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.