GDS 111.01
Introduction to Global Development Studies
Spring 2002
Lecture: MW 2:15-4:05 Instructor: Monty Roper
ARH 322 305 Goodnow Hall
Office phone: 269-3017
e-mail: roperjm@grinnell.edu
Office Hours: 9-11 M-F. During office hours, anyone is welcome to stop by without an appointment. I will also be happy to schedule appointments during non-office hours. If you are having problems with course materials for any reason, I strongly encourage you to come see me. If you need to get in touch with me and are unable to do so by phone (or prefer not to), you can e-mail me. I check my e-mail regularly, though you should not assume that I have received your message until you receive a confirmation from me.
Course Description and Goals:
The course adopts an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of contemporary issues in the development of “less-developed” or “developing” countries. Following a discussion of what it is exactly that development is supposed to be fixing or making better, we will review the leading theories of economic, political and social change that have been adopted by anthropologists, economists political scientists and others over the past fifty years. We will consider how these theories have shaped past and current debate on the definition and goals of the development process. We will compare and contrast the approaches adopted by international institutions (such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund) and alternative development organizations such as small non-government organizations and rural communities themselves. We will also examine how, why and under what circumstances development efforts have excluded or disadvantaged certain social actors and degraded the natural environment, and how these impacts have affected development discourse and practice. Finally, our discussions of the practice of development will also encompass case studies of actual development projects. In the final section of the course, we will evaluate a controversial development project – the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Central India – through a role-playing exercise.
Texts:
1. John Isbister 1998 Promises Not Kept
2. United Nations Development Programme 2000 Human Development Report 2000
3. Stephen Lansing, Priests and Programmers 1991
4. William Fisher (ed.) 1996 Toward Sustainable Development in the Third World (optional)
Reserved Readings
These will be available in three locations: 1) the library reserves, 2) the 3rd floor of Goodnow hall in the projects room next to my office, and 3) in the classics reading room in ARH. If you are unable to locate a reserve reading, you should contact me immediately.
Course Requirements
1. Examinations: (40% total) You will have two exams. Each will count as 20% of your final grade. The exams will include multiple choice, short answer and essay questions.
2. Short paper: (15% total) Early in the course, you will write a 5-7 page paper that provides an overview of the state of poverty and/or the need for development for a particular region of the world.
3. Participation and Attendance: (15% total) While I will frequently lecture, this class will also involve considerable discussion and debate. Everyone's participation is expected. You should be sure to keep up with the readings and come to class prepared to answer questions, ask questions, and engage in discussion of materials with the class. Everyone should also listen carefully to one-another and try to work through threads of discussion for a time rather than simply jumping from point to point.
Attendance is required and I will take roll. More than three unexcused absences will result in automatic loss of 1/3rd of your participation grade (i.e. 5 % of the final grade). Any exam or in-class assignment that is missed because of an unexcused absence will receive a zero. An excused absence is given only in the case of medical emergencies (a visit to the health center does not suffice) or a death in the family. Notice must be provided through academic affairs.
4. Sardar Sarovar Project: (30% total: 10% paper, 20% presentation). Over the last three weeks of the course, we will focus exclusively on the controversial Sardar Sarovar Dam Project in India. We will examine the range of social actors that come into play in such mega-development projects and the contests that take place between them through a role-playing exercise. This will culminate in a set of public presentations that will take place during the final exam slot and be made to a panel of faculty experts. Each group will prepare a collective final paper.
Course Outline
(Subject to modification)
I. The Problem and its measurement
Jan 21 Course Introduction and the Concept of “Development”
· Examination of Material World
Jan 23 The extent of global poverty, the "need" for development, measuring development
· J. Isbister, Promises Not Kept Chapters 1-2
II. How Did We Get Here?
Jan 28 Classic Theories of underdevelopment: modernization, dependency, and Marxism.
· J. Isbister, Promises Not Kept Chapter 3.
· W.W. Rostow, "The stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto" (supplementary)
· A.G. Frank, "The Development of Underdevelopment" (supplementary)
Jan 30 Historical view: emergence of inequality and the colonial encounter
· M. Harris, "Life Without Chiefs"
· J. Isbister, Promises Not Kept Chapter 4
Feb 4 Historical view: from Colonialism to Nationalism and Independence
· J. Isbister, Promises Not Kept Chapter 5.
· F. Lappé and J. Collins, "Why Can't People Feed Themselves"
III. The Orthodox Development Paradigm in Practice:
Institutions and Actions
Feb 6 Development approaches through the 90s and the Role of the State
· J. Isbister Promises Not Kept, Chapter 6
Feb 11 World Bank and IMF (Case Study: What’s Going on in Argentina?)
· K. Sarwar Lateef, "The World Bank: Its First Half Century"
· Bruce Rich, "World Bank/IMF: 50 Years is Enough"
· Manuel Pastor Jr., "The Effects of IMF Programs in the Third World: Debate and Evidence from Latin America"
· David Korten, Chapter 12 “Adjusting the Poor”
· Study World bank and IMF websites
Feb 13 Transnational Corporations and the GATT/WTO
· Rhys Jenkins "Theoretical Perspectives on the Transnational Corporation"
· David Korten Chapter 13 "Guaranteeing Corporate Rights"
· NGO Taskforce on Business & Industry "Minding Our Business: The Role of Corporate Accountability in Sustainable Development" (This is a good article, but I will only ask that you read one of the case studies provided on pages 11-23).
· World Trade Organization "Seven Common Misunderstandings about the WTO"
· Review of WTO Website
Feb 18 Foreign Policy
· J. Isbister Promises Not Kept, Chapter 7
The “Asian Tigers” – Models of the Orthodox Approach?
· Walden Bello & Stephanie Rosenfeld, “The Rise and Crisis of the Dragon Economies”
IV. Some Alternative Approaches to Development
Feb 20, 25 Development as Freedom
· UNDP Human Development Report 2000 "Human Rights and Human Development"
Feb 27 EXAM 1
March 4, 6 Local Knowledge and Participatory Planning,
· S. Lansing, Priests and Programmers
· N. Uphoff, "Fitting Projects to People"
March 11 NGOs and Grassroots Development
· Anthony Bebbington, “NGOs: Mediators of Sustainability/Intermediaries in Transition”
· Muhammad Yunus, “The Grameen Bank”
· D. Stiles, "Classical Versus Grassroots Development"
· J. Clay "Editorial: Grassroots Development - More Sunshine and Rain, Less Seed.
March 13 Civil Society and Social Movements
· David Roodman, "Building a Sustainable Society" In, State of the World 1999
· Marc Edelman, “Organizing Across Borders: The Rise of a Transnational Peasant Movement in Central America”
· Fernando Calderón, Alejandro Piscitelli, José Luis Renya, "Social Movements: Actors, Theories, Expectations"
V. Major Issues in Development (and more Alternatives)
April 1 Health and Development: Aids in Africa
· Lester R. Brown and Brian Halweil, “Breaking Out or Breaking Down”
· Johanna McGeary, “Death Stalks a Continent”
March 15 -31
Spring Break - Have Fun!
April 3, 8 The environment and development
1. Development, degradation and the rise of "sustainable"
· Hillary French, “Nature Under Siege”
· Robert Solow, "Sustainability: An Economist's Perspective"
· World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future.
· Bob Sutcliffe, “Development After Ecology”
2. International Governance of the Global Commons
· Hillary French, “Forging a New Global Partnership”
· Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
3. North/South Debate: Population vs. Consumption.
· Gary Gardner and Payal Sampat, "Forging a Sustainable Materials Economy"
· Gretchen Daily and Paul Erhlich, "Population, Sustainability, and Earth's Carrying Capacity"
· Ronald Ridker, "Population Issues"
· Lester R. Brown, “Feeding Nine Billion”
· Film: Affluenza
April 10 Gender and Development
· Lockwood, “The Impact of Development on Women: The Interplay of Material Conditions and Gender Ideology”
· Janet Momsen, “Women and Development in the Third World.” Chpts 1-3.
April 15 Indigenous Peoples and development
· Norman Whitten (ed.), “Topic 14: The Impact of Modernization”
· Kevin Healy, "Ethnodevelopment Among the Jalq'a"
April 17 The Postmodern Critique - the making of the "Third World"
· Escobar, Encountering Development (Chapters 1-3)
April 22 EXAM 2
Part V. Intensive Case Study of Development and Social Actors:
Sardar Saravar Dam Project
April 24, 29 Fisher, Toward Sustainable Development in the Third World
May 1, 6, 8 Group work on final project – No Class