GEOG2014
DEVELOPMENT GEOGRAPHY
Dr C Lemanski, Dr B. Page & Prof A Varley
Unit value: 0.5 unit Year 2 Term 2
Brief Course Description
The course reviews the nature and extent of poverty and development theories and policy interventions, with case studies from the world’s poorest regions.
Course Aims
To provide a broad awareness and understanding of the key theories and policy debates which inform poverty and development ideas and strategies, as well as the empirical context of different regions of the world. The course also encourages critical thinking and wide reading.
Course Content
The course covers the following key topics: introduction to development theories, understandings and measurements of poverty, key institutions involved in formulating and implementing development policy, current policy debates regarding development (e.g. NGOs, civil society, aid, participation), with regional case studies highlighting the applicability of these theoretical and empirical topics.
Method of Teaching
Two hours of lectures per week.
Form of Assessment
100% Exam (3hrs)
Relationships to other Courses
No pre-requisities. This course will introduce mostly new material to students (though it will build on some aspects of GEOG1007 Global Geographies and GEOG1004 Human Ecology).
Preliminary Reading
Desai, V. and Potter, R.B. (eds.), 2008, The Companion to Development Studies, London: Arnold.
Kothari, 2005, A Radical History of Development Studies, London: Zed Books
Potter, R.B., Binns, T., Elliott, J.A. and Smith, D.W., 2008, Geographies of Development, Pearson Prentice Hall.
Willis, 2011, Theories and Practices of development (2nd edn), London: Routledge.
The following websites also offer a useful introduction to the course:
World Bank www.worldbank.org
ID21 Research www.id21.org
Institute of Development Studies http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/researchgateway/index.html
United Nations Development Programme http://www.undp.org/
Department for International Development http://www.dfid.gov.uk/
Overseas Development Institute http://www.odi.org.uk/
DFID Developments Magazine http://www.developments.org.uk/
Eldis Gateway to Development Information http://www.eldis.org/
