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Political Change in the Third World

Politics 218 TTh 9:40-11:10AM | ETN 209

Qʼeqchiʼ Maya families march against intra-familial violence on International Womenʼs Day 2005

Zona Reyna, Uspantán, El Quiché, Guatemala

Prof. Megan Ybarra Email: mybarra@willamette.edu Office: 318 Smullin, 370-6664 Office Hours: Tuesdays, 2:30 – 3:30 PM; Thursdays, 4:30 – 5:30 PM Final Exam: Tuesday, December 14, 8AM – 11AM Course Description The course introduces the theory and practice of political and social change in the Third World. Together, we will trace the historical production of development as an international economic project carried out in poor, postcolonial countries—its uses, its rejections, and its transformations. Throughout the course, we will critically examine political possibilities for change in such topics as land, labor and livelihood struggles; race, gender and social movements; and state-society relations in the 21st century.

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Student Learning Outcomes: We will use the project of international development as a lens to examine political change in the Third World. Together, we will not find simple solutions, but we will practice critical inquiry. Specifically, in this course students will:

• Explain theories of development using simple language and examples; • Apply theories to a case study through a research paper; and • Critique theories of development presented, both in theory and in practice.

The overarching goal of the course is not for you to learn other peopleʼs ideas by rote, but for you to analyze these ideas. At the end of the semester, you will present your own arguments of how the theory and practice of development engage with political change in the Third World. Course Requirements There are three sets of requirements for the course: (1) A research-based essay that analyzes a case study of the studentʼs choice (for example, microcredit in Bangladesh). To write your 6-8 page essay, you will need to conduct background research on your country, apply theories covered in class, and make an argument. Two brief preparatory assignments will also count towards your essay grade. (30% of the final grade).

• Completed essays must be handed in at the beginning of class on the due date.

• Late essays lose 10% per day late. An essay is late if you did not turn it in at the beginning of class on the due date.

• Coherent writing is crucial to this component of your grade. If you have trouble writing or are a non-native English speaker, you may want to seek help from the Writing Center.

(2) Exams (three exams, totaling 60% of the final grade): • The first midterm will be in class on Tuesday, October 12 (15% of the final

grade). • The second midterm will be a take-home exam, due on Friday, November 19

(15% of the final grade). • The final exam must be taken at the time assigned by the registrarʼs office:

December 14, 8-11AM (30% of the final grade). (3) Class participation and short assignments (10% of the final grade). Creating a Collaborative Learning Environment: In pursuit of the goal of academic excellence, I seek to foster diversity because it stimulates creativity, promotes the exchange of ideas, and enriches campus life. In this class, we will tackle politically challenging controversies and engage in critical dialogue, so we will have to work together to create a supportive and respectful environment. It is my hope that we will openly discuss our opinions of hot topics—Just remember that in scholarly debate, we critique ideas, we do not criticize individuals.

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Accommodations: If you observe a religious holy day that prevents you from attending class (or part of class), please notify me in the first two weeks of class. Likewise, if you have a disability and you need accommodations, please notify me during the first two weeks of class. You will also need to verify eligibility and make arrangements through the Bishop Wellness Centerʼs Disability and Learning Services (www.willamette.edu/dept/disability). Academic Honesty: In fairness to students who put in an honest effort, cheaters will be punished. The Collegeʼs Plagiarism and Cheating Policy is available at http://www.willamette.edu/cla/catalog/resources/policies/index.php. Any evidence of cheating or plagiarism (representing someone elseʼs work as your own) will earn a zero on the assignment in question and will be reported to the College, which may impose separate sanctions up to expulsion. If you are unsure whether you have provided adequate citation for your work, please ask me before turning in the assignment. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable defense. Required Books:

• McMichael, Philip. Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective. Fourth edition.

• Sangtin Writers, and R. Nagar. 2006. Playing with Fire: Feminist thought and activism through seven lives in India. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

If you would like a more in-depth reader on the political economy of development, I recommend: Peet, R., and E. Hartwick. 2009. Theories of Development: Contentions, arguments, alternatives. Second edition ed. New York and London: Guilford Press. This book is on reserve at the Hatfield Library. Course Outline: The course is organized in three parts.

I. Foundations in Political Economy: We will begin with a basic overview of the underpinnings of modern debates in the theory and practice of international development.

II. Development as an International Project: We will trace development as an international project that emerged at the end of World War II in the context of global decolonization. We will critically examine sedimented Cold War histories, and debate to what extent these shape the current trajectory of development.

III. Rethinking Development after the Cold War: Now that the “Third World” has been replaced with “developing” and “postcolonial” countries, how much has changed? Has the War on Terror replaced the Cold War? We will examine what kinds of development might be successful by examining case studies that may include: land titling, microcredit, bednets for malaria prevention, and carbon markets for sustainable development.

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Part I: Foundations in Political Economy August 31 – September 2 Tuesday: Introduction to the Course Thursday: What is the Third World?

• Hall, S. 1992. The West and the rest: Discourse and power. In Formations of Modernity, ed. S. Hall and B. Gieben. Cambridge: Polity Press, 275-332.

• Recommended: McMichael, 43-44 September 7 – 9 Tuesday: Adam Smith & Capitalism

• Brown, V. “The Beginnings of Modern Economics” In Formations of Modernity, ed. S. Hall and B. Gieben. Cambridge: Polity Press, 145-166, 170-175.

• “Adam Smith and the Not So Invisible Hand,” interview with Amartya Sen starts with 10:35 minutes left, http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2009/12/podcast_adam_smith_and_the_not.html

Thursday: Karl Marx & Marxism

• Harvey, D. 2010. A Companion to Marx's Capital. London and New York: Verso. Chapter 1.

• Marx, K., and F. Engels. 1977. The Communist Manifesto. In Karl Marx. Selected Writings, ed. D. McLellan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 221-247.

September 14 – 16 Tuesday: Does Capitalism Create its Own Crises?

• Polanyi, K. [1944] 2001. The Great Transformation: Political and economic origins of our time. ed. F. Block. Boston: Beacon Press. Blockʼs introduction.

• Watch: “Crises of Capitalism”: http://comment.rsablogs.org.uk/2010/06/28/rsa-animate-crisis-capitalism/

Thursday: Colonialism and Nineteenth Century Globalization

• Bernstein. “Colonialism, Capitalism and Development.” In Poverty and Development. Ed. Tim Allen and Allen Thomas. Oxford University Press.

Part II: Development as an International Project September 21 – 23 Tuesday: Introduction to Decolonization & Development

• Students will have a reading & writing assignment in preparation for our in-class discussion.

Thursday: Development as an International Project

• McMichael, Ch. 2

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September 28 – 30 Tuesday: Modernization Theory

• Gilman, N. 2003. Mandarins of the Future: Modernization theory in Cold War America. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Chapter 1.

• Skim: Rostow, R. 1960. The Stages of Economic Growth: a Non-Communist manifesto. pgs. 4-16.

Paper Proposals: Submit a paragraph (~½ page) that describes what country and what topic you are going to study. Hard-copies due at the beginning of class Thursday: Post WWII International Order

• McMichael, Ch. 3 October 5 – 7 Tuesday: Dependency Theory

• Cardoso is talking about a common conception of dependency theory. If youʼre not sure what that is, read the short piece from Isbister (on WISE) or look it up on Wikipedia before you read the paper.

• Cardoso, F. H. 1977. The Consumption of Dependency Theory in the United States. Latin American Research Review 12 (3):7-24.

Thursday: Globalizing National Economies

• McMichael, Ch. 4 Midterm I review sheet posted on WISE October 12 – 14 Tuesday: **In-Class Midterm I** Thursday: Development and Cold War Violence

• Latham, M. E. 2000. Modernization as Ideology: American social science and "nation building" in the Kennedy era. Chapel Hill and London: University of North Carolina Press. Chapter 5, “Modernization at war”

• Metz, S. 1995. Counterinsurgency: Strategy and the phoenix of American capability. Carlisle Barracks, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. Introduction only.

October 19 – October 21 (Week 8) Tuesday: The End of the World (as we knew it)

• McMichael, Ch. 5

Thursday: A Washington Consensus? • Lal, Deepak. 1985. The misconceptions of 'development economics.ʼ

Finance and Development, 22:2, 10-13. • Williamson 1990. What Washington Means by Policy Reform. Peterson

Institute for International Economics.

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PART III: Rethinking Development After the Cold War October 26 – October 28 Tuesday: Crisis and Consequences

• Listen: “Act Two: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one economic plan…” http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/410/social-contract

Thesis Statement: In ½ - 1 page, describe the argument your paper will develop, the readings from class you will cite, and the evidence you will use to prove your argument. The most important part will be your one-sentence thesis statement. Thursday: Zapatistas & Global Citizenship

• Jeffries, F. 2001. Zapatismo and the Intergalactic Age. In Globalization and Postmodern Politics: from Zapatistas to high-tech robber barons, ed. R. Burbach. London: Pluto Books, 129-144.

• Monsivaís, C. 2002. From the subsoil to the mask that reveals the visible Indian. In The Zapatista Reader, ed. T. Hayden. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press / Nation Books, 123-132.

November 2 – 4 Tuesday: Structural Adjustments

• McMichael, Ch. 6 Thursday: New Social Movements and International Development

• McMichael, Ch. 8 November 9 – 11 Tuesday: Against Development?

• Sachs, W. ed. 1992. The Development Dictionary: A guide to knowledge as power. London: Zed Books. “Introduction” and “Development”, pgs. 1-25.

• Escobar, A. 1995. Encountering Development: the making and unmaking of the Third World: Princeton University Press. Pgs. 39-44.

Thursday: Post-Colonial Development

• Kothari, U. 2006. From colonial administration to development studies: a post-colonial critique of the history of development studies. In A Radical History of Development Studies: Individuals, institutions and ideologies, ed. U. Kothari. London and New York: Zed Books, 47-66.

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November 16 – 18 Tuesday: Sustainable Development and Carbon Markets Choose one of the following and watch in preparation for our class discussion:

• “Carbon Hunters:” http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/carbonwatch/2010/05/the-carbon-hunters.html

• “The Burning Season:” http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/burning-season/video-full-episode/1987/

**Tuesday, November 16: Take-Home Midterm II posted on WISE ** Thursday, November 18: No Class **Friday, November 19: Take-Home Midterm II DUE ** November 23 Tuesday: After 9/11: When is Counterinsurgency (like) Development?

• Listen: “Hearts and Minds” (on WISE) Thursday: Thanksgiving Break, No Class November 30 – December 2 Tuesday: Challenges of Development Practice and NGOization

• Sangtin Writers: Chapters 1-6 Thursday: Global Feminisms and the Challenge for Social Change

• Sangtin Writers: Introduction, Postscript, and Foreword December 7 – December 9 Tuesday: What is to be done?

• Sachs, Jeffrey. “Can Extreme Poverty be Eliminated?” in Scientific American Sept. 2005 (argument of his book, The End of Poverty)

• Easterly, William. “The Utopian Nightmare” in Foreign Policy, Sept/Oct 2005 (argument of his book, The White Manʼs Burden)

• Face-Off!: Read Sachʼs review of Easterlyʼs book in the Lancet, and Easterlyʼs response.

Thursday: Final Review Session Final Papers are Due—Submit both hard-copy and electronically on WISE. Final Exam: Tuesday, December 14, 8:00AM – 11:00AM