GV315-6-SP-CO:
Political Economy of International Development
2017/18
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 15 January 2018
Friday 23 March 2018
15
23 August 2013
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BA L900 International Development,
BA L901 International Development (Including Year Abroad),
BA L902 International Development (Including Placement Year)
The problem of global poverty has come increasingly into focus in recent decades. Celebrities have decided to take up the mantle of development, calling for debt relief and increased foreign aid and personally involving themselves in particular development projects. Public intellectuals like William Easterly and Jeffrey Sachs have debated the usefulness of development aid and the specific modalities of assistance in the popular media. This class is concerned with the ways in which the wealthy countries of the world, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have tried to catalyse or facilitate economic and human development in the poorer countries of the world. The class begins by exploring definitions and theories of development. Then it briefly considers the motives and trends of foreign aid before defining a set of major actors in the sphere of international development. After spending several weeks looking at broad trends in development aid and thinking, we will conclude the course by looking at a set of case studies from developing countries, trying to figure out what has worked where and why.
No information available.
No information available.
No additional information available.
Through the readings, lectures and assignments, students should achieve the following goals by the end of the semester:
-Have a general awareness of the broad trends in development assistance, development thinking and the relevant actors in development
-Be able to think in a strategic fashion about what motivates different development actors and how these preferences lead to the particular outcomes that we see in terms of aid allocation, project design, aid coordination, etc.
-Be aware of debates surrounding the relationship between democracy and development and more generally about the preconditions for economic development
-Be able to state opinions with regard to the successes and failures of international development and how foreign aid and development should be organized in the future
-Have an improved capacity for reading graphs and understanding presentations of data
-Have an improved capacity for producing original research using primary documents and/or data and an improved capacity for presenting this research in term paper format
- Robinson, James A. (2012) Why nations fail: the origins of power, prosperity and poverty, London: Profile.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Class Presentation |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Literature Review |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Research Paper Outline |
|
15% |
| Practical |
Research Paper |
|
45% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Florian Kern, email: fkern@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Florian Kern
Dr Florian Kern: fkern@essex.ac.uk
Module Administrator: Sallyann West, govquery@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Kaat Smets
Royal Holloway, University of London
Lecturer in Politics
Available via Moodle
Of 19 hours, 19 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Government
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.