Development Studies

The course examines how Europe (the EU, in particular) and Spain have responded to social inequalities, global pandemic pressures, gender inequality, migrations, nationalism(s), climate change, and sustainability. It provides a critical overview of these current challenges at the transnational, regional and national level. The course combines analytical tools and categories stemming from political science, international relations, economics, European Integration studies, public policies analysis and development economics.

This course considers the major economic problems of developing countries. It discusses alternative explanations of underdevelopment and theories of development; major domestic and international aspects of development including population growth, capital accumulation, and international economic relations; and sustainable development.

The course critically examines the construction of the 'development' concept, tracing its ties to capitalism and its roots in colonialism and mercantilism. It questions the outcomes, focusing on the reproduction of social inequalities and environmental consequences globally, nationally, and locally. Divided into parts, it covers critical development theories, explores development as a "globalization project," and reviews systematic alternatives and critiques of the sustainable project. Key concepts are illustrated through case studies and an Approach Based on Projects (ABP).

This course examines the link between migration and development. A large share of the migration in the world goes from the periphery in the world system to core states. The course covers the causes of migration, the effect of migration on the sending countries, and the ways in which the unequal relations between the countries influence migration. Migration is studied on a micro-level, as an individual decision to move to another country, or as a family strategy in sending regions to increase income. The course also considers how these remittances affect communities in sending regions. The social networks between sending and receiving countries drive migration and how states influence migration streams are also studied. The course identifies the causes of migration and how migration affects both sending and receiving countries.

The course introduces the evolution of the social service professions in South Africa and the global, national, and regional contexts within which they work. It focuses on the socio-political context created by pre- and post-democratic social policies within which social services in South Africa are now delivered. The course provides an introduction to the main policies, legislation, and programs that shape the developmental context in which social service professions now work in South Africa. It also introduces the global and national trends that impact on social service provisions in the South. Lastly, the course reviews the specific roles of social service professionals in promoting human wellbeing. Assessment: coursework (50%), final exam (50%).

This course enables students to understand how money and finance, and processes of global political economy more broadly, enable, shape, and condition the way development, environmental governance, and conservation are practiced in sub-Saharan Africa. The course draws on economic geography, but also social, financial, and cultural geography, anthropology, development studies, and work on society and environment relations. Although the course will have a major reference to sub-Saharan Africa - including Uganda, Kenya, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and South Africa - it also includes examples of financialization, conservation, and eco-system services from the UK, the Caribbean, and Asia. 

This course introduces the broad questions of development economics, such as why some countries are poorer than others and why some people in some countries are poorer than others. It covers a broad range of issues, including education, health, gender, and environment. The course discusses different markets and their imperfections; for example, credit, insurance, labor, and land markets. It also discusses important policy responses to poverty and their effectiveness; for example, micro-credit, social protection, environmental regulation, transportation infrastructure provision. Course prerequisites include microeconomics (covering utility maximization models and market equilibrium) and a course in statistics or econometrics (covering hypothesis testing and regression models).

This course provides an introduction to the field of international development, focusing on community development and the impact of development interventions on disadvantaged individuals and communities. The course discusses the development of development theory since the 20th century; the various world events which led to changes in development theory and were significantly affected by them; and influential approaches to development practice. Historically, the course provides a broad understanding of power relations between the developed and the developing worlds since the 15th century; discusses the links between conflict, governances, and development; and examines various approaches to governance and their implications on development. Building on the understanding that communities are the key for achieving sustainable positive advancement in human development, the course focuses on theories and approaches which are relevant to community development, including the Capability Approach and the Assets Based Approach to development.

This course studies a range of key historical problems and conceptual questions relating to the colonial and postcolonial experience. Focus is placed on the characteristics of capitalism, imperialism, and modernity, and students also examine the making of the modern world. Students gain an overview of European expansion, the slave economy, the development of wage labor, industrial growth, imperialism, creation of the modern state, genocide, development, anti-colonialism, and the creation of the “third world.” Students are exposed to a long-term, historical view within which the material of subsequent development studies courses may be usefully contextualized. Assessment is based fully on a final essay.

Examining flows of diseases, people, goods, knowledge, and technology induced by processes of globalization can deepen our understanding of the complexity of health and disease. In this course, these flows are studied in depth, bringing insights into (epi) genetic disease distributions as well as the spread of information, technology, and migration, all in themselves affecting health and disease. The content of this course draws on several distinct academic disciplines of political economy, anthropology, biomedicine, (epi) genetics, and epidemiology. Prerequisites include Introduction to Biology and at least one of the following courses: Genetics and evolution, Infectious diseases and Global public Health, or Globalization and Inequality.