An introduction to sociology of development

Course Description

Since the Second World War, much intellectual effort has been spent, particularly in sociology of development, trying to understand the root causes and solutions to the problem of poverty and under-development in the Global South.

The course traces the evolution of development theories historically and charts shifts in thinking about the root causes of under-development since the Second World War.

The course covers the contexts in which various development theories have surfaced, the debates surrounding each development theory, and the ideas of the key contributors.

Course Objectives

• To provide an overview of major debates in development theory
• To locate the theories of development within time and space in order to understand the historical, geographical, political, economic and cultural factors that gave rise to theory.
• To equip students with the necessary conceptual tools to apply theory to contemporary development problems and possibilities.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course, it is hoped that students will be able to:

• Gain a clear grasp of the contested meanings of the term ‘development’
• Critically evaluate a range of key theoretical debates in the field of development studies
• Relate theories to the concrete events and realities that produced them
• Apply key conceptual tools to contemporary development problems

The importance of Studying Theories of Development

This course introduces students to various theories that attempt to explain what ‘development’ is, how it occurs (or why it does not occur) and to whose benefit.

Despite the frequent use of the term ‘development’ in academic, policy and journalistic writings, there is little consensus on what it actually entails – or even if some discernible process exists at all.

For example, while modernization theory suggests that development is a sequence of structural changes that all societies eventually go through; post-development theories argue that the notion of ‘development’ is merely a rhetorical device that reproduces power relations between the West and the rest.

To begin to understand these debates, in this course, we shall survey several broad areas of development theory including modernization theory, dependency theory, neo-liberal theory of development, post-development, and human development.

Course Outline

The table below shows the evolution of development theories since the Second World War.  As indicated above, the course traces this evolution and explores the debates surrounding them.   The development theories covered in this module have been highlighted in red.

The outline is therefore as follows: