ZD342 Uneven Development: Geographical Perspective

Faculty of Science
Spring 2007
Extent and Intensity
2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
RNDr. Petr Daněk, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Václav Toušek, CSc.
Department of Geography – Earth Sciences Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: RNDr. Petr Daněk, Ph.D.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The course introduces students to critical discussion of the development concept. Development is portrayed as an idea originating in European rationalism and science. It spread globally through European colonialism and grew into a powerful discourse in the 20th century. Major approaches to development such as modernization and dependency schools are described and students are stimulated to their critical assessment. Changes in the discourse are related to global economic and geopolitical development in the second half of the 20th century. Voices denouncing the discourse – especially after “lost decade” of 1980s and debt crisis - are considered as a serious challenge, and possible alternatives to the (contemporary) discourse are discussed. The course consists of lectures and seminars. Students are encouraged to critical discussion based on their knowledge of required texts.
Syllabus
  • 1. The idea of progress 2. Divide and rule - development as colonialism 3. Case study: The British East India Company 4. Creating a post-colonial vision. Case study: indian nationalism and struggle for independence. 5. Cold-war geopolitics and creation of the Third World 6. Development as modernization 7. Case study: green revolution 8. Development as struggle against dependence. Dependency theories, neo-marxist approaches - Frank, Baran, Amin, Cardoso) 9. Debt crisis and rise of the Bretton-Woods institutions 10. Development as structural adjustement ("lost decade") 11. People against development: local perspectives (Shiva, Bahaguna, Baliapal movement...) 12. Case study: Narmada Hydel Project and Narmada Bachao Andolan 13. People against development: global perspectives (PGA, consumers campaigns, fair trade...) 14. Reaction of the discource (mainstram institutions): Millenium Development Goals.
Literature
  • The post-development reader. Edited by Majid Rahnema - Victoria Bawtree. 2nd imp. London: Zed Books, 1998, xix, 440 s. ISBN 1-85649-474-8. info
  • Development studies :a reader. Edited by Stuart Corbridge. 1st pub. London: Arnold, 1995, xix, 475 s. ISBN 0-340-61452-8. info
  • BROHMAN, John. Popular development :rethinking the theory and practice of development. 1st pub. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1996, 398 s. ISBN 1-55786-316-4. info
  • JOHNSTON, R.J. and Peter TAYLOR. Geographies of Global Change. Remapping the World. 2th ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2002, xviii, 518. ISBN 0-631-22285-5. info
  • JEHLIČKA, Petr, Jiří TOMEŠ and Petr DANĚK. Stát, prostor, politika. Vybrané otázky politické geografie. (State, space, politics. Selected issues of political geography.). Praha: Univerzita Karlova, Přírodovědecká fakulta, 2000, 276 pp. ISBN 80-238-5566-2. info
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Součástí výuky je četba odborných textů, průběžně během semestru (před semináři), cca 80 stran (většinou v angličtině, část v češtině). Zkouška je písemná.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught: every other week.
Information on course enrolment limitations: pro studenty doktorského studijního programu
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2008, Spring 2010, Spring 2012.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2007, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2007/ZD342