Entry requirements

Political Science basic course or Development studies basic course or equivalent education.

Aims

The aim of the course is to focus some of the important themes and debates about development and globalisation.

Content

The course is divided into three sections. The first focuses on aspects of development in the history of ideas, and discussions about development aid. The second part deals with political institutions and economic growth. It also brings into focus the debate on governance on the global level. The third part aims to deepen our understanding of 'development as freedom' – the approach introduced via Amartya Sen's book in the A-course – through Martha Nussbaum's Women and Human Development. In the book Nussbaum presents her 'capability approach' and gives her philosophical arguments for it. The third part also includes Nobel laureate Douglass North's recent Understanding the Process of Economic Change where he discusses some of the fundamental problems in changing institutions to bring about development.

Instruction

The assignments will be handed out at the lecture for each seminar. The deadline is at 12.00 the day before the seminar. The assignments will be graded just according to whether it has "passed" or "not passed". The written test is on 1 November, the re-test on 26 November. You need to do all three parts during this semester to pass (otherwise there is a new chance during the fall semester 2006).

The Course paper should deal with one of the themes in the course and may be selected together with one of the course teachers. The paper, which you will distribute to all the course participants, will be discussed in a seminar at the end of the course where your active participation is part of the course requirements. The paper should be about 6-10 pages (and not exceed 20,000 characters).

Assessment

Grades – passed with distinction (väl godkänt), passed (godkänt) or not passed (underkänt) – will be determined through

i) written assignments within each theme of the course,

ii) a written exam, and

iii) a final essay.

The exact calculus is this: Written assignments = max 20 points (min 10 p to pass)

Written exam = max 40 ponts (min 20 p to pass)

Final paper = max 40 points (min 20 p to pass)

To pass the whole course you need at least to pass each of the three parts. To pass with distinction you need 80 p or more.

Other regulations

For exchange students only.