Studying at York
Development Paradigms - POL00064H
Module summary
This module looks at what are tools of comparative political economy of development and paradigmatic cases that have inspired core theories, and which illustrate key problems, such as the constitution of effective states, the civic realm, and the sequencing of economic development and democratization. Covering key development sequences or cases in Western Europe, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, the module also looks at key contemporary issues in the democratisation of development, including work, human development, anti-poverty policy and the constitution of welfare states in development
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2024-25 |
Module aims
The module aims to provide a critical take on modern development history and politics by giving students a grasp of the interplay between development paradigms and political economy, focusing on key theories, cases and topical policy themes. The module develops the skill of comparative and counterfactual reasoning in approaching the study of development paradigms, processes and problems. Students are challenged to understand how conceiving of development in political terms critically engages conventional theories of development, as well as the North-South divide in development studies. To that end, a comparative approach based in case studies is used to explore intersections between development experience at the national level and the global development paradigms. The module provides a multi-level perspective on development politics to help students grasp how ideational, political and institutional change at different levels interact. The module covers the comparative development perspective, theories of the state and institutions in development, and core approaches to development including developmentalism, neo-liberalism and human development, in the context of core case studies, followed by focus on key development policy debates, including the problem of work, income security and poverty, and citizenship and inequality.
Module learning outcomes
Students will gain comprehensive knowledge of the politics of development processes and problems and will be exposed to specialist reading on the topic. Student will learn how to use compare-and-contrast of key cases to test empirical and theoretical claims in core literatures. Students will learn to engage independently with some of the dominant political development theories, and through empirics testing and counterfactual reasoning test those critically. Students will use their comparative and historical knowledge to engage contemporary development policy problems independently. Students will learn to develop independent hypotheses or/and research questions concerning topical development challenges. They will learn to critically engage contemporary debates, using and referring to and interpreting contemporary media, blogs and discursive texts, as well as present their own take critically orally, through opinion pieces, as well as through using the conventional academic apparatus.
Module content
Likely structure to include:
1 Intro
2 Developmentalism and the developmental state
3 South Korea and China
4 Neo-liberalism - case of Latin America
5 The state, the civic and development in sub-Saharan Africa
6 Democratisation and ate development
7 Work and labour market institutions in development
8 Poverty and iNcome security in development
9 Welfare states in development
10 Revision
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Students will receive written timely feedback on their formative assessment. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s feedback and guidance hours.
Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessment no later than 25 working days; and the module tutor will hold a specific session to discuss feedback, which students can also opt to attend. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s regular feedback and guidance hours.
Indicative reading
Payne, A. and Philips, N. 2009, Cambridge: Polity Press
Sen. A. 1998, Development as Freedom, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Drydyk, J and (Eds), 2018, Keleher, L. Handbook of Development Ethics, London: Routledge.
Chang, Ha-Joon, 2008, Bad Samaritans, London: Random House
Chang, Ha-Joon, 2011, Twenty-Three Things they Don’t Tell you About Capitalism, Pengion Books
Kananen, J., 2014, The Nordic Welfare Stat ein Three Eras, From Emancipation to Discipline, Aldershot: Ashgate
Stiglitz. J., 2017 edition (2002), Globalisation and its Discontents, London: Penguin
Stiglitz, J. 2013, The Price of Inequality, London: Penguin
Woo-Cummings, M. 1999, The Developmental State, Ithaca: Cornell University Press
Haagh, L. 2019, Public Ownership within Varieties of Capitalism: Regulatory Foundations for Welfare and Freedom, in Stuart White and Angela Cummine (Eds), Special Issue on Public Ownership in the Twenty-First Century, in press