Undergraduate - UnitATS2628 - Power and poverty: International development in a globalised world

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2012 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr. Ben Reid

Notes

Synopsis

This unit focuses on the interrelated nature of power, poverty and development in the contemporary world. It provides students with the ability to critically examine geographical polarities of power and wealth generated by global processes of development for different groups of people in the world. Students engage with the main concepts, and definitions of international development.
The following questions are explored:

1. What are key disparities that pose serious concerns for global wellbeing?
2. How are international differences generated or reinforced by uneven global development?
3. How might we approach alternative strategies for tackling current patterns of global inequality?

Outcomes

Students successfully completing this unit will be able to:

1. Understand and explain how international development differences have come about;
2. Interpret critically the competing explanations exist for global disparities;
3. Assess critically the institutional and other structures that exacerbate and reinforce uneven international development;
4. Develop normative understandings about how patterns of global inequality can be transformed toward socially just and sustainable outcomes;
5. Demonstrate sound written and verbal expression, involving the critical analysis of text, graphs, tables, maps, film and other data. Students will meet the objectives of the unit by:

a. Actively participating in tutorials;
b. Demonstrating knowledge of key concepts of international development in discussions and written work;
c. Preparing and submitting an essay that adheres to essay guidelines, is clearly structured, and which shows a well argued and balanced treatment of the material;
d. Demonstrating the complexities of uneven international development issues and theory in the exam.

Assessment

Midterm quiz: 10%
Class participation: 10%
Weekly reading commentaries: 10%
Essay (3000 words): 40%
Exam: 30%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr. Ben Reid

Contact hours

One 2-hour lecture and one 1-hour tutorial per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Human rights theory
International studies
Geography and environmental science (ARTS)
Urban, regional and international development
Geographical science

Prerequisites

First year sequence in INT, SCY, ANY, GES or permission of instructor.