Course Description
After World War II, the term development emerged and rapidly evolved in international relations. Traditionally understood as a response to poverty, development has been institutionalized in various ways and applied in different contexts. Progress, growth, and prosperity are some of the assumptions introduced by its proponents. The concept of development involves a struggle for the autonomy of nation-states in regulating domestic politics when multiple elements of power operate across sovereign boundaries. This course is designed to foster critical debate on how development ideas and practices are constructed within the contested sphere of power. Participants are invited to understand the development issues of concern to international relations students, the theoretical frameworks, and the concepts used to understand how power and prosperity are intertwined in the global development order.
Expected Learning Outcome
- Students can explain the basic assumptions of mainstream development theory, critiques of mainstream theory, and development as discourse.
- Students can conduct case analysis using explicit conceptual references.
- Students can analyze development issues of interest and defend their academic arguments.
Syllabus
Read the full syllabus here.
