Comparative Development Experience
- NINT 5000 - Comparative Development Experience (Fall 2008)
This is an introductory course to the study of development, a field that is characterized by diverse theoretical perspectives. Controversies about essential ends and means as well as empirical trends are a constant feature of academic policy and debates. At the heart of these debates are questions such as: Is development about economic growth, modernization or expansion of human freedoms and social justice? Is poverty rising or falling? How should poverty be defined and measured? Is there a trade off between equity and growth? Is there a trade off between democracy and development? How important is macroeconomic stability? What is the appropriate role of the state? Is development a linear process? The course is intended to prepare students to approach these questions in an informed and analytical fashion, by introducing them to the concepts, measures and policy considerations that are the currency of these debates.
Economics in International Affairs (NINT 5109), or its equivalent, is a pre-requisite for taking this course.