syllabus
Geographies of international development
GEOG 3682-001, Maymester 2008
MTWHF, 9 am-12:15 pm, RAMY N1B23
University of Colorado at Boulder
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_3682_sum08/
please note: This sylllabus is subject to change during the semester. Changes will be announced in class, and indicated on the syllabus. The most up-to-date syllabus will always be the version posted on the course website. You are responsible for the information in this document. (Last modified 27 May 2008.)
instructor
Travis Klingberg
tklingberg@colorado.edu
office hours: TH 12-1pm (or by appt.), GUGG 314
In case of emergency, contact the geography department office: 303.492.2631.
ta
Andrew Gustafson
andrew.f.gustafson@colorado.edu
office hours: W 12:15-1:30pm (or by appt.), GUGG 310
description
The title of this course hints at our trajectory. We will approach the study of international development using the conceptual and theoretical tools of human geography. Human geography is a broad discipline concerned with the ways humans inhabit and interact with the world. In a broad sense, human geography is concerned with spatial difference: The question is not simply what is different, but more importantly where and why?
“Geographies of international development” is intentionally plural, which should tell you that there is no single, universally-accepted approach to either human geography or development. If you follow issues of international development in the popular media, it can seem like everyone everywhere is equally caught up in a linear process of change called “progress.” This course will complicate that idea, and emphasize that any understanding of development is deeply embedded in specific places and histories. In other words, what we mean by development depends on where we are and when. Development is intensely geographic.
This course will not suggest a “right” way to see or do development. It will argue, however, that to understand development, we must first appreciate the complexity of the term and the geographically uneven impact of development projects. It is in recognizing these complexities that hope survives: what we see and do now is not the only choice we have. While this is not a course on evaluating and implementing development programs, I hope the paths of critique we follow will be valuable ways of thinking through the discourses and practices of development.
objectives
By the end of this course you should be able to
materials
The readings for this course – listed in the bibliography of this syllabus – are posted to the course website as downloadable PDF files. There will be no books to buy, but you will still have 30 to 75 pages of reading to do each day. This load will taper off through the semester, but be prepared for the demanding pace. The course website will also be a starting point for your semester projects – see the “development portfolio” and “other resources” sections.
We will use CULearn for some parts of the course: https://culearn.colorado.edu/webct/logon/241028451031. You’ll be able to access your grades here as well. It’s your responsibility to stay informed about your progress in the course. [Updated 2008-05-12: the current news report schedule, the country report assignments, and password for the readings are on CULearn as well.]
evaluation
This course depends on your active participation, which counts for a part of your grade (see below) and depends on the time and energy you put into class. There will be no exams in this course. Instead, you will produce a portfolio of work during the semester that will count for the significant part of your grade. Please consider the fact that this is an upper-level course. I expect you to show up ready, work hard, and finish in style. The complete development portfolio project is due by 5pm in my mailbox (first floor Guggenheim) on the final day of class, May 30. This deadline is final and not negotiable. No assignments will be accepted via email.
[Updated 2008-05-18: No late papers will be accepted. The Friday, 5pm deadline each week is final! This both your electronic submission to Turnitin.com and your hard copy to my mailbox in Guggenheim.]
Course total points: 100
Participation: 15 points
Development portfolio: 85 points
current news presentation
One time this semester, you will make a short (5- to 10-minute) presentation on current development-related news. You should summarize at least one newspaper or magazine article that is related to the country you are researching this semester (2 points), and then relate this news to a topic we have discussed in class (3 points). The purpose of these presentations is to work out ways of applying what we discuss in class, to hear a perspective from fellow students on their research, and to stimulate discussion. The schedule will be posted on CULearn, and you can find some starting points for current news in the “web resources” section of the course homepage. [Updated 2008-05-12: I’m hoping that “current” means as current as possible – with in the past week or two, hopefully, though important stories from as far back as six months ago are fine.]
development portfolio project
The major project in this course will be to create a portfolio of several smaller projects. The main goal of this portfolio is to give you the chance to demonstrate that you’ve acquired new skills for thinking about development. Each assignment you do for this portfolio is a variation on a single task: make connections, find relationships, figure out what fits together for you and what doesn’t. Each assignment must be typed (double-spaced 12pt Times, 1-inch margins) and clearly labeled. When submitting the portfolio at the end of the semester, include all previously-graded assignments in a folder or paper binder.
You will be required to submit all parts of your development portfolio project to Turnitin.com – you can find instructions on how to do this at the course homepage. Any student violating the CU Honor Code will receive a grade of F in the course. This includes submitting the same paper or part of a paper for two different classes without the express permission of both instructors. If you have any questions about plagiarism, proper citation, or Turnitin.com, contact your instructor or teaching assistant.
Here is a checklist for what your portfolio should include:
☐ 12 in-class reponses
☐ 2 film responses
☐ country report, section 1
☐ country report, section 2
☐ country report, section 3
in-class responses
On most days of the course, you’ll write a short in-class response to a reading or topic we’re discussing. The purpose of these responses is to capture in writing some of the connections you are making between ideas. A paragraph or two should be enough. Grading is simple: you get 2 points unless your response contains a clear misunderstanding of the material under discussion, in which case you get 1 point. You get nothing (0 points) for submitting nothing. These responses will be collected at the end of each class.
film responses
We will be watching a number of films in class. Like the in-class responses, the purpose here is to work out connections between our readings, our discussion, and your own ongoing research on a country. These are not film reviews or analyses, but rather a chance to connect the discussions we’ve been having in class with real-world cases. Each response is worth 8 points: 2 points each for submitting a response, for proper spelling and grammar, for clearly stating the connection between the film and something else from class, and for suggesting why this connection is interesting or important. You can turn in responses anytime during the semester – don’t scramble at the end! [Updated 2008-05-12: Responses should be about 300-400 words.]
country report
The country report is the most important part of the portfolio, and is the product of both guided and independent research during the semester. You will choose (or be assigned) a country and a region to research. You will have time in class to work on these reports, but I expect that most of your time spent on this report will be outside of class. The report is broken into three 4- to 5-page sections, with each section due at the end of each week of the semester.
Each section is worth 10 points: 3 points for spelling, grammar, and documenting sources, 4 points for fulfilling the purpose of the section, and 3 points for making a clear argument that is sensitive to your sources and main themes of the course (see course objectives for quick reference). The web will be a key source of information for this project (the course website is a good place to start), but I expect you to use supplementary journal articles and other library resources. Properly document all of your sources – see http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/about/citing.htm for guidelines. You might consider using RefWorks to make the process easier: http://ucblibraries/how/refworks.htm.
section 1: country background. This purpose of this section is to “situate” your country historically. Depending on your country, this might include a discusion of historical legacies (like colonialism or war), the political situation, sociocultural context, changes in macroeconomic policy or performance, etc. While is it up to you to determine what background will be important, focus on succinctly summarizing and synthesizing existing research from as broad a range of sources as possible – at least 5 different “institutions” (e.g. The World Bank, the World Trade Organization, a national government, The Economist magazine, an NGO, etc. each count as a single institution).
section 2: analysis. The purpose of this section is to analyze specific development programs in your country – think of this as a recent history of development in your country. In the first half of this section, summarize three significant and qualitatively different development programs underway in your country (e.g. health, water quality, small business development). In the second half, analyze these programs as a development geographer: Are they reducing or contributing to uneven development? Do they rely on national averages or other “gross” statistical measures? Are issues of physical geography addressed, and if so are they framed as part of the problem or the solution?
section 3: conclusions and outlook. The purpose of this section is to connect your work in the previous sections with major themes and topics we’ve discussed from readings, films, and other sources. This section should address the following questions (at least a full page for each): Given your country’s unique background, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the current development projects you researched? Explain how a reading or two from this semester helped in thinking about these projects in a new way. In what ways has your understanding of development changed in this course, and how have new ideas helped you “see” your country in a new way?
regional presentation
In addition to your written portfolio, you will participate in a regional presentation made up of people reporting on other countries in the same geographic region as yours. You will have time in class to work together to plan your presentation and draw some conclusions about regional instead of national issues. What similarities or differences about your respective countries has your regional group discovered? [Updated 2008-05-27: Regarding the development issues we’ve studied, what similarities or differences has your regional group discovered about your respective countries? Explain why it is feasible (or not) to talk about regional development?] The presentation is worth 10 points, 4 for clarity and organization of the group’s performance overall, 3 for your individual verbal contribution, and 3 for your demonstration of thinking at the regional instead of national scale. The schedule will be posted on CULearn.
policies
No pets in class, please. Food is fine. Laptops are fine during research and writing workshops, but I ask that you not use computers, cell phones, or PDAs in class. See me if you have any concerns about either the pets or the technology.
honor code. All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council and those students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member involved and non-academic sanctions given by the Honor Code Council (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Please refer to http://www.colorado.edu/honorcode to view the specific guidelines. If you have any questions related to this policy, please contact the Honor Code Council at honor@colorado.edu.
classroom behavior. Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender variance, and nationalities. See polices at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code.
discrimination and harassment. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Full details about the campus policy can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/discrimination.html. Campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at http://www.colorado.edu/odh.
religious observances. I’m happy to make accomodations for religious obligations that conflict with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In order to make any appropriate accomodations, I ask that you inform me two weeks in advance of your absence. See full details of the campus policy at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html.
disability accomodations. If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability please submit a letter to me from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities (303-492-8671, Willard 322, http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices).
schedule
May 13 is the deadline to drop this course, or change your status to pass/fail or no credit. May 16 is the deadline to drop without petitioning the dean.
Readings are listed in the recommended reading sequence – it might help you connect the readings if you read in this order.
★ indicates an important non-reading assignment due.
| date | topic | due | |
| week 1 | 12 May | course introduction; what is development? |
|
| 13 May | geographies of development [ film: TED Talks: Hans Rosling (20min) ] |
☐ Crush. 1995. “Imagining development.” [PDF] ☐ Sachs, Mellinger, and Gallup. 2001. “The geography of poverty and wealth.” [PDF] ☐ Friedman. 2005. “It’s a flat world, after all.” [PDF] ☐ Blaut. 1999. “Environmentalism and Eurocentrism.” [PDF] ☐ Broad and Cavanagh. 2006. “The hijacking of the development debate.” [PDF] ☐ Porter and Sheppard. 1998. “Introduction.” [PDF] |
|
| 14 May | development as project [ film: Sacred lands (11 min) ] |
☐ Ferguson and Lohmann. 1994. “The anti-politics machine.” [PDF] ☐ McMichael. 2004. “Instituting the development project.” [PDF] ☐ Escobar. 1992. “Planning.” [PDF] ☐ Porter and Sheppard. 1998. “Culture, kinship, and gender.” [optional] [PDF] ☐ Porter and Sheppard. 1998. “The inevitability of differences.” [PDF] ☐ Wallerstein. 2001. “Development: lodestar or illusion?” [optional] [PDF] |
|
| 15 May | development as colonialism [ film clip: The battle of Algiers (60 min) ] |
☐ Wallerstein. 2001. “Does India exist?” [PDF] ☐ Wainaina. 2005. “How to Write About Africa.” [PDF] ☐ Shrestha. 1995. “Becoming a development category.” [PDF] ☐ Hall. 1995. “The West and the rest: discourses and power.” [PDF] |
|
| 16 May | development as modernization [ film: Life and debt (83min) ] |
☐ Scott. 1998. “Authoritarian high modernism.” [PDF] ☐ Willis. 2005. “Classical and neo-liberal development theories.” [PDF] ☐ Sachs. 2005. “Why some countries fail to thrive.” [PDF] ☐ ★ country report, section 1 |
|
| week 2 | 19 May | development as neoliberalization and democratization [ film: Maquilapolis (60 min) ] |
☐ Willis. 2005. “Globalization and development.” [PDF] ☐ Harvey. 2005. A brief history of neoliberalism. p1-4, chp 4. [PDF] ☐ Amin. 2004. The liberal virus. p7-11. [PDF] |
| 20 May | development actors [ guest: Global Greengrants ] |
☐ Peet. 2003. “The Washington-Wall Street alliance.” [PDF] ☐ Global Greengrants Fund, “Grant model.” [PDF] ☐ Global Greengrants Fund, “Grants.” (http://www.greengrants.org/simplesearch.php) [PDF] ☐ Grant and Nijman. 2004. “The re-scaling of uneven development in Ghana and India.” [PDF] ☐ Petras. 1997. “Imperialism and NGOs in Latin America.” [PDF] ☐ McNally. 2004. “Sichuan: driving capitalist development westward.” [optional] [PDF] |
|
| 21 May | food and health [ films: Black gold (74min) ] |
☐ Agustín. 2006. “Contributing to ‘Development.’” [PDF] ☐ Watts. 2001. “Black acts.” [PDF] ☐ Momsen. 1991. Women and Development in the Third World. p1-27. [PDF] ☐ Cheru. 2002. “Debt, adjustment and the politics of effective response to HIV/AIDS in Africa.” [PDF] |
|
| 22 May | wealth and poverty [ films: B.A.T.A.M. (33 min) ] |
☐ Collier. 2007. “Falling behind and falling apart.” [PDF] ☐ Latouche. 1992. “Standard of living.” [PDF] ☐ Davis. 2006. “Planet of Slums.” [PDF] ☐ Unwin. 2007. “No end to poverty.” [PDF] |
|
| 23 May | natural resources and the environment [ film: Manufactured landscapes (60 min) ] |
☐ Willis. 2005. “Environment and development theory.” [PDF] ☐ Shiva. 1992. “Resources.” [PDF] ☐ Adams. 2001. “The dilemma of sustainability.” [PDF] ☐ Harris. 2005. “Navigating uncertain waters.” [optional] [PDF] ☐ ★ country report, section 2 |
|
| week 3 | 26 May | Memorial Day (no class) |
|
| 27 May | labor, migration and tourism [ film: Global villages (59min) ] |
☐ Porter and Sheppard. 1998. “Institutional/structural inequalities.” [PDF] ☐ Silvey. 2004. “Transnational migration and the gender politics of scale.” [PDF] ☐ Sofield and Li. 1998. “Tourism development and cultural policies in China.” [PDF] |
|
| 28 May | interventions and alternatives |
☐ Willis. 2005. “Structuralism, neo-Marxism, and socialism.” [PDF] ☐ Escobar. 1995. “Conclusion: imagining a postdevelopment era.” [PDF] ☐ Smil. 2004. “Looking ahead by looking back.” [optional] [PDF] ☐ McGee. 1995. “Eurocentrism and geography.” [PDF] |
|
| 29 May | duties to the distant; regional presentations |
☐ Sachs. 2005. “Why we should do it.” [PDF] ☐ Jamieson. 2005. “Duties to the distant.” [PDF] ☐ ★ regional presentation |
|
| 30 May | regional presentations; beginning again |
☐ Illich. 1968. “To hell with good intentions.” [PDF] ☐ Collier. 2007. “An agenda for action.” [PDF] ☐ ★ regional presentation ☐ ★ country report, section 3 ☐ ★ complete development portfolio |
bibliography
Adams, W.M. 2001. “The dilemma of sustainability.” In Green development: environment and sustainability in the Third World, 2nd ed., 1-21. London: Routledge. [PDF]
Agustín, L.M. 2006. “Contributing to ‘Development’: Money Made Selling Sex.” Research for Sex Work 9 8-11. [PDF]
Amin, S. 2004. The liberal virus: permanent war and the Americanization of the world. New York: Monthly Review Press. [PDF]
Blaut, J.M. 1999. “Environmentalism and Eurocentrism.” Geographical Review 89(3) 391-408. [PDF]
Broad, R. and Cavanagh, J. 2006. “The hijacking of the development debate: how Friedman and Sachs got it wrong.” World Policy Journal 23(2) 21-30. [PDF]
Cheru, F. 2002. “Debt, adjustment and the politics of effective response to HIV/AIDS in Africa.” Third World Quarterly 23(2) 299-299. [PDF]
Collier, P. 2007. “An agenda for action.” In The bottom billion: why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it, 175-192. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [PDF]
Collier, P. 2007. “Falling behind and falling apart: the bottom billion.” In The bottom billion: why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it, 3-13. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [PDF]
Crush, J. 1995. “Imagining development” (subhead “Geographies of development”). In Power of development, ed. Crush, J., 14-18. London: Routledge. [PDF]
Davis, M. 2006. “Planet of slums.” New Perspectives Quarterly 23(2) 6-11. [PDF]
Escobar, A. 1992. “Planning.” In The development dictionary: a guide to knowledge as power, ed. Sachs, W., 132-145. London: Zed Books. [PDF]
Escobar, A. 1995. “Conclusion: imagining a postdevelopment era.” In Encountering development: the making and unmaking of the Third World, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. [PDF]
Ferguson, J. and Lohmann, L. 1994. “The anti-politics machine: “development” and bureaucratic power in Lesotho.” The Ecologist 24(5) 176-182. [PDF]
Friedman, T. 2005. “It’s a flat world, after all.” The New York Times, 3 April. [PDF]
Grant, R. and Nijman, J. 2004. “The re-scaling of uneven development in Ghana and India.” Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie 95(5) 467-481. [PDF]
Hall, S. 1995. “The West and the rest: discourses and power.” In Modernity: an introduction to modern societies, ed. Hall, S., Held, D., Hubert, D., and Thompson, K., 184-227. Cambridge: Polity Press. [PDF]
Harris, L.M. 2005. “Navigating uncertain waters: geographies of water and conflict, shifting terms and debates.” In The geography of war and peace: from death camps to diplomats, ed. Flint, C., 259-279. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [PDF]
Harvey, D. 2005. A brief history of neoliberalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [PDF]
Illich, I. 1968. “To hell with good intentions.” Paper presented at the Conference on InterAmerican Student Projects, Cuernavaca, Mexico, 20 April. [PDF]
Jamieson, D. 2005. “Duties to the distant: aid, assistance, and intervention in the developing world.” The Journal of Ethics 9 151—170. [PDF]
Latouche, S. 1992. “Standard of living.” In The development dictionary: a guide to knowledge as power, ed. Sachs, W., 250-263. London: Zed Books. [PDF]
McGee, T.G. 1995. “Eurocentrism and geography.” In Power of development, ed. Crush, J., 192-207. London: Routledge. [PDF]
McMichael, P. 2004. “Instituting the development project.” In Development and social change: a global perspective, ed. McMichael, P., ThirdThousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. [PDF]
McNally, C.A. 2004. “Sichuan: driving capitalist development westward.” The China Quarterly 178 426-447. [PDF]
Momsen, J.H. 1991. Women and Development in the Third World. Routledge. [PDF]
Peet, R. 2003. “The Washington-Wall Street alliance.” In Unholy trinity: the IMF, World Bank and WTO, 200-223. London: Zed Books. [PDF]
Petras, J. 1997. “Imperialism and NGOs in Latin America.” Monthly Review, December. [PDF]
Porter, P.W. and Sheppard, E.S. 1998. “Culture, kinship, and gender.” In A world of difference: society, nature, development, 41-60. New York: Guilford Press. [PDF]
Porter, P.W. and Sheppard, E.S. 1998. “Institutional/structural inequalities.” In A world of difference: society, nature, development, 61-77. New York: Guilford Press. [PDF]
Porter, P.W. and Sheppard, E.S. 1998. “Introduction.” In A world of difference: society, nature, development, 1-26. New York: Guilford Press. [PDF]
Porter, P.W. and Sheppard, E.S. 1998. “The inevitability of differences.” In A world of difference: society, nature, development, 29-39. New York: Guilford Press. [PDF]
Sachs, J. 2005. “Why some countries fail to thrive.” In The end of poverty: economic possibilities for our time, 51-73. New York: Penguin Press. [PDF]
Sachs, J. 2005. “Why we should do it.” In The end of poverty: economic possibilities for our time, 329-346. New York: Penguin Press. [PDF]
Sachs, J.D., Mellinger, A.D., and Gallup, J.L. 2001. “The geography of poverty and wealth.” Scientific American, March. [PDF]
Scott, J.C. 1998. “Authoritarian high modernism.” In Seeing like a state: how certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed, 87-102. New Haven: Yale University Press. [PDF]
Shiva, V. 1992. “Resources.” In The development dictionary: a guide to knowledge as power, ed. Sachs, W., 206-218. London: Zed Books. [PDF]
Shrestha, N. 1995. “Becoming a development category.” In Power of development, ed. Crush, J., 266-277. London: Routledge. [PDF]
Silvey, R. 2004. “Transnational migration and the gender politics of scale: Indonesian domestic workers in Saudi Arabia.” Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography 25(2) 141-155. [PDF]
Smil, V. 2004. “Looking ahead by looking back.” In China’s past, China’s future: energy, food, environment, 207-215. New York: Routledge. [PDF]
Sofield, T.H.B. and Li, F.M.S. 1998. “Tourism development and cultural policies in China.” Annals of Tourism Research 25(2): 362-392. [PDF]
Unwin, T. 2007. “No end to poverty.” Journal of Development Studies 43(5) 929-929. [PDF]
Wainaina, B. 2005. “How to Write About Africa.” Granta 92. [PDF]
Wallerstein, I. 2001. “Development: lodestar or illusion?” In Unthinking social science: the limits of nineteenth-century paradigms, 104-124. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. [PDF]
Wallerstein, I. 2001. “Does India exist?” In Unthinking social science: the limits of nineteenth-century paradigms, 130-134. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. [PDF]
Watts, M. 2001. “Black acts.” New Left Review, May-June, 125-139. [PDF]
Willis, K. 2005. “Classical and neo-liberal development theories.” In Theories and practices of development, 32-61. London: Routledge. [PDF]
Willis, K. 2005. “Environment and development theory.” In Theories and practices of development, 146-172. London: Routledge. [PDF]
Willis, K. 2005. “Globalization and development: problems and solutions?” In Theories and practices of development, 173-209. London: Routledge. [PDF]
Willis, K. 2005. “Structuralism, neo-Marxism, and socialism.” In Theories and practices of development, 62-92. London: Routledge. [PDF]