the research should thus seek possible answers on causes and potential remedies that are of utilitarian value to communities in particular and Zimbabwe at large. The dissertation should contribute to the rejuvenation of the country’s heritage, general quest for peace, stability and human security. Students can also undertake projects which contribute to the preservation and archiving of information at public and private institutions, and in communities. |
