AP/SOSC 1430 9.00
Introduction to International Development Studies
This foundation course introduces students to the field of International Development Studies. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach to study the theory and practice of development, and draws from the works of historians, sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, and economists to introduce relevant concepts and theories of development. The course examines various approaches to development and explores their theoretical and cultural assumptions, and their concrete application in diverse historical and social contexts. The course helps students understand the processes that created underdevelopment, the forces that contribute to the persistence of this condition, and the struggles for equitable and sustainable development in the current global system. As part of the Foundations Program, this course has been especially designed to help students develop specific academic skills in the areas of critical thinking, reading and writing, and to challenge them to apply these skills to the field of international development studies.