DEVT 4006 - Theories & Contested Concepts in Intl Development

This course will examine key theories and contested concepts in international development. The overall aim of the course is to discuss ‘development’ as a highly contested concept, and that different theories and concepts have major implications for development policies and practices. The first part of the course covers major development theories, such as Modernisation theory, Dependency theories and Post-Development, and investigates the crucial link between theory and practice. In the second part, students will explore various contested concepts in international development, such as ‘poverty’, ‘empowerment’, ‘capacity building’ and ‘sustainability’, with a particular focus on what kind of interests, values and understandings have shaped the emergence of these concepts in international development and why they remain so contested.