Monday 26 March 2018

POLITICAL ECONOMY OF AFRICA (POL 8406): SUB – THEME: CAPITALIST DEVELOPMENT AND PEASANT QUESTION IN THE PERIPHERY: AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE


BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO – NIGERIA
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE


POLITICAL ECONOMY OF AFRICA
(POL 8406)


SUB – THEME:
CAPITALIST DEVELOPMENT AND PEASANT QUESTION IN THE PERIPHERY: AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE


2017/2018 ACADEMIC YEAR

INSTRUCTOR:
M. M. YUSUF




INTRODUCTION
This is a teaching outline of Political Economy of Africa in a Postgraduate Programme (Masters Degree) of the Department of Political Science, Bayero University,Kano – Nigeria.
The course is about the position of peasantry in the process of capitalist development in the periphery – African context. Perhaps the term most likely to capture this process of development is ‘agrarian transition’. We mean by ‘agrarian transition’ the process through which a pre-dominantly peasant agriculture is transformed into one that is characterized by differentiation of the peasantry partly to rural proletariat and bourgeoisie.
The role of peasantry or of agriculture tothe  process of capitalist development is frequently ignored or misunderstood, or treated as if it had little to do with wider interest of capital. This is far from the truth.
In Marxist tradition of discourse about development of capitalism, just as is the case on wage labour, so also on peasantry and agriculture. Therefore, our guiding theoretical framework is the Marxist discussion of ‘agrarian transition’. Whereas there is also non-Marxist paradigms on this subject, we think that the Marxist tradition has been particularly dominant and important in helping to explain critical questions on capital, state and peasantry.
Indeed, a broadly Marxist framework, provides wider possibilities of addressing the complex dynamics  of the experience of the peasantry in the periphery; Which is that the peasantry must be understood in its relations with capital and the state, in varying concrete conditions, but which gives real dangers in seeking to explore relationship of theoretical issues with empirical situations.
There is no doubt a student of ‘agrarian transition’ may go through this risk, especially  of being simplistic and superficial in treating some processes as the same, but in historical terms, not strictly so.
However, a wider conceptual clarification of our key word (i.e. peasantry), in which empirical examples and illustrations play a large part and our method which is “space” will compensate for some of these risks.






COURSE SYLLABUS
1.     Introduction
Introducing the course and what it is about, course requirements.
In place of first week assignment:
Working group discussion with a view to make critical observations, showing limitations, gaps and assessment of the recommended literature.
2.     Theory and Method: A Path to Critical Knowledge
§  Reading:
                        i.        Trevor Barnes, “Between Deduction and Dialectics: David Harvey on Knowledge” in Noel C. and Derek G. (eds) David Harvey: A critical reader
                     ii.        David Harvey, “Space as a keyword”. In Noel C. and Derek G. (eds) Op cit.
                   iii.        T. S. Kuhn, “Logic of Discovery or Psychology of Research”? Preface of a book Imre L. and Alan M. (eds) Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge.
                   iv.        K. R. Popper, “Normal Science and its dangers”. In Imre L. and Alan M. (eds) op cit
                     v.        Alford, R. R. and Friedland R. Powers of Theory: capitalism, the state and democracy.
                   vi.        Erik O.W. Class, crisis and the state. Chapter 1
3.     Theory and Method: Marx’s Political Economy
§  Reading:
                        i.        Michael A. L. Bayond Capital: Marx political economy of the working class. Chapters 2, 8, and other selections.
                     ii.        Norman Geras, “Marx and the critique of political economy”. Robin Blackburn (ed.) Ideology in Social Sciences: Reading in Critical Social Theory
                   iii.        E. J. Hobsbawn, “Karl Marx’s Contribution to Historiography in Robin Blackburn. Op. cit.
                   iv.        G. V. Plekhanov, fundamental problems of Marxism chapter v and xii
                     v.        Engels F., “Political Economy: subject matter and method”. In his Anti-Duhringpgs 181 – 194
                   vi.        Paul M. Sweezy, TheTheory of Capitalist Development. Chapter 1
                vii.        Karl Marx, “Excerpts from capital: A critique of political economy”. In Lowes S. Feuer, Marx and Engels – basic writing on politics   and philosophy



4.     Capitalist Development in the Periphery: The Debate from Classical Perspective
§  Reading:
                        i.        Karl Marx and Engels, “Manifesto of the Communist Party” selected works, vol. 1
                     ii.        Karl Marx, “British Rule in India”. Selected works vol. 1
                   iii.        Karl Marx, “The future results of British Rule in India”. Selected works
                   iv.        Anthony Brewer, Marxist Theories of Imperialism: A Survey Chapter 2
                     v.        Dobb M. Studies in the Development of Capitalism
                   vi.        Rodney Hilton, The transition from Feudalism to capitalism
                vii.        Norma Parchono, “The debate on the transition from feudalism to capitalism: its relevance from the study of African history. Conference paper
5.     Capitalism and Development/Underdevelopment in the Periphery: Dependency Theory
§  Reading:
                        i.        A. G. Frank, “The Development of Underdevelopment”. In R. I. Rhodes, Imperialism and underdevelopment
                     ii.        Samir Amin, “Accumulation and Development: A Theoretical Framework’’ ROAPE No.1
                   iii.        Baran Paul, the Political Economy of Growth
                   iv.        Geofrey Kay, Development and Underdevelopment: A Marxist Analysis chapter 5
                     v.        Emmanuel Anghiri, Unequal Exchange: A study of the imperialism of trade
                   vi.        Immanuel Wallenstein, The Capitalist World Economy
                vii.        Baratt Brown, Essays on Imperialism. Chapter 1
              viii.        Anthony Brewer op. cit.
                   ix.        Brenner R., The Origins of Capitalist Development: A Critique of Neo-Smithan Marxism NLR No. 104
                     x.        Samir Amin, “Underdevelopment in Black Africa – Origin and Contemporary Forms”. JMAS Vol. 10 No. 4
                   xi.        Lionel Cliffe, “Rural Political Economy of Africa”. In Gutkind and Wallenstein, the political Economy of Contemporary Africa.
                xii.        Bill Warren, Imperialism: Pioneer of Capitalism
6.     Capitalist Development/Underdevelopment in the periphery: The Debate on Articulation of Modes of Production
§  Reading:
                        i.        Hindess and Hirnt, Pre-capitalist mode of production
                     ii.        Harold Wolpe, The articulation of modes of production: Essay from Economy and Society” pgs 1 – 43
                   iii.        Karl Marx, Primitive Accumulation of Capital
                   iv.        Samir Amin, unequal development: An essay on the social formation of peripheral  capitalism pgs 13 – 58
                     v.        Donald C. and Steward C. C. (eds). Modes of productive in Africa: the Pre-colonial Era pgs 11-34
                   vi.        John Harris, “The modes of production controversy: Themes and problems of the debate’’
                vii.        Aiden Forster Carter, The modes of production controversy
              viii.        Peter G. “The Articulation of Different Modes of Production: Old and New Inequalities in Maka Villages (South East) Cameron
                   ix.        Catherine C. V. “The Political Economy of the African Peasantry and Modes of Production”, in Gutxind and Wallenstein
7.     Capitalism and Peasantry: Who is a Peasant?
§  Reading:
                        i.        Shanin T., Peasant Societies. – The Introduction
                     ii.        Shannin T., “Peasantry as a political factor”. In his as above
                   iii.        Karl Marx, “Peasantry as a class”. In Shanin op. cit. as excerpt from “The class struggle in France and the Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonapate’’
                   iv.        Beckman B. “Editorial” of ROAPE  No. 10
                     v.        Daniel Thorner, “Peasant economy as a category in economic history”. In Shanin op. cit
8.     Capitalism and Transformation of the Peasantry: Theoretical Perspectives
§  Reading:
                        i.        Basile K. “Chayonov and the Theory of Peasantry as a Specific type of Economy”. In Shanin T. op. cit.
                     ii.        V. I. Lenin, Development of Capitalism in Russia  Collected Works Vol. 3
                   iii.        V. I. Lenin, “Capitalism and Agriculture in the United States of America”. Collected works Vol. 22
                   iv.        Banaji J., “Summary of Selected Parts of Kautsky’s the Agrarian Question”. In Harold Wolpe (ed.) op. cit.
9.     Capitalism and Peasantry in the Periphery: Further Theoretical Perspectives
§  Reading:
                        i.        Henry Bernstein, “Notes on capital and peasantry” in ROAPE No. 10
                     ii.        Henry Bernstein, “African Peasantries: a theoretical framework”. Journal of peasant studies vol. 6 No. 4
                   iii.        Henry Bernstein, “Agrarian classes in capitalist development”, in Leslie S. (eds) Capitalism and Development
10.                  Transition from Peasant Production to Capitalist Development
§  Reading:
                        i.        Barbara Brady, “The destruction of natural economy’’. In Harold Wolpe o.p.c.t
                     ii.        Banaji J,‘’Modes of production in a materialist conception of history. Capital and class vol.3
                   iii.        Henry Bernstein, ROAPE No.10
                   iv.        GoranHyden, Beyond Ujamaa in Tanzania; underdevelopment and uncaptured peasantry.
                     v.        Robin Cehen, “From peasants to workers in Africa’’. In Gutkind and Wallenstein
                   vi.        Gavin Williams, taking the part of peasant; rural Development in Nigeria and Tanzania. In Gutkind and Wallenstein 
11.                  Rural Class Formation and Class Conflict
§  Reading:
                        i.        Jeffery M. P. Agrarian Revolution: Social Movements and Export Agriculture in the Underdeveloped World. Chapter 1 and 4
                     ii.        Y. M. Ivanov, Agrarian Reforms and Hired Labour in Africa
                   iii.        Philip R. “Rural Differentiation and Class Formation in Tanzania”
                   iv.        L. Cliffe, “Rural class formation in East Africa”. Journal of Peasant studies vol. 40 No. 2
                     v.        R. Howard, “Formation and Stratification of the Peasantry in Colonial Ghana”. Journal of Peasant Studies vol.8 No.1
                   vi.        Donald B. Cruise O. Brien, “Cooperatives and Bureaucrats: Class formation in a Senegalese Peasant Society”. in journal of the international African Institute vol. XLI No. 4
                vii.        Robin Cohen, “From Peasants to workers in Africa”. In Gutkind and Wallenstein op. cit. 
12      Theory and Practice: African Experiences on Peasant Question and Capitalist Development
i.Nigeria – Northern Nigeria
§  Reading:
              i.          Sule Bello, State and Economy in Kano 1894-1960: A study of colonial domination.
            ii.          Mansur I. Muktar,  British Colonial Labour Policies and the Changing Roles of Labour In Kano Emirate 1903-1960
         iii.          Mansur I. Mukhtar, The impact of British colonial domination on Kano 1903-1950: A study of colonial change
         iv.          Adamu Mohammed Fiko, the Kano civil war and British over rule 1882-1940
            v.          A.G Hopxins,, An Economic History of  West Africa
         vi.          Dupe Olatunbosun, Nigeria’s Neglected Rural Majority
       vii.          E.A Olofin and S. Patricks (eds.) Land Administration and Development in Northern Nigeria. Case Studies
    viii.          P.J Shea, Approaching the study of production in Rural kano. Paper presented in at the international conference on the history of Kano
         ix.          Micheal Watts (ed), State, Oil and Agriculture in Nigeria. Especially chapters 5, 9 and 10
            x.          AkeC.A  Political Economy of Africa
         xi.          Gavin Williams, State and Society in Nigeria
       xii.          Gavin Williams, “Inequalities in rural Nigeria”. Occasional paper no 16 University of Anglia
    xiii.          Gavin Williams, “Class relations and inequalities in rural Nigeria” mimeo
    xiv.          Gavin Williams “why is there no agrarian capitalism in Nigeria-mimeo

       xv.          R. W Shenton and L. Lennhan “capital and class: peasant differentiation in northern Nigerian, journal of peasant studies
    xvi.          Paul Clough “indebtedness among the rural Hausa’’: A case study
  xvii.          L. Lennihas, “Problems of Structure and Agency in Agrarian History’’: The question of agricultural wage labour in Northern Nigeria”.
xviii.          Beckman B., “Peasants versus state and capital”.
    xix.          Tina Wallace, “The Kano river project, Nigeria: the impact of an irrigation scheme on productivity and welfare” in Heyer and others, Rural Development in Tropical Africa
ii. South Africa: Cape Province
§  Reading:
              i.          Colin Bundy, The Rise and Fall of the South African Peasantry
            ii.          Colin Bundy, “The Emergence and Decline of South African Peasantry” African Affairs vol. 71 No. 285
         iii.          Colin Bundy, “The Transkei Peasantry, 1890-1914: passing through a period of stress. In Robin Palmer and Neil Parsons (eds.). The Roots  of Rural Poverty in central and Southern Africa
         iv.          M. L. Norms, “The development of capitalism in South Africa Agriculture”. In Harold Wolpe (eds) op. cit.
13. Capital and the Response of Peasantry
§  Reading:
                        i.        Robert H. Bates, “The issue basis of Rural Politics in Africa”. In Comparative Politics, April, 1978
                     ii.        Erik, R. Wolf, “On Peasant Rebellion”. In Shanin T. op. cit
                   iii.        Gavin Williams, in Gutkind and Wallenstein op. cit
                   iv.        Karl Marx, In Shanin as op. cit.
                     v.        Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth
                   vi.        Amilcar Cabral, Revolution in Guinea
                vii.        HamzaAlavi, “Peasants and Revolution”. In K. Gough and H. P. Sharma (eds). Imperialism and Revolution in South Asia
              viii.        Beckman Bjorn, “Peasants and Democratic Struggle in Nigeria”. ROAPE No.
                   ix.        R. A. Dunmoye, “The Peasant Question and the Limitations of Agrarian Reformsm”. Comments on Beckman’s paper on “Peasants Question and Democratic Struggles in Nigeria’’. ABU, Zaria
                     x.        Sabo Bako, The PRP and Peasants Struggle in the Second Republic ABU, Zaria
                   xi.        Gary Wasseman, “Continuity and Counter-Insurgency: The Role of Land Reform in Decolonising Kenya, 1962-70”. In Journal of African Studies Vol. vii No. 1
                xii.        Frank Fured, “The Social Composition of the Mau Mau Movement in the White Highlands”. Journal of Peasants Studies Vol. 1
              xiii.        Christopher Farrell, “Mau Mau: A Revolt or a Revolution”? In Kenya Historical Review vol.5 No.2
              xiv.        Dick Kauffman, “MauMau: Peasant War or Revolution?” Kenya Special Review vol. 1
                xv.        John Newsinger, Revolt and Repression: In Kenya: ‘’The Mau-Mau Rebellion’’. In Science and Society Vol. 75 No.2
              xvi.        K.W.J. Post “The Alliance of Peasants and Workers: Some Problems Concerning the Articulation of Classes (Algeria and China)”. In R. Cohen et al. Peasant and Proletarians
14. The New Capitalist Logic for the Peasantry in the Periphery
§  Reading:
                        i.        John Sender and Sheila Smith, “What’s Right with the Berg Report and What’s Left of its Criticisms”. In Peter Lawrence (eds). World Recession and the Food Crisis in Africa
                     ii.        Gavin Williams, “The World Bank and the Peasant Problem”. In Judith Heyer op. cit.
                   iii.        Andrew Sheperd, “Agrarian Change in Northern Ghana: Public Investment, Capitalist Farming and Famine”. In Judith Heyer op. cit.
                   iv.        Beckman Bjorn, “The World Bank and the Nigerian Peasantry: An Outline”. A paper presented to a seminar by the AKUT Group, Stockholm
                     v.        E. Feder, “The New World Bank Programme for the Self-Liquidation of theThirdworld Peasantry”. In Journal of Peasant  Studies vol. II No. 1
                   vi.        Siegfried P. “A New International Economic Order for the Third World’’. In Sociologic Ruralism Vol. XX
                vii.        Erich Jacoby, “World Bank policy and the Peasants in the Third World”. In Development and Change. Vol. 10
              viii.        Steven Jacob, “integrated rural development and the marginalization of the peasantry in Nigeria”. In Africa development vol.6 no.4
                   ix.        NtiemKungswai, “The agrarian crisis in Nigeria today. In department of political science, ABU, Zaria, rural underdevelopment in Nigeria 1900-1980.
                     x.        Yahaya A. abdullahi, “The new technology and agricultural development in nigeria: a socio-economic assessment of te green revolution strategy”. In rural underdevelopment in Nigeria 1900-1980.
15.  Theoretical conclusion: the powers of theory in the agrarian question. Closing up!
§  Joint Reading:
            ii.          V.I. Lenin, ‘’The Agrarian Question and the critics of Marx”.
         iii.          Karl Marx, ‘’A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy”,  selected works vol.1
         iv.          Engels E, “Karl Marx: A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy” selected works vol.1
            v.          Sara S. Berry, Cocoa, Custom and Socio-Economic Change in Western Nigeria.
         vi.          C.F. Beer, The Politics of Peasant Groups in Western Nigeria.
       vii.          R.O Ekundare, An Economic History of Nigeria 1860-1960.
    viii.          Polly Hill, Population, Property and Poverty.
         ix.          MichealGowen, “Commodity Production in Kenya’s Central Province”, in Judith Hey’s (eds) op.ct.
            x.          Ernest Feder, “Agribusiness and the Elimination of Latin America’s Rural Proletariat.” In RadhaSinha (ed.). The world food problem.
         xi.          Geoff Lamb, “The New-Colonial Integration of Kenyan Peasants”. In development and change No. 8.
       xii.          Richard E. Stryker, “The World Bank and Agricultural Development: Food, production and rural poverty”. In world development vol.9
    xiii.          Ruth First, Black Gold: The Mozambican Miner, Proletarian and Peasant.
    xiv.          Giovanni Arrighi, “Labor Supplies in Historical Perspective: A Study of the Proletarianisation of the African Peasantry in Rhodesia”. In G. Arrighi and J. Saul (eds). Essays on the Political Economy of Africa.
       xv.          Paul A. Baran, “On the Political Economy of Backwardness in Robert Rhodes op. ct.
    xvi.          S.W Mintz “The Rural Proletarian and the Problem of Rural Proletarian Consciousness”. In R. Cohen et al.,Peasants and Proletarians.
xvii.            Elinor S. “Colonial Peasantisation and Contemporary underdevelopment: A view from a Kivu village”. In Guy G (ed). Zaire: The Political Economy of Underdevelopment.
xviii.            Rennie J.K. “White Farmers, Black Tenants and Landlord legislation: Southern Rhodesia 1890-1930”. In Journal of Southern African Studies vol.5 No. 1
xix.            Phimister I.R, “Peasant Production and Underdevelopment in Southern Rhodesia 1890-1914”. African Affairs Vol. 75 No. 291.
xx.            Keega T. “The restructuring of Agrarian class relations in a Colonial Economy: The Orange river Colony, 1902-1910. Journal of Southern African Studies Vol. 5 No. 2.
xxi.            Trapido S. “Landlord and a Tenant in a Colonial Economy: The Transvaal 1880-1910”. Journal of Peasant studies Vol. 5 No.1
xxii.            Lipton M.. “White farming: A case study of change in south Africa”. Journal of common wealth and comparative studies vol. 12.
xxiii.            Murray M. “Agrarian Social structure and rural Class Relations: Class Struggle in the Orange Free State and Transvaal, 1890-1920”. In rural Africana vol. 4.5
xxiv.            Adrian G. and Peter r. “Plantation in the Political economy of Colonial Sugar Production: Notal and Queensland, 1860-1914”. Journal of Southern African Studies vol. 6 No. 2 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ü The course is designed to expose students to a research work rooted in theory through which to understand the social reality of a peasant economy in modern capitalist system in Africa.
ü The references are deliberately selected to give students this orientation. However, students are expected to show capacity of independent work by reaching out to many other sources on the subject matter.
ü Accordingly teaching of the course is by seminar.
ü Papers are going to be presented and books to be reviewed.
ü If you are not to do presentation, the weekly reading of the recommended texts is important for you
ü Students are expected to read all assigned texts attend all classes and participate actively in discussions.
ü Texts to be reviewed in each week are going to be indicated.
ü Note that if you are not going to attend any class, tell me before the time. Yet when you return, you must do the work of the week.
ü In order to purify learning and research, I have to take strict disciplinary action against any student who is found on plagiarism.
ü In our work, we will be analyzing the thought, argument and evidence of others to reformulate and develop our ideas. So, you must not copy or paraphrase someone’s work and present it as your own. Don’t come across  an idea of one writer from another writer and claim you got it from the original source
ü All texts consulted should be properly acknowledged. These are elements of integrity of a scholar.
ü Assessment of students is based on the end of semester examination (60%)and CA (40%). The CA will be as follows:
a)     Attendance/class work / participation (20%).
b)    Course research paper (10%)
c)     Working Group discussion (5%)
d)    Literature review (5%).

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.