Course Catalogue

Module Title: SOCS 361 Sociology of Development

Programme: Sociology B.A.

Credit Value: 12

 

General Objectives:

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to a sociological perspective on global inequality and international development.  The idea of “development” is commonplace in many academic disciplines such as economics, the social sciences, history, international studies, and area studies.  This is especially true for the study of less-wealthy countries of the world in Asia, Latin America and Africa.  For these “less-developed” or “underdeveloped” regions, a driving force behind social scientific research has been to assist in the economic, political, and social development of nations as well as to understand the processes whereby this development is most likely to occur.  Indeed, development has become a taken-for-granted goal in the analysis of so-called “Third World” societies.

            The first goal of this course is to better understand what is meant by “development” by examining this concept sociologically.  Where and when did it originate?  What does it mean?  How has it been defined and redefined since its invention?  To address these questions, students will examine the central social scientific debates regarding “development theory.”  In particular, they will explore the modernization, dependency, and world-system approaches to development.

            But development is more than just a theory or idea.  It is also a set of practices.  Therefore, the second goal of the course will be to study how the idea of development is put into practice by various social institutions.  By studying some of the major institutions that promote development in less-developed regions (such as the World Bank), students will come to a clearer understanding of what "development" means throughout the contemporary world.

            Special attention will be paid to processes of development in Bhutan up to the current moment, as well as consideration of competing ideas about how development should proceed in the future.

 

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Acquire a clear understanding of the three central theories of socio-economic development:  modernization, dependency and world-system theory.
  • State current methods for measuring and evaluating the development status of particular nations.
  • Demonstrate the ability to use development theories and methods to examine the development status of Bhutan.
  • Trace the practices of international development organizations.
  • Relate the relationship between development (in theory and in practice) and various subtopics of interest such as:  gender, race and ethnicity, population, the environment, energy, health, the role of the state, agriculture, industrialization, urbanization, infrastructure, basic needs, food security, etc. (again, focusing on the case of Bhutan)
  • Compare and contrast GNH – Bhutan’s development philosophy – with western model of development.

 

 

 

Learning and Teaching Approach Used:

This course will be taught using a seminar format.  In other words, students will play a central role in the presentation and discussion of course material.  Many issues in the sociology of development (as in the discipline at large) lend themselves to dialogue and debate.  Therefore, class discussion will have a principle role in this module.   

Furthermore, we will have a weekly student-led discussion session in which each student will make a comment on that week's readings.  These discussion sessions will be coordinated by a small group (2 or 3 students) of student presenters, one or two of whom will summarize the readings and highlight the significant material found therein, and one or two others of whom will raise questions for the class to consider and direct the resulting discussion. Students will take turns being student presenters and each student will be a presenter at least once during the semester.  The lecturer will be responsible for organizing these discussion sections and assigning roles to student presenters. 

 

 

Assessment:

Continuous Assessment:                               60%

            Midterm Test:                         25%

Leading discussion:                15%

            Presentation of readings:       20%

 

End of Session Assessment:                           40%

            Final Exam:                            40%

 

Pre-requisite:

Students must have successfully completed Introduction to Sociology (SOCS 111), Statistics for Social Research (SOCS 112), Social Theory (SOCS 122) and both Research Methods courses (SOCS 231 & 241) prior to enrolling in this module.

 

Reading List:     

 

Reference:

Gereffi, G., & Fonda, S. (1992). The Regional Paths of Development. Annual Review of Sociology , Vol. 18.

Roberts, B.R. (1989). Urbanization, Migration and Development. Sociological Forum, Vol. 4

Klein, Naomi. (2007). The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. McMichael, Philip.  2003.

Development and Social Change:  A Global Perspective.  3rd Edition.  Pine Forge Press.

Rich, B. (1994). Mortgaging the Earth:  The World Bank, Environmental Impoverishment, and the Crisis of Development.  Boston:  Beacon Press.

Robertson, A. F.  (1995).  The Big Catch:  A Practical Introduction to Development. Boulder: Westview Press.

 

Date: August, 2008.