DSOC 6060 - Sociological Theories of Development

(CU-SBY)

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: DSOC 6030 or permission of instructor.

P. McMichael.

The notion of development as a key conceptual framework for understanding global hierarchies in wealth and power emerged in the mid-twentieth century context of decolonization. Sustained by an apparatus of national and international agencies, the new ‘development industry’ generated a vast body of literature seeking to account for or promote social, economic, and political change. This course aims to familiarize students with some of the key theories and debates in this field of development. Topics covered include the changing structure of the world market; the possibilities and limits of national development; the role of international agencies in the management of development; the world trade regime; industrialization and the rise of East Asia; agrarian change and the politics of food; gender and ecological critiques; and contemporary debates on globalization and development alternatives. Throughout the course, the concept of development itself is questioned and critiqued both theoretically and in terms of practical challenges from various social movements.

Outcome 1: Discuss the range of development theory, its historical and geopolitical coordinates, and its limitations.