Development is everywhere. Every day, all over the world from small villages to entire regions, social, political, and economic changes take place in the name of local and global development. Yet, what is development and why does it matter? In this course we think of development as change; change driven by particular ideas about what a good life should be. Communities all around the world are subject to policies and projects that seek to change their lives for the better. Some succeed, some do not. Some are designed locally, some are designed much further away. Some are the result of shared ideas about what makes human life better while others are challenges to the way things are and call for dramatic changes to society. Other major changes come about through external factors: the coronavirus pandemic, conflict and forced migration, climate change and extreme weather events, amongst others. In this course we explore what drives development interventions, their impacts on communities, and the ways they respond. We explore also the processes and influences that operate at a global level and that impact such fundamental concerns as human rights, population health, environmental and climate change, and migration.
Through a series of nine key topic areas that form the content of the course, you will learn why development thinking – and by extension development practice – has changed over time, and the extent to which its architects have learned from past failure and successes. You will be exposed to a variety of geographic case studies to see how development works (or doesn't) on the ground. You will leave this course with an appreciation about the complexities of development and with a solid foundation of what issues and concerns around development manifest and ought to be addressed at local, national, international and global levels.
