Postgraduate Course: International Development in a Changing World (PGGE11195)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The world is changing, and changing fast. But what direction is it changing in, and what do these changes bring to countries, communities and individuals? What do they have to say about it? What is the best way to move forwards? This course aims to examine the current state and potential future of international development and to address these questions and more.
The course introduces students to the field of international development; how it arose, its historical course, and its current practices and policies. We consider the different actors currently involved in practicing development and explore the strategies they employ. There is no one definition of ¿development¿ however and we pay attention to the complex, contentious, contradictory and contingent nature of what it might mean in practice. We explore development across various scales and in different geographic contexts.
The sessions are organised under a number of cross-cutting themes; guiding principles, development players, and development strategies. Within these themes we shall explore issues such as international aid, the so-called ¿emerging powers¿, participation in development, fair-trade, micro-credit, migration, urbanisation and cities in the global South, and the importance of gender, race and other aspects of vulnerability.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
16/09/2013 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Other Study Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Additional Notes |
Other studies hours: Discussion groups
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. To expand students¿ knowledge of current debates on global development issues
2. To explore the intersections of social justice and the quest for economic growth
3. To expand students¿ abilities to think critically and evaluate different approaches to global development
4. To expand students¿ understanding of the importance of theory in shaping development, and of the ways in which this theory can feed into practice and policy |
Assessment Information
A group presentation assessing current approaches to development. Mark allocation: worth 40%
An essay on a topic of your own choosing, allowing you to explore the issue(s) most fascinating to you in more depth. You shall first prepare a plan for your essay (not assessed), on which you shall be provided feedback. Essay length: 3,000 words; Mark allocation: worth 60%
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Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
This is one of two core courses for the MSc in Environment and Development, and examines issues of environment and society with a particular emphasis on international dynamics relevant to developing country contexts. The related complementary core course is: Understanding Environment and Development. |
| Syllabus |
Guiding principles
Session 1: Introduction: What do we mean by development?
Session 2: Development policies, programmes and progress
Session 3: Theories of development
Development players
Session 4: International Aid, donors & NGOs
Session 5: ¿Emerging powers¿
Session 6: Participatory development
Development strategies
Session 7: Fair-trade, micro-credit & alternative economies
Session 8: Migration, mobility & moving on
Session 9: Gender, race & vulnerability
Session 10: Urbanisation, cities & the future of development
Conclusions
Session 11: Conclusions: what have we learnt, and what next?
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| Transferable skills |
Critical thinking, intellectual problem solving and analysis of complex inter-related environment society problems, confident and well argued essay composition. |
| Reading list |
For each session, reading suggestions will be provided, some of which will be considered compulsory. These readings will expose you to current thinking around the issues discussed in class and will provide you a rich context of case-studies in which to consider the discussions.
Recommended Texts for the course as a whole:
Crush, J. (ed.) (1995) Power of Development
Escobar, A. (2012) Ecountering Development. The Making and Unmaking of the Third World (2nd Edition)
Peet, R. and E. Hartwick (2009) Theories of Development. Contentions, Arguments, Alternatives
Rist, G. (1997, 2002, 2008) The History of Development: from Western Origins to Global Faith
Useful Readers on Development (short overviews of core topics, authors, thinkers)
Clark, D.A. (ed.) (2006) The Elgar Companion to Development Studies
Corbridge, S. (ed.) (1995) Development Studies. A Reader
Desai, V. & R.B. Potter (ed.) (2002) The Companion to Development Studies
Sachs, W. (ed.) (1992) The Development Dictionary. A Guide to Knowledge as Power
Simon, D. (2005) Fifty Key Thinkers on Development
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Lectures, tutorials, discussion groups:
The course will comprise a mix of lectures and seminars. Each week¿s session will begin with a lecture which introduces some of the theoretical and conceptual issues in development. It will then be followed (after a short break) by a seminar which will allow for a group discussion of something a little more concrete, such as a particular approach to development, a topical case-study, or a scenario-based activity. This will allow us to think through how the theories and concepts we discuss in the lecture can be applied in the ¿real-world¿, or for example in jobs you may go on to get after finishing your Masters. As the course will comprise a mix of students from different countries, academic backgrounds and past/on-going careers, this time for discussion will allow you to share your ideas and thoughts with each other. The course will include lectures or seminars from guest speakers, who will bring their particular expertise on a variety of topics. Their input will help to widen the scope of the course and provide a great resource for students.
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| Keywords | international environmental challenges, impacts, debates and policies. |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kanchana Ruwanpura
Tel:
Email: Kanchana.Ruwanpura@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Rachel Chisholm
Tel: (0131 6)50 2572
Email: Rachel.Chisholm@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2013 The University of Edinburgh - 10 October 2013 5:03 am
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