PS337: The Politics of Development
Department of Political Science
University of Oregon – Spring 2008
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Professor Anna Gruben Email: agruben@uoregon.edu |
M/W 2-3:20 pm 221 McKenzie |
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Office: 922 PLC |
My Office Hrs: Tues 10 am - 1 pm (or by appt.) |
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GTF: Jeremy Roth |
I. Course
Description
Public figures ranging from Joseph Stiglitz to Bono have tried steering
our attention to something we’ve known about for years: the world is plagued by incredible economic
and political inequality. Some appear to
be living comfortably while others - about 30% of the world’s inhabitants – go
hungry everyday. The disparity is
universally infuriating; almost all of us decry its persistence regardless of
our political or cultural ideologies.
It’s tempting to blame the problem on a single phenomenon or
institution, but the simple truth is political and economic development is so
complex, it would be counter-productive to attribute its unevenness to one root
cause. Still, there exist ways to
identify patterns and anomalies among development paths in order to understand
where growth comes from and what it leads to.
This class is designed to help us uncover those patterns and anomalies.
While using the “first world” as a reference point, this course focuses
exclusively on political change in the developing world, including parts of
Latin America, Asia and Africa. We’ll
begin by asking what it means for a country to develop. We will analyze some of
the different ways that development is defined in academic literature, the
media and the discourse of international lending institutions, agencies and
NGOs. In exploring these definitions we
will encounter additional questions. Is
there only one way to develop? Who
benefits from development? Why do some
countries or regions appear to develop more quickly or successfully than
others? We’ll try to answer these
questions as we examine different, overlapping forms of development, such as
economic growth, democratization and the expansion of human rights and
environmental sustainability. Among our course objectives will be to identify
the economic, state and non-state catalysts for development at local, national
and international levels. These range from particular political events to the
role of social movements in initiating change.
II.
Course Requirements
Attendance -
It’s required. In
lectures, I will almost always present material that isn’t in the readings. This is material that you will be expected to
refer to in exams. Inability to do so
could result in exam failure.
Reading - Required reading is just that:
required. Some weeks, the reading load
in this class will be very heavy. If
that’s a problem, this might not be the class for you. Other weeks, the reading is pretty
light. Use those weeks to get
ahead. You will be expected to draw from
readings in all class projects (including occasional pop quizzes) and in class
discussion. Speaking of…
Participation - This is an interactive class. It
is most definitely not a class in which information will be spoon-fed. The ability to frame a question or a
statement articulately is an incredibly important part of learning in the
social sciences. Your comments and
questions don’t necessarily have to sound sophisticated, but they do need to be
thoughtful and coherent. The end of
almost every class will be reserved for discussion regarding themes covered in
that day’s lecture and/or reading.
Contribution to such discussion – and questions or comments throughout
class time in general – is very strongly encouraged. I realize that some people prefer not to
participate in class debate. I’m
expecting you to do your absolute best to set any participation hang-ups aside
and talk (see ‘classroom etiquette’ below for rules about listening to and
addressing comments respectfully). If
this is a serious issue for you, let me know during office hours. ALL STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO
SHARE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS WITH ME DURING OFFICE HOURS. Let me know that
you’re alive!
Email -
This is a modern
institution with state-of-the-art email checking facilities, so you are
expected to check your email everyday. I
will regularly send reading or lecture-related updates via email. You are responsible for keeping up with these
notices. That being said, please email
me only with substantive questions (vs. questions whose answers can be found on
your syllabus or other class material).
Plagiarism or cheating of any kind is absolutely forbidden. If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing
(in the latter case, I use software to detect) you will automatically be
expelled from class and receive an F for the entire course. For details on the University’s policy on
cheating, go to http://studentlife.uoregon.edu/programs/student_judi_affairs/.
Classroom etiquette -
-
Cell
phone use (talking or texting) is not permitted during class. If you absolutely must take a call or text,
do so with the ringer off, and please leave the room. I will probably frown at you if this
happens.
-
Computers
are not allowed in class without prior approval from me. This is an interactive
class. If you have a computer in front
of you, the ability to engage one another is hindered. I prefer that you take
handwritten notes, but if you have a special need requiring laptop use for
note-taking, get expressed permission from me beforehand and You’ll be required
to sit in one of the first two rows. The
few of you that receive permission should not be surprised if Jeremy or I call
you out or pop up behind you to see if you’re on MySpace or Jcrew.com or
something. If you are, don’t be
surprised if I ask you to leave for the day.
In the case of Jcrew.com, you’ll also be required to buy me something. I’m in the market for raingear.
-
General
respect for your fellow classmates, your GTF and for me is crucial. This is especially important in class
discussion. If you’re contributing to
debate please only address your fellow debaters’ arguments, not their
personalities. Please also take into
account that some of us are more comfortable than others about speaking in
public. Encourage each other to
participate in discussion by listening and engaging – not scrutinizing.
Assignments –
-
Pop quizzes: I will give 5. At the end of
the quarter, your lowest score of the 5 quizzes will be dropped. Your film response paper will count as one of
these quizzes.
-
There
will be a midterm (Wednesday, April
30th) and a final (Thursday, June
12th). The midterm will include some
multiple choice questions, some short answer questions and possibly one essay
question. The final will include
multiple choice, short answer questions and at least one essay question. We will hammer the details as midterm and
final dates approach.
-
You will
right a 7-9 page paper in which you will discuss some of the
readings. This will entail the review of
a particular debate in the literature covered in class. Key here is the ability to think critically
about authors’ stances on an issue. Simply restating what those authors have
already said is not sufficient. You’ll
need to make an educated, original argument about their debate. Further instruction on this will be provided
as the term progresses. A set of topics will be handed out in class
on May 19th; the paper is due in class on May 28th. Papers should be double-spaced with margins
of 1 inch to each side and include an introduction with your main argument
(i.e. your thesis statement), a conclusion and a bibliography page. No matter how good a writer you are, I highly
recommend that everyone take advantage of campus writing support services. Here
are a couple:
-
Academic
Learning Services (visit their website or go to their office)
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http://www.uoregon.edu/~uopubs/bulletin/undergraduate_programs.shtml
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Paper is due Wednesday, May 28th at the
beginning of class. No late papers will
be accepted.
-
Grading:
o
10%
attendance/participation/mock debate
o
5%
quizzes
o
25%
midterm
o
25%
paper
o
35%
final
III. Course Schedule
·
The Roots
of Development as a Concept
o March 31: Introduction
o April 2:
§ Cooper and Packard International Development and the Social Sciences (University of California Press, 1997). Introduction.
§ Alexander Gershenkron – Economic Backwardness in Historical Perspective (Cambridge: Belknap Press, 1966) chs 1-2
§ Arturo Escobar ‘the Problematization of Poverty: the Tale of Three Worlds and Development’ from Encountering Development: the Making and Unmaking of the Third World” (Princeton, 1995).
· How is Development Measured?
o April 7:
§ Sen, Amartya Development as Freedom (New York: Anchor Books, 2000). Introduction and chapter 1 (pp 3-34).
§
Typologies:
1st, 2nd, 3rd world
o Randall, Vicky “Using and Abusing Concept of the Third World: Geopolitics and the Comparative Political Study of Development and Underdevelopment,” Third World Quarterly 25 (1): 41-53.
· Theories of Development -- Modernization Theory and Dependency Theory
o April 9: Modernization theory
§ W.W. Rostow, The Stages Of Economic Growth : A Non-Communist Manifesto (Cambridge [England] ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1990), 3rd ed. pp 4-16.
§ Huntington, Samuel P. Political Order in Changing Societies (New Haven: Yale University). pp 1-92. Excerpts of this TBA
§ Recommended:
· Przeworski, Adam, and Fernando Limongi. "Modernization: Theories and Facts." World Politics 49 (January 1997): 155-193.
o April 14: Dependency theory
§ Cardoso, Fernando Henrique and Enzo Faletto, Dependency and Development in Latin America (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979). pp. vii – 28.
§ Valenzuela, J. Samuel and Arturo Valenzuela, “Modernization and Dependency: Alternative Perspectives in the Study of Latin American Underdevelopment,” Comparative Politics, Vol. 10, No. 4. (Jul., 1978), pp. 535-557.
§ dos Santos, Teodoro, "The Structure of Dependence." The American Economic Review 60, no. 2 (May 1970): 231-6.
§ Caporaso, James A., “Dependency Theory: Continuities and Discontinuities in Development Studies (Review Article),” International Organization 34, 4 (August 1980): 605-628.
§ Recommended:
· Evans, Peter, “Multinationals, State-Owned Corporations and the Transformation of Imperialism: A Brazilian Case Study,” Economic Development and Cultural Change 26, 1(October 1977).
·
Neoliberalism,
Globalization and the Developing World
o April 16
§
Stallings, Barbara “International Influence on
Economic Policy: Debt, Stabilization and Structural Reform” in Stephen Haggard
and Robert R. Kaufman eds., The Politics of Economic Adjustment
(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992).
§ Rosenberg, Tina. "The Free Trade Fix." New York Times Sunday Magazine, August 18, 2002.
§ Strom C. Thacker -- The High Politics of IMF Lending World Politics 52.1 (1999) 38-75
o April 21 – FILM – Commanding Heights (1 page response papers on film due in class April 28)
o April 23 – changes to these readings will probably be made
§ World Bank, The East Asian Miracle . (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1993) Overview and chapters 1-3.
§ Stiglitz, J., and S. Yusuf. Rethinking the East Asian Miracle. (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2001) chapter 9-11.
§ Rodrik, Dani. Has Globalization Gone Too Far? Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics, 1997. Intro and Conclusion.
§ Micklethwait, John and Adrian Wooldridge “The Globalization Backlash” Foreign Policy (126:16-26)
§ Bhagwati, Jagdish N. In Defense of Globalization (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004). Excerpts TBA.
§ Recommended:
· Stiglitz Globalization and its Discontents
· Collier the Bottom Billion
·
Alice H.
Amsden The Rise of "The Rest":
Challenges to the West from Late-Industrializing Economies
· Judith A. Teichman The Politics of Freeing Markets in Latin America: Chile, Argentina, and Mexico
· George Monbiot, June 14, 2005 Comment & Analysis: A truckload of nonsense: The G8 plan to save Africa comes with conditions that make it little more than an extortion racket; Guardian Leader Pages, Pg. 21.
·
Recommended:
·
Lipset,
Seymour Martin. "Economic Development and Democracy." In Political Man: The Social Bases of Politics.
o
May 12: Democratic
consolidation
§
Diamond Consolidating the 3rd World
Democracies – Intro and Ch 10 (Dem Consolidation in Lat Am)
§ Recommended Reading -- Diamond Ch 8
·
Democratic
Consolidation Taiwan and S. Korea
o May 14: – In Class Role-Play Debate: Discussion about whether development and democracy go
hand in hand. Is the former required in order to achieve the
latter? Less central to the debate but worthy of attention: is democracy
required for development? Additional
instructions to be provided.
·
Development
from Below?
o May 19 : Decentralization and Rural
Development
§
Tendler, Judith Good Government in the Tropics (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University
Press, 1997) – Introduction and Chapter 2
§
Olowu, Dele “Local Governance, Democracy and
Development, “ in Richard Joseph, ed., State,
Conflict and Democracy in Africa (Boulder: Lynne Reinner, 1999) – Required: Chapter 5; Recommended: Intro.
o
May 21:
Collective Action and Social Institutions
§
Sub-themes:
·
Social Movements activity as a form of
domestic political development
o
reading: Tarrow Social Movement Society – Ch 7 (Hipscher)
·
Social Movement activity -- waves against
neo-liberalism
o
Global
Governance -- O'brian Contestng Global Governance – Ch 1. Pay special attention to global social
movements (starting on page 12). Skim the rest.
o
Also
from the O'brian book -- Chapter 2 on the World Bank and Women's movements
o Highly
Recommended: Social Movement Activity: Global Intersecting with Local
§
Keck and
Sikkink Activists Beyond Borders – Ch
3
o May 26: Memorial Day – no class
o May 28
· PAPER DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS
· Film and discussion on the World Social Forum – (film title: Rumble in Mumbai) – brief reading TBA
·
Development,
the Environment and Sustainability – How Did This Enter Development Equation?
o June 2
· Green Planet Blues p3-39 (Intro and the Debate at Stockholm – ‘Limits to Growth’ and ‘Environment and Development’)
· Evans Livable Cities (Intro and Keck chapter)
· Questions for Future and Review
o June 4
· Sen Development as Freedom Ch 12 “Social Choice and Individual Freedom”
Final Exam: Thursday, June 12 @
3:15 pm – 221 McKenzie