WELESLEY COLLEGE
POL2 204 Political Economy of Development & Underdevelopment
Fall 2009
Professor William A. Joseph
PNE 232, x2201

This course is an introductory overview of development studies with attention to major schools of political economy, their intellectual origins and centrality to contemporary debates about economic development. Topics include colonialism, nationalism, and independence; post-colonial economic development models, policies, and strategies; perspectives on gender and development; changing conceptions and measures of poverty, development, and underdevelopment; contemporary debates in development studies.

Course requirements:

  • "Development Studies Internet Resources" review (5%), due Sept. 25th.
  • Current events posting and commentary (5%), due at various times during the semester.
  • 2 short research papers (1500-2000 words) due approximately Oct. 25th and Dec. 1st (25% each).
  • Self-scheduled final exam (40%).
  • Attendence, attentiveness, and participation will be seriously taken into account when determining the final grade. Please see the list of Responsibilities and Expectations attached to this syllabus.

NOTE: For the two short research papers, you may have a total of five days of "extensions" from the due date to use throughout the term as best fits your schedule. These extensions allow you to hand in a paper late without a grade penalty, but after your five days have been used up the assignment will be marked down 1/3 grade per day (or fraction of a day) late (e. g. from B+ to B).

This course will make extensive use of the rich Internet resources on development studies. Students are expected to keep up with current events in the developing world. For suggested sources for news about the developing world, see my Development Studies Internet Resources website, which is also accessible via the course conference on FirstClass and the instructor's homepage. Each student will be asked to submit an interesting and substantive article (or link) with commentary to the course conference at least once during the semester. The first 10 minutes or so of class each Thursday will be spent discussing current events. The events/issues discussed during this time may be part of the final exam.

There may be one or two additional videos assigned during the term.

Required books: Available for purchase at the bookstore [and elsewhere] and on reserve.

  • Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart
  • Kamala Markandaya, Nectar in a Sieve
  • Peter Burnell and Vicky Randall, Politics in the Developing World, 2nd edition, (2008)
  • Robert Griffiths, Annual Editions: Developing World 09/10, 16th edition (2008)
  • Mitchell A. Seligson and John T Passé-Smith, editors, Development and Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Global Inequality, 4th edition (2008)
  • Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom [Note: This book is also available electronically via eBrary.]
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Schedule & Reading Assignments

COURSE SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS: Assignments marked (ER) are available via Electronic Reserve in the FirstClass Conference for this course. Assignments marked (OL) are "online" and can be accessed via the online version of the course syllabus or through the Online Readings folder in the course FirstClass conference. Those marked (OR) are in the Other Readings Folder of the course conference. Those marked (eBrary) are available through the online library catalog. The readings are listed in the order in which it is recommended that they be done.

Sept. 10 Introduction to the Course

Sept. 14, 17, 21, 24, Oct. 1, 5 Facts, Concepts, Assumptions, Definitions, Questions

  • "Developing Nations in a World of Transition," ch. 1, section 3, in W. Joseph, M. Kesselman, J. Krieger, Introduction to Politics in the Developing World, 5th ed., Cengage, 2009. LINK (PDF)
  • Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, "The Women’s Crusade," The New York Times, Aug. 17, 2009. LINK
  • Tina Rosenberg, "The Daughter Deficit: When Development Makes Life Harder for Daughters," The New York Times, Aug. 17, 2009. LINK
  • Burnell and Randall, chs. 3-5, 18, 23a, 23b.
  • Seligson and Passé-Smith, 1-5, 11-13, 30-3.2
  • Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom, Introduction, chs. 1, 2, 3 (pp. 54-56; 70-86), 4.
  • Kamala Markandaya, Nectar in a Sieve. (all)
  • Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working Class in England (1845), ch. VI, "Results of Industrialization." LINK [SKIM]

Sept. 28 NO CLASS: YOM KIPPUR

Oct. 8, 14 (Wed) History Matters

  • For 10/8:
    • Seligson and Passé-Smith, chs. 6-10.
  • For 10/14:
    • Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (all)
    • Karl Marx, "The British Rule in India" (1853) LINK
    • M.K. Gandhi, Hind Swaraj Or Indian Home Rule (1908), excerpts: "A Word of Explanation"; chapters 14, 16, 17 LINK
    • Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth (1961) (excerpts) LINK
    • Read the very brief biography of Fanon on Wikipedia LINK

Oct. 15, 19, 22, 26, 29; Nov 2, 5 Explanations, Theories, and Strategies

  • Burnell & Randall, chs. 1, 16, 15, 23
  • Jeffrey D. Sachs. "The Development Challenge," Foreign Affairs. March- April 2005, pp. 78-90 LINK
  • Seligson and Passé-Smith, chs. 14-24, 25-29
  • Griffiths, chs. 1-6, 8-17
  • Sen, chs. 5, 7
  • Video assignment: "Tongpan" LINK

Oct. 13 NO CLASS, FALL BREAK (Class on Wed. 10/15, Monday Schedule).

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Nov. 9, 12, 16 State & Society in the Developing World (I)

  • Burnell & Randall, chs. 11-14, 20, 22
  • Griffiths, chs. 27-34
  • Robert Draper, "Somalia: Inside a Failed State," National Geographic, Sept. 2009. LINK [Read main article, sidebar, photo gallery, & map]
  • Sen, ch. 6,10

Nov. 19, 23 State and Society in the Developing World (II)

  • Burnell & Randall, chs. 6, 7, 9, 10, 18 ,19, 21
  • Seligson and Passé-Smith, ch. 13
  • Griffiths, chs. 18-26

Nov. 30; Dec. 3, 7, 10    Issues and Challenges

Gender

  • Burnell & Randall, ch. 8
  • Griffiths, chs. 42-45
  • Maria C. Correia and Ian Bannon, Other Half of Gender: Men's Issues in Development, ch. 1 ebrary

Environment, Security, Population, Resources, & Health

  • Burnell & Randall, chs. 17-19
  • Griffiths, chs. 35-41
  • Sen, ch. 9

Tourism

  • Frances Brown Derek Hall, "Tourism and Development in the Global South: the issues," Third World Quarterly, Volume 29, Issue 5 July 2008 , pages 839 - 849.
  • David Harrison, "Pro-poor Tourism: a critique," Third World Quarterly, Volume 29, Issue 5 July 2008 , pages 851 - 868.
  • Harold Goodwin, "Pro-poor Tourism: a response," Third World Quarterly, Volume 29, Issue 5 July 2008 , pages 869 - 871

Reading Period -- Conclusions   

  • Seligson and Passé-Smith, ch. 33
  • Sen, chs. 11, 12