Summer 2008 Courses
Required Courses
This course will provide a broad overview of major contemporary issues in the theory and practice of comparative and global development, with a major focus being on the relationship between development and economic globalization. The perspective is that of political economy and is highly interdisciplinary across the social sciences, particularly political science, sociology, economics, and geography. We will address the rise of the Third World and diverse national and regional trajectories of development; debates about economic growth and industrial development; democratization; social welfare policies to combat poverty and inequality; states and markets as competing development models; upgrading within global industries; and policy space for contemporary development strategies within global rules and institutions (the IMF, World Bank, and WTO). Economics in International Affairs (NINT 5109), or its equivalent, is a pre-requisite for taking this course.
Tuesday 6.00pm - 7.50pm and Thursday 6.00pm - 7.50pm
The aim of the course is two-fold: first, to familiarize students with the basic methodologies, theories, and practices of the social sciences, and second, to help students develop the ability to frame research questions. In general the course introduces students to fundamental issues, concepts, and techniques of social science research. The course examines various instruments (e.g., models, narratives) used in the social sciences, provides basic instruction on selected research methods, and discusses the design and implementation of research. The course will particularly focus on underlying principles of analysis and critical thinking. It also explores popular debates surrounding concept formation. In this latter area the course introduces students to continuities and discontinuities between the natural and social sciences, providing guidance through deductive nomological and/or contextual or indigenous models of explanation, and fact-value distinctions and neutrality issues in the social sciences. Finally, this course explores rival methods and concepts in the social science (including quantitative, qualitative, comparative, case study methods, and the increasingly abundant use of narratives in research).
Elective Courses
The aim of this course is to gain a deeper understanding of economic issues in the region known as the Middle East or South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), by studying and discussing various economic theories and applied approaches and their relevance to conditions in the region. The course will examine the legacy of colonialism and the presence of oil in shaping political and economic outcomes, as well as looking into the links between demography, labor markets, gender, poverty and development. Because of the large number of countries and topics, we will only be able to cover some of the issues of relevance to the region. As it is impossible to understand the political economy of the region without studying social, cultural and historical issues, the course will be taught with an interdisciplinary emphasis. Students are encouraged to pursue a topic (whether raised in class or not) in depth through their research papers.
Financial instability is much in the news with the consequences of the so-called sub-prime mortgage meltdown reverberating around the world. This course will look at the history and structures of financial crises, focusing on three recent and current events: a) the 1997 Asian financial crisis, b) Argentinas default in 2001, and c) our current financial difficulties. Students will understand why financial crises occur and who they affect, including especially women, children, and the poor. Students will learn the economics as well as the social dimensions of recent financial turmoil. This course will also serve to introduce students to the primary material that one uses to understand such events, including reports by the Federal Reserve, BIS, and IMF, as well as drawing on classic reading from Keynes, Minsky and Galbraith.
Section A: Buenos Aires / Alberto Minujin
Section B: Hong Kong / Everita Silina
Section C: India / Vyjayanthi Rao
Section D: Rio de Janeiro / Peter Lucas
Section E: Ethiopia / Mark Johnson
Section F: IRC / Mark Johnson
Section G: Kenya / Mark Johnson
Section H: Kunming / Ashok Gurung
Internship
*** Approval of advisor required before registering.
Students in good standing who have completed their first semester may register for up to three (3) credits through an approved internship. To qualify for credit, a student must work a minimum of 150 hours (10 hours/week during the regular semester or 20 hours per week during the summer session). Students may undertake non-for-credit internships at any time.
Students who wishishing to register for aa credit-bearing internships should take the following steps:
- First, identify the organization, secure the internship, and obtain written confirmation of the internship.
- Second, choose a faculty advisor and write a proposal that includes:
1. name and contact information for the organization
2. name and contact information for an on-site internship supervisor
3. period of internship, including number of hours
4. proposed tasks the intern will undertake
5. nature of a written report that the student will submit to the faculty advisor at the completion of the internship.
- Third, submit the proposal to the advisor and the Program Director. Applications must be submitted with enough time for full evaluation prior to registration, no later than two weeks prior to the start of the registration period.
Upon approval by the Program, the students registers following the standard procedure using the internship course number. An additional signed Internship Approval Form is required by the Registrationr office and is available at the GPIA office.
During the internship, thestudents is tmeet at least once with their faculty advisor to discuss progress. Upon successful completion of the internship, faculty advisors assign grades of P/pass or F/fail, based jointly on the the written reports of the student and written evaluations of the student's performance made by the the internship supervisor.
Independent Study
*** Approval of advisor required before registering.
After their first semester all students in good academic standing may register during pre-registration for one independent study. The Students must start with a problem or specific area of interest to investigate in detail, and then design a project with the approval of an interested faculty member who serves as the course advisor. Permission of both the project course advisor and the Director is required before a student can register for independent study.
NOTE: Independent study can only be registered for during pre-registration. All Students planning to register for independent study must submit an application in the form of a proposal that contains:
1. the specific subject or problem to be investigated
2. the proposed method for investigating the topic
3. a preliminary bibliography.
These materials must be submitted to and approved by the course advisor and the Program Director prior to registration. Applications must be submitted with enough time for full evaluation no later than two weeks prior to the start of the term registration period. Upon approval, the student registers following the standard procedure using the independent study course number provided by the program. Upon successful completion of the independent study project, the project supervisor assigns a letter grade.