GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Mid-Term Exam | Identifications, Long and Short Answers. See course calendar for date. | 20% |
| Final Exam | Identifications, Long and Short Answers. See course calendar for date. | 30% |
| Short reaction paper | Students will be required to write 2 reaction papers (4 pages each) on assigned topics and participate in class discussion. Reaction papers must be turned by the date specified in the course calendar. | 20% |
| Case study discussion | Students will be assigned a case study to investigate in depth and are expected to lead class discussion on their assigned case. | 10% |
| Reading Brief | Each student will be responsible for briefing the class on a specific reading assignment. | 10% |
| Attendance and presence of mind | Participation, Attendance and Presence of Mind are mandatory for this class. The goal here is to advance towards the art of asking good questions. Quality, not quantity of participation is what counts, although some quantity is better than no quality. Students will be allowed 2 unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence thereafter will result in the lowering of the attendance grade by 1/3rd a letter grade. More than 12 unexcused absences will result in a failure to pass the course. | 10% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
The definition of Third World has been applied to countries which, albeit located in different geographic areas of the globe, are affected by similar features and problems: recent independence from colonial rule, limited economic development, overpopulation, insufficient infrastructures and availability of public hygiene/health care/education, persisting dependency on developed countries and attempts at reducing or altogether eliminating it. The course will explore the various patterns with an emphasis on three aspects. The first will examine comparative theories of social backwardness and belated development, particularly those elaborated by Bairoch, Gerschenkron, Barrington Moore jr., Skocpol and others. The second will discuss geography and historical issues: colonialism, imperialism, decolonization and the impact of the Cold War being the main ones. The third will focus on the past couple of decades and the current situation. In examining country studies, particularly focused on the roots of democratic systems and of stability, the dichotomies of dictatorship and democracy, national sovereignty and human rights, globalization and autarchy will be analyzed and assessed.
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Course Calendar: Please
note that this is not the final syllabus. A finalized schedule of readings
and assignments will be distributed to students at the beginning of the
summer session II on July 3, 2017.
Caveat:
This syllabus is
composed in good faith, with a schedule of reading assignments, exams and
other activities. Still, the instructor reserves the right to make
adjustments to this schedule as deemed necessary for the overall success of
the class. Any changes will be communicated as far in advance as feasible,
and you are responsible for knowing if and when any changes have been made.
Readings: Readings from Politics of
Developing Countries are referred to as BR and those from The
Bottom Billion as PC in the
schedule below. For additional readings, full references will be provided.
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Part
I. Understanding the Developing World:
Conceptual
Framework and Theoretical Approaches
July 3 (class
1): Course introduction /the nature of underdevelopment
Read:
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BR, 1-7
-
PC, 3-78
-
Easterly, W., 2007. “The Ideology of Development,” Foreign Policy, July/August
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Marglin, S. A., 2003. “Development as Poison: Rethinking the
Western Model of Modernity,” Harvard
International Review, 25 (1).
July 5 (class
2): Dominant liberal and critical theories
Read:
-
BR, 8-35
-
Lipset, S.M., 1959. “Some Social Requisites of Democracy: Economic
Development and Political Legitimacy,” American
Political Science Review, 53 (Mar.): 69-105.
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Skocpol, T., 1973. “A Critical Review of Barrington Moore’s Social
Origins,” Politics and Society, IV
(Fall): 1-34.
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Dos Santos, T. 1970. “The structure of Dependence,” The American Economic Review, 231-236.
July 6 (class
3): Colonialism and post-colonial development
Read:
-
BR, 36-52
-
Young, C.M., 2004. “The end of the post-colonial state in Africa?
Reflections on changing African political dynamics,” African Affairs, 103: 23-49
July 7 (class
4): Institutional perspectives
Read:
-
BR, 53-70
-
Portes, Alejandro and Lori D. Smith, 2008. “Institutions and
Development in Latin America: A Comparative Analysis,” Studies in Comparative International Development, 43: 101-128.
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Sangmapam, S.N., 2007. “Politics Rules: The False Primacy of
Institutions in the Developing Countries,” Political
Studies, 55:1, 201-224.
July 10 (class
5): The developing world in the global economy and world politics
Read:
-
BR, 71-108
-
PC, 79-98
-
Evans, P., 2008. “Is an Alternative Globalization Possible?,” Politics and Society, 36:2 (June):
271-305.
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Reaction Paper # 1 Due
Part II. Social and Cultural Contexts in the Developing World
July 11 (class 6):
Inequality
Read:
July 12 (class
7): Ethnopilitics and nationalism
Read:
-
BR, 127-144
-
Kanchan Chandra, 2006. “What Is Ethnic Identity and Does It Matter?,”
Annual Review of Political Science,
9:397-424.
July 13 (class
8): Religion and politics
Read:
July 17 (class
9): Mid-term Exam
July 18 (class 10): Women and gender
Read:
-
BR, 164-181
-
Coleman, I., 2006. “Women, Islam, and the New Iraq,” Foreign Affairs, Jan/Feb.
July 19 (class
11): Civil society, people power and alternative politics
Read:
-
BR, 182-222
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Wang, S., 2006. “Money and Autonomy: Patterns of Civil Society
Finance and their Implications,” Studies
in Comparative International Development, Vol. 40 (4).
-
Escobar, A., 1992. “Reflections on ‘Development’: Grassroots
approaches and alternative politics in the Third World,” Futures, 24(5): 411-436.
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Leopold, E. and McDonald, D.A., 2012. “Municipal Socialism Then and
Now: Some Lessons for the Global South,” Third
World Quarterly, Vol.33 (10): 1837-1853.
Part III. State and Society Relationships in the Developing World
July 20 (class
12): State: origin and key features
Read:
-
BR, 223-240
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Cotton, J., 1992. “Understanding the State in South Korea:
Bureaucratic-Authoritarian or State Autonomy Theory?” Comparative Political Studies, 24(4): 512-531.
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Turner, O., 2013. “Finishing the Job: the UN Special Committee on
Decolonization and the Politics of Self-Governance,” Third World Quarterly, 34:7, 1193-1208
July 24 (class
13): Democratization
Read:
-
BR, 257-276
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Hadenius, A. and Teorell, J., 2005. “Cultural and Economic
Prerequisites of Democracy: Reassessing Recent Evidence,” Studies in Comparative International Development, 39:4 (Winter):
87-106
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Acemoglu, D., 2013. “Development Won’t Ensure Democracy in Turkey,”
The New York Times, June 5.
July 25 (class
14): Governance and aid conditionality
Read:
Part IV. Key Development Policies and Strategies
July 26
(class15): Economic growth and poverty reduction
Read:
-
BR, 299-315
-
PC, 152-174
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Balassa, B., 1988. “The Lessons of East Asian Development: An
Overview,” Economic Development and
Cultural Change, 36(3): 273-290.
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Reaction Paper # 2 Due
July 27
(class16): Environment and development
Read:
July 31 (class
17): Human rights
Read:
-
BR, 335-353
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Goldstone, R., 2006. “A South African Perspectives on Social and
Economic Rights,” Human Rights Brief,
Vol. 13 (2).
Part V. Enduring Challenges and Emerging Trends
August 1 (class 18): Political
reconfiguration and nation-building
Read:
Case studies # 1 Discussion
August 2 (class 19): Military in
politics v. democratic advance
Read:
Case Studies # 2 Discussion
August 3 (class 20): New trends and
dynamics in South-South relations
Read:
Case Studies # 3 Discussion
August 4 (class 21): Final Exam
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