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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2017/2018

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Geosciences : Postgraduate Courses (School of GeoSciences)

Postgraduate Course: Development: Principles and Practices (PGGE11211)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Geosciences CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryPrinciples (OED): A scientific theorem or natural law that explains why something happens or how it works.
Practices (OED): The actual doing of something rather than theories about it.
This course aims to introduce students to the field of development by offering an overview its theoretical underpinnings, historical linkages, its inherently contested and ideological nature and how it pans out in contemporary practice. We start by appreciating the ways in which different ideologies have shaped understandings of development theories to glean the deeply political nature of various theoretical foundations underpinning development. It is intended to offer a working knowledge of how development has been shaped, where it is going, and why it remains complex and contradictory, and hence its practices contingent.
Course description The overwhelming objective of this course is not about how to do development but rather what it means to do development, as the latter helps appreciate the intersection between social justice and current preoccupations with development sans social justice. The course is structured to appreciate the academic endeavours around development theories and practices rather than as a vocational training unit on doing development.
Potential topics:
1. Development and Disparity
2. Theories of Development (I)
3. Theories of Development (II)
4. Neo-liberalism's Ascendency: State, Non-state & Welfare
5. Emerging Powers: Recipients to Donors?
6. Social Movement & Participatory Development
7. Global Governance and Stakeholder Capitalism
8. Gender, Ethnicity and Class
9. Practical Activity: Stakeholder Capitalism in Action (TBC)
10. Conclusion: Development: Which Way Now?
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  35
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 166 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) There are two components of assessment within this course unit; one which is a group presentation and another which is an individual essay from a set of essay topics linked to the themes covered within the course.

The group presentation will assess current approaches to development and is worth 40%, while the essay of 3000 words is worth 60%.

You will also prepare a 1-page essay plan and include a 1-page reference list; these will not be assessed but written guidance and feedback will be offered.

Key Assessment Dates:

Week 5: Essay plan and reference list due during class hours
Week 7: Group presentations (may be longer than usual allocated hours)
Week 10: Essay due
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Acquire advanced knowledge for developing a reasoned arguments by evaluating, interpreting and providing a critique of complex evidence;
  2. Understand the relationship between theory and practice, both in a 'development' context and in the formulation and conduct of academic research;
  3. Begin to develop an appropriate academic writing style and method;
  4. Learn to critique and comment on scholarship on development and its contemporary practices, through written word and via debate, dialogue and conversation
Reading List
Suggested Texts:

Brooks, Andrew (2017) The End of Development: A Global History of Poverty and Prosperity London: Zed Books

Chang, Ha-Joon (2014) Economics: The User¿s Guide London: Pelican (an imprint of Penguin)

Willis, Katie (2005) Theories and Practices of Development London and New York: Routledge [Suitable for those of you new to development theory and as a simple introductory text]

Suggested Reading(s):

Escobar, Arturo (1995) Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.

Murray-Li, Tania (2014) Land¿s End: Capitalist Relations on an Indigenous Frontier Duke University Press: Durham & London

Rai, Shirin (2008) The Gender Politics of Development London: Zed Books

Sanyal, Kalyan (2007) Rethinking Capitalist Development: Primitive Accumulation, Governmentality and Post-Colonial Capitalism London: Routledge
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Critical thinking, intellectual problem solving and analysis of complex inter-related environment society problems, confident and well argued essay composition.
Additional Class Delivery Information Each three hour slot is broken up into two parts: a 'lecture' and a seminar. While each session will start with a lecture on a particular topic, it will be followed by- after a short break- by a seminar.
Seminars are likely to comprise of a range of activities- reading and discussion groups, analysis of news items and documentary films, guest speakers and such.
KeywordsDevelopment theories,debates,practices and international challenges.
Contacts
Course organiserDr Kanchana Ruwanpura
Tel:
Email: Kanchana.Ruwanpura@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Paula Escobar
Tel: (0131 6)50 2543
Email: paula.escobar@ed.ac.uk
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