EDS102 Introduction to Development Thinking

The course comprises three blocks:

1. Introduction to key social science concepts used in development. These include: institutions, structure and agency, power, the market, culture and ethnicity, and the state.

2. Introduction to theories of development. We explore the history of development before examining modernisation, dependency, Marxism, neoliberalism, human rights, poverty and inequality.

3. Concepts of environment and development. We explore the history of the concept of sustainable development, the risk society, the green economy, gender and the environment, the valuing of ecosystems services, market environmentalism and the no-growth economy.

Knowledge:

The student is able to describe/explain

• basic social science concepts used in Development Studies
• central theories of development in Development Studies
• the roots and history of Environment and Development Studies
• general concepts of environment in Environment and Development Studies

Skills:

The student is able to

• engage in thinking about current and historical perspectives of development
• apply theory to analyse real-world problems
• engage in academic discussion around environmental and social issues
• write academic texts

General competence:

The student has a general overview and understanding of development thinking, and of basic social science concepts, development theory, and the history of development, and the roots and theory of sustainable development and environment-development relations.