Development: a global perspective
P Marden and S Legg
6 points * 3 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton
The aim of this unit is to identify, describe and interpret the uneven nature of global development. The principal focus is on the dynamic nature of social change brought about by various processes of globalisation. The developing world is of particular importance because of its vulnerability to these processes. Emphasis is placed on the role of various agents and institutions in determining patterns of change. In particular, the World Bank, IMF, transnational companies and non-government organisations will be examined closely. The subject will consider the impacts of global development in specific areas such as food production, trade and finance, health, wealth creation and the environment. The multifaceted nature of development is emphasised with appreciation of the distinctive problems facing many third world societies and their attempts to manage processes of globalisation. The subject focuses on notions of equity and the need to broaden our understanding of development. Issues of culture, ethnicity and gender are examined along with more conventional economic interpretations. There is a strong emphasis on notions of interdependency concerning processes of change and the variability of outcomes, and on the development of a critical awareness of the various and often contrasting ways in which development as a global phenomenon is interpreted and explained. The subject is designed to introduce the student to later courses in human geography.
Assessment
Written (2500 words): 40% * Examinations (2 hours): 40% * Practical/tutorial work: 20%
Recommended texts
Blaikie P and Brookfield H Land degradation and society Methuen, 1987
Cornia G A and others Adjustment with a human face Clarendon Press, 1987
Dicken P Global shift: Industrial change in a turbulent world Harper and Row, 1986
Donaldson P Worlds apart 2nd edn, Penguin, 1986
George S A fate worse than debt Pluto, 1988
Harris N The end of the third world Penguin, 1986
Harrison P Inside the third world Penguin, 1990
Johnston R and Taylor P J A world in crisis: Geographical perspectives Blackwell, 1986
Lawrence P World recession and the food crisis in Africa James Currey, 1986
Ravenhill J Africa in economic crisis Macmillan, 1986