Development is often considered synonymous with progress and economic growth. This course seeks to challenge the framework within which development policies and practices have been conceptualized since the 1940s. How do discourses and practices of development reflect struggles over power, history, and culture? Why has development often been understood as a "neocolonial" endeavor that seeks to maintain the global hegemony of the first world over the third world? How has the trajectory of development shifted in the past five decades to encompass divergent agendas, practices, and meanings? How have these "macro" agendas shaped the lives of millions of men and women living across the globe? Can development be understood as a monolithic category or is it experienced differently by men and women cross-culturally? This course will also highlight some of the most pressing concerns over the merits and limitations of globalization thereby engaging students with ongoing social, political and economic debates. Using anthropological insights, we will explore the connections between colonialism, development, capitalism, and globalization to analyze how "development" is embedded in social inequities, and whether or not a more equitable form of development can be envisioned.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 course |