Course Syllabus
Athabasca University
Political Economy (POEC) 395
Global Development Strategies (Revision 1)
This version of POEC 395 closed February 8, 2008, replaced by current version.
Delivery mode: Individualized study.
Credits: 3 - Social Science
Prerequisite: None. A previous course in development is recommended.
Precluded course: POEC 395 is a cross-listed course—a course listed under two different disciplines—GLST 395. POEC 395 may not be taken for credit by students who have obtained credit for GLST 395.
Centre: Centre for Global and Social Analysis
POEC 395 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Overview
Political Economy 395: Global Development Strategies is a three-credit, senior-level course that allows students to study in depth strategies of development in the “Third World” or South since 1945. First, the course introduces students to traditional western theories of development and various indigenous critiques. Second, it examines the main regions constitutive of the South, including Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and the Middle East; and Southeast Asia, North and South Korea.
POEC 395 offers two additional opportunities to students of global development. The first is a unit on India and China, two countries that undoubtedly will be global leaders in the twenty-first century. The second opportunity allows students to examine strategies of development in a state—(Soviet) Russia—whose fortunes have declined since the late 1980s, as well as strategies of development in its former “satellite states”. Thus, the penultimate unit on global development strategies includes an examination of “emergent democracies” in Eastern Europe, post-Soviet Russia and Central Asia. Finally, the course wraps up with a critical retrospective on development in an era of globalization.
This course is primarily intended for students who are in the later stages of their degree program. However, all students of development studies could find the course both challenging and rewarding. It is expected that after reading the assigned texts and completing preliminary assignments, the student will conduct an empirical case study of development in either a specific state or region in the postwar period.
Outline
The course consists of the following seven units.
Unit 1: Introduction: The Construction of the Third World From Western (or European)Perspectives.
Unit 2: Development Strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean
Unit 3: Development Strategies in Africa and the Middle East
Unit 4: Development Strategies in Southeast Asia, North and South Korea
Unit 5: Development Strategies in India and China: Emergent Global Leaders?
Unit 6: Development Strategies in Eastern Europe, Post-Soviet Russia, and Central Asia
Unit 7: Conclusion: Re-assessing Development in an Era of Globalization.
Evaluation
To receive credit for POEC 395, you must complete all of the assignments, achieve a mark of 50 per cent or better on the examination and obtain a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 per cent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Assignment 1 | Assignment 2 | Research Essay | Final Exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | 20% | 30% | 30% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbooks
Mason, Mike. 1997. Development and Disorder: A History of the Third World Since 1945. Toronto: Between the Lines.
Wiarda, Howard J. 1999. Non-Western Theories of Development: Regional Norms and Global Trends. Toronto: Harcourt Brace.
Other materials
The course materials include a student manual that contains a forms package you will need to submit assignments, extend your contract or change your status as a student.
Three-year BA concentration in Political Economy
Four-year BA major in Political Economy