Development Issues, Theory and Management

Catalog description

This course reviews major theories and debates about social, human, and economic development in the developing world. The course covers economic growth, modernization, neoliberalism, sustainable development, human development/capabilities approach, human rights, & Marxian theory/dependency schools. It also reviews critical perspectives: post-structuralism, post-colonialism, feminist theories, complexity and dynamic systems, and social innovation. Ethnographic case studies of development and global health projects reveal how assumptions and practices translate in to real-life “development” projects that can fail to address key issues and cause unintended outcomes. The readings invite us to think differently about knowledge, evidence, culture, participation, globalization, and sustainability; we consider the role of foreign aid and relevant development actors.