Instructor:
This course explores the meaning of global ‘development’. What does it mean to be developed, and how did ‘development’ become a universally accepted idea? Are there different views on what it means to be developed, and how do mainstream actors engage with these differences? To answer these questions, we unpack the historical idea of development by comparing the developed to those considered ‘underdeveloped.’ We will explore the context in which this concept of development gained traction and legitimacy and became popular as a hegemonic idea. We will investigate and critique the different models to promote development in developing countries and discuss some of the actors involved. Lastly, we will look at alternate locally grounded conceptions of development and local views on what it means to be developed. We will understand the interaction between these more localised views on development and the mainstream hegemonic global development concept.