| Description |
This course provides an overview of theories and concepts in the fields of international development and sociology to delineate the complexities of social change. Drawing on case studies, it examines the ways “global spaces”, i.e., international development policies are translated and transformed within contexts (political, cultural, and socio-economic, temporal) and the extent to which these contexts may be transformed by such initiatives. It analyzes power struggles that occur at macro, meso, and micro levels and the consequent “positioning” and “position-taking” that define social change among different political and social actors in different contexts.
To better depict complexities of international development and social change, this course will examine national and international projects and statistics related to gender equality and women empowerment, education, health, migration, environment, food security, labor market, unemployment, and poverty.
The first part of the course (4 sessions) discusses the basic foundations and the historical and theoretical aspects of international development, i.e., the world order pursued by the Bretton Woods organizations, the modernization theories as well as a discussion of some of the main discourses and mechanisms of international development including the UN charter and the declaration of Human Rights. In parallel relevant sociological theories that can explain social change are reviewed to delineate the shortcomings or bottlenecks of international initiatives and their local implementation.
The second part of the course (4 sessions) will provide further insights into functioning, funding, and priorities of international development agenda in the recent two decades and its impact on social change in the Global South. It will examine the shifting role of the Global South States as well as the capitalist economic system, political authoritarianism, global value chains, neo-colonialism, techno-fascism and development particularly focusing on poverty, health, education, gender and human rights, migration, and environment. |