99924 - Issues of Development in the Global South

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has the ability to analyze the concept of development in the history and politics of the countries of the Global South. He knows the main theoretical approaches, the concepts and the debate regarding development policies. In particular, the student is able to: understand and analyze the main contemporary literature concerning development issues with regard to developing countries; analyze development strategies and practices and debate on their effectiveness; interpreting and contextualising the main processes of transformation and of political and economic reforms in the developing countries; analyze and discuss the most relevant phenomena of development and place them in the broader international development dynamics and practices.

Course contents

The course analyzes and discusses the concept of development in the history and politics of the global South (developing countries), in relation to the international dimension. Theories and debates on development, and its effectiveness will be analyzed, as well as development strategies and practices from the second post-war period to the present. The historical and political issues of rural development in the countries of the global South will be explored.

Important notice

In order to enhance students' participation and interaction, students attending classes must read preliminarily the following book:

V. Desai, R. B. Potter, The companion to development studies, Hodder Education, London, 2008

Moreover, students are requested to attend classes regularly and to be present during the first weeks when all information about the programme will be provided.

The course will be organized as follows:

FIRST PART

Introductory information about the course. Analysis of the concept of development within the field of development studies, in relation to the global south. Development in history and in international relations: from colonial empires to third world to developing countries; modernisation and development; from Washington to post Washington consensus. Analysis of the notion of development in social sciences in an historical and political perspective: idioms, concepts, debate; ideas of "alternative" development and development cooperation; how to link research and practice in development practices.

Recommended readings:

A. Payne, N. Phillips, Development, Polity Press, Cambridge 2009

A. Pallotti, M. Zamponi, Le parole dello sviluppo, Carocci, Roma, 2014

SECOND PART

Concepts and debate relating to the notion and practices of aid effectiveness in development will be discussed in the context of international development and cooperation initiatives, as well as the Partnership for Global Economic Development and South-South Cooperation.

Reading list

G. Hyden, After the Paris Declaration: Taking on the Issue of Power, in Development Policy Review, 26, 3, 2008

R. Eyben, L. Savage, Emerging and Submerging Powers: Imagined Geographies in the New Development Partnership at the Busan Fourth High Level Forum, in Journal of Development Studies, Vol. 49, No. 4, 457–469, April 2013

P. de Renzio, J. Seifert, South–South cooperation and the future of development assistance: mapping actors and options, in Third World Quarterly, 2014, 35, 10, 2014

N.A, Besharati, Measuring Effectiveness of South-South Cooperation, Southern voice, occasional paper 52, 2019

S. Brown, The rise and fall of the Aid Effectiveness Norm, European Journal of Development Research, 32, 2020

J. Taggart, A Decade Since Busan: Towards Legitimacy or a ‘New Tyranny’ of Global Development Partnership?, The Journal of Development Studies, 58, 8, 2022

THIRD PART

Analysis of the processes of political and social development in the rural world of the countries of the global South: access to land, citizenship, agricultural reforms and rural development policies in an historical perspective. The relationship between agriculture, development, poverty reduction and food sovereignty will be discussed in the context of the international debate, as well as the role of agrarian reforms in the global South from an historical-political perspective.

Recommended readings:

H. Bernstein, Class dynamics of agrarian change, Kumarian Press; Sterling, VA, Halifax; Winnipeg Fernwood

Programme for students attending classes

Students attending classes must study the following texts

A. Pallotti, M. Zamponi, Le parole dello sviluppo, Carocci, Roma, 2014 (excluded chapts: decentralizzazione, microcredito, sicurezza, regionalismo)

A. Payne, N. Phillips, Development, Polity Press, Cambridge 2009(excluded chapts 1, 2)

Henry Bernstein, Class dynamics of agrarian change, Kumarian Press; Sterling, VA, Halifax; Winnipeg, Fernwood

2 articles chosen by students among the reading list of the second part.

Programme for students not attending classes

A. Pallotti, M. Zamponi, Le parole dello sviluppo, Carocci, Roma, 2014

Henry Bernstein, Class dynamics of agrarian change, Kumarian press; Sterling, VA, Halifax; Winnipeg Fernwood

A. Payne, N. Phillips, Development, Polity Press, Cambridge 2009

D. Craig, D. Porter, Development Beyond Liberalism. Governance, Poverty Reduction and Political Economy, Routledge, Abingdon 2006 (introduction and chapters of Part I)

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliographical references are indicated jointly with the syllabus.

Teaching methods

Lectures, analysis and discussion of papers and bibliographical references. Students are invited to actively participate during lessons on the bases of the reading list and their personal knowledge.

Assessment methods

The assessment of students, both for students attending and not attending classes, takes place through an oral examination aiming to evaluate the capacity of analysis and students' knowledge on concepts and debate about development issues in a political and historical perspective and about the main processes of transformation and of political and economic reforms in countries of the global south discussed during the course.

Teaching tools

Transparencies, maps, newspapers, documents and reports of international organisations.

Office hours

See the website of Mario Zamponi