AP/SOSC 2800 6.00
Development in Comparative & Historical Perspective
This course offers a critical overview of the state of development studies for students who have some background in International Development. Its primary objective is to familiarize students with the present and past development theories, discourses/perspectives and issues. Besides, it makes an effort to analyze the role of key international organizations, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in constructing the ‘global framework for development’.
In reviewing a range of theories of and approaches to development – from modernization, and neo-Marxist theories of dependency to neo-liberal, post-modern, post-Marxist and feminist perspectives, the course provides a forum for students to examine, discuss, and debate the current changes in development studies and to apply various theories and approaches to the analysis of contemporary development issues. Students will have the opportunity to explore how the focus of development shifted from ‘economic growth’ to the improvement in the human conditions.