Undergraduate Course: Advanced Issues in the Political Economy of Development (AFRI10005)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines the political economy of empire, 'democracy', and racial capitalism in the majority world and globally. Using a decolonial, feminist, anti-racist and anti-imperialist framework, it equips Honours students to effectively engage with non-Eurocentric and anti-colonial theories and praxes in analysing and addressing contemporary global challenges. The course leverages a range of case studies--spanning local, national, and global contexts--to elucidate the formation of social inequalities and the negotiation of identities through categories such as gender, class, caste, sexuality, disability, and race. Furthermore, it empowers students with the analytical tools necessary to understand the radical and creative strategies employed by those facing oppression, violence, and coloniality to resist and mobilise. |
| Course description |
The purpose of this course is to equip Honours students to effectively engage with non-Eurocentric and anti-colonial theories and praxes in analysing and addressing contemporary global development challenges with a political economy lens. In its presentation of decolonial and feminist perspectives on the political economy of development , this course interrogates and critique mainstream development discourses and analyses the intersecting dynamics of empire and racial capitalism. It adopts a broad and interdisciplinary approach, drawing on seminal works in the field. Key texts include Walter Rodney's How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, and Angela Davis's Women, Race, & Class. Additionally, the course integrates critical perspectives from feminist scholars such as Veronica Gago, Françoise Vergès and Sylvia Tamale. These works are integrated alongside insights from several fields, including African studies, international development, political economy, critical race theory, gender studies, feminist and masculinity theories, Black geographies, and critical agrarian studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. The course leverages a range of case studies spanning local, national, and global contexts.
PART 1: EPISTEMOLOGIES
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Politics, Imperialism and 'Development'
Week 3: Pan-Africanism, Diaspora, and Liberation
Week 4: Gender, Sexuality, Feminism
PART 2: LEGACIES, AGENCY AND RESISTANCE
Week 5: Colonial Legacies and the idea of 'Democracy'
Week 6: The Political Economy of Racial Capitalism
Week 7: Natural Resources and Agrarian Social Movements
Week 8: The Political Economy of Food
Week 9: The Political Economy of Labour and social reproduction
Week 10: The Political Economy of Migration, Mobility and Displacement
Week 11: Resistance, Social movements and Afrofuturism
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students who have not taken courses in social science subjects should contact the Course Organiser to confirm if they are eligible to take this course. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 4 Social Sciences courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
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| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate comprehensive understanding of contemporary debates on the chosen event, from both a theoretical and empirical perspective.
- apply specialist in-depth knowledge of specific areas and issues in relation to the chosen event.
- critically engage with key explanatory theories, concepts, institutions and issues in the study of the chosen event.
- deploy effective communications skills, both written and verbal, to provide clear and concise analysis of the topic at hand.
- engage in critical thinking, reflection and debate for academic and non-academic consumption..
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Reading List
Alami, I. (2024). Racial capitalism, uneven development, and the abstractive powers of race and money. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 56(4), 1304-1310.
Davis, A. Y. 1981 Women, Race & Class / Angela Y. Davis. New York: Vintage Books
Gago, V. (2019). Mapping neoliberalism from below. Dialogues in Human Geography, 9(3), 353-355.
Hill, CP, & Bilge, S 2016, Intersectionality, Polity Press, Oxford.
Kvangraven, I. H. (2022). Colonial legacies and racial hierarchies in the global economy: a review article. Race & Class, 63(3), 103-108.
Pierre, J. (2020), The Racial Vernaculars of Development: A View from West Africa. American Anthropologist, 122: 86-98.
Reinert E, J Ghosh (2014) Handbook of alternative theories of economic development London: Edward Elgar
Rodney. W. 1972. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa / Walter Rodney. London: Verso, 2018. Princeton
Vergès, F., (2021). A Decolonial Feminism. Pluto Press. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical thinking and analysis
Team work
Effective written and verbal communication
Effective research and analytical skills |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Rama Dieng
Tel: (0131 6)51 1636
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Karen Leung
Tel:
Email: |
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