Development is one of the principal ideas of our time. The stated purpose of national and international development programs is to improve the wellbeing of people, whether through training, construction of roads and water supply schemes, or the improvement of health services, or in management of disasters such as the current pandemic. At the same time, the distribution of the benefits of development policies and projects are becoming more skewed, and the harmful effects of large-scale development projects are becoming more prominent. This situation leads us to ask what counts as development and for whom? How have modern societies sought to realize their visions of progress? The purpose of this foundational course is to get students to think about these questions by introducing them to the history, theory, and the contemporary practice of development. First, we will explore the concept of ‘development’ within the broader field of social sciences, and study the processes and policies of economic and social change. This will be followed by an analysis of the assumptions and effects of development programs and policies in specific areas of concern such as poverty, gender, education, conflict and urban development.
