Postgraduate Course: Roots of African Poverty and Development (PGSP11250)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | A vast proportion of the world's poorest people live in Sub-Saharan Africa and the continent has seen considerable inflows of international development assistance in its various forms. Drawing on academic literature and empirical research this course explores how Africa became a 'development problem' and the various strategies employed over the decades since colonial times to bring about social, political and economic transformation in Africa. It discusses key issues in African development including the discovery of poverty as the main development issue in the 1960s, the role of the state and the advent of good governance in the 1990s, and the various humanitarian and legal interventions that have shaped social life and politics in recent years. The course aims at providing a platform to discuss poverty, development and the challenges of realizing justice in contemporary Africa. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2012/13 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Lecture | Seminar Room 2, Chrystal Macmillan Building | 1-11 | | 11:10 - 13:00 | | | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Familiarity with academic and policy debates about poverty and development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Understanding of theories on the nexus between poverty, underdevelopment and governance in Africa.
Ability to contextualise these theories against the historical background and debates about contemporary Africa and its place in the world.
Understanding of the importance of academic analyses of development and poverty in Africa (political science, economics, social anthropology, development studies) for work in international development. |
Assessment Information
| One essay of 4,000 words. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Week 1: Introduction: course outline, African poverty in development discourse
Week 2: Perspectives on poverty in Africa
Week 3: The nexus between development, governance and poverty in Africa
Week 4: Historical background I (with Paul Nugent)
Week 5: Historical background II (with Paul Nugent)
Week 6: Famines and precarious livelihoods
Week 7: Nation states and national economies $ú agents and objects of development
Week 8: Failed states and Africa as hotbed of lawlessness
Week 9: Competing visions of justice
Week 10: The art of doing good or how to engage with development in practice |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
The course runs for 10 weeks (2 hours per week). A weekly lecture (1 hour, held by Gerhard Anders) is followed by a seminar with student group presentations (use of power point is recommended) and discussion. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Gerhard Anders
Tel: (0131 6)51 3178
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Madina Howard
Tel: (0131 6)51 1659
Email: |
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