POLI 2314.1 – POLITICS OF DEVELOPING AREAS
Instructor: Dr. Carlos Pessoa
Day/Time: M & W 11:30 – 12:45PM
Instructor Office: MN 520
Office Hours: M & W 4:00-5:00PM
E-mail:
carlos.pessoa@smu.ca
DESCRIPTION
The
course aims to introduce key features that formalize the dynamics of politics
in developing countries. Instead of focusing at particular geographical areas
(Africa, East & Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East), the
course examines key themes that cross boundaries of countries and shape a
common political domain. We discuss structural features that once had given
meaning to the term ‘
We
start with discussions on the meaning of development, in order to scrutinize
the meaning of being a ‘developing country’. We then turn towards a key issue
of concern in developing areas: the establishment of the State. As often
perceived by a number of analysts as being one of the key causes of
instability, we examine the challenges of constructing strong State in
developing countries. We then discuss Civil Society in developing counties,
examining how civic groups are different to their counterparts in developed
countries.
From
discussions of civil society, we examine the role that the military has played
on politics, discussing the factors that often lead to military intervention in
politics. From there, we discuss the democratization process and the limitations
of present democratic regimes in many developing countries. We then take a
number of issues of importance to developing countries: human rights,
environment & development. We examine the political dimension surrounding
each issue. We finalize the course by discussing two key issues at the
international level: globalization and its effects on developing countries, and
international terrorism & security.
OBJECTIVES
-
To introduce details of contemporary politics of the developing countries, with
theoretical tools with which one can make critical analysis.
-
To develop students’ skills in writing papers, as well as presentational
skills, both of which are fundamental to academic life.
-
To enable the student to proceed into specialized study on various themes
within the field of politics of developing countries.
- To help
the student remove the ethnocentric analytical tendencies that frequently tend
to affect understanding of politics in developing countries.
ASSIGNMENTS
Participation: 10%
Participation
is important in this course. Attendance is taken five times, randomly, each worth 2%. In order to
receive the full 10% of the participation mark, students need to be in class
and sign the attendance sheet.
Exam I: February 29
Exam II (date set
by Registrar office)
There will be two
exams, each representing 25% of the final
mark. The exams will be based on the class lectures and readings from the main
textbook only, up to the week before the exam date. The exam
should be written in pen.
Surprise Quiz: There will be 2 surprise quizzes at any given
date of class, which will test your readings. Each quiz is worth 5%.
Presentation: 20%
Presentation Outline: 10%
The
presentation should broadly show that students not only has done the basic
reading, but have also thought critically the topic. More specifically, the
presentation should demonstrate deeper reading and research about the chosen
topic. Basically, the presentation represents an application of the weekly
topic on a particular country or region of the developing countries. The
presentation should last between 15 - 20 minutes.
Along
with the presentation, students are required to submit a three to four pages
outline. The presentation outline should have the name and student number of
all students, a summary of the presentation, and list of extra used sources.
The
student is responsible to keep an extra copy of his/her paper, in case the
professor requests it. Failure to provide
an extra copy of the paper on request will lead to an ‘F’ as a mark for the
assignment.
Late Policy: Papers are due at the beginning of the class and they are not
accepted by e-mail. Extensions of deadlines are granted only due to illness, and must be followed by appropriate documents.
Late papers will be
penalized 5% per day up to 3 business days.
TEXTBOOK
Peter Burnell, Vicky Randall and Lise Rakner (editors), Politics
in the Developing World, third edition (New York: Oxford University Press,
2011)
There is
only one text required for this course. However, extra materials are listed for
each week. They will be particularly useful in preparing for presentations and
papers. It is the student’s
responsibility to access these readings in the library ahead of time for their
assignments and readings.
IN-CLASS ETIQUETTE
The
following are prohibited in the
classroom: listening to music;
speaking or text messaging on the phone (you
are required to turn off your cell phone while in class); reading the
newspaper; eating food; frequent entering and exiting the classroom; chatting
with friends and other distracting behavior. Please be sure to follow these in-class
etiquettes. You will be asked to leave otherwise.
COURSE
PROGRAM
January 04:
Introduction
We
start with an exposition and thorough explanation and expectations of the
course and its assignments.
Students
are required to sign in for presentation on a specific weekly topic, applied to
a case study.
Students
are asked to fill in the Student Profiles, which will help to keep track of
their marks and progress.
January 9
& 11: Defining Developing Countries and
Analytical Approaches
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries, Introduction, Chapter 1 & 2.
Peter
Calvert & Susan Calvert, Politics and
Society in the Third World (
Gilbert Rist, The History of Development (
Guiding Questions:
·
What
defines a country as a ‘developing country’?
·
What
are the differences and similarities of defining countries as ‘
January
16 & 18: Building State in Developing Countries
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall (editors), Politics in the Developing Coun tries,
chapter 11, 12, 13.
Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall (editors), Politics in the Developing Countries, 20a & 20b
Peter
Calvert & Susan Calvert, Politics and
Society in the Third World (
Jamil E. Jreisat,
Governance and Developing Countries (
Guiding Questions:
- How do politics link the state with civil
society in developing countries?
- What are some of the main
challenges in the formation of the state in developing countries?
January
23 & 25:
Civil
Society: Traditional and Modern Civic Groups
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries, chapter 9.
Peter
Burnell & Vicky Randall (editors), Politics in the Developing Countries,
chapter 21a & 21b.
William
Case, ‘
Guiding Questions:
- How can we evaluate political
participation in the developing countries?
- What are the factors limiting
political participation?
January 30
& February 1: Military in
Politics
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries, chapter 22a.
Peter
Calvert & Susan Calvert, Politics and
Society in the Third World (
Guiding Questions:
- How does bureaucratic-authoritarianism
differs from personalistic military
dictatorship?
- Is it fair to believe that
presently the military no longer play a role politics?
February 6
& 8: Democratization Process and Democratic Regimes
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries 14.
Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall (editors), Politics in the Developing Countries,22b
& 22c
Peter
Calvert & Susan Calvert, Politics and
Society in the Third World (
Larry
Diamond, Juan J. Linz, Seymour Martin Lipset (edt.), Politics in Developing
countries: comparing experiences with democracy, third edition (Boulder: L. Rienner
Publishers, 1995), chapter 1.
G. Shabbir Cheema, Building Democratic Institutions: Governance
Reform in Developing Countries (
Guiding Questions:
- What are the key features of
democratic processes in the developing countries?
- What are some limitations of
present democratic regimes in developing countries?
February 13
& 15:
On Human
Rights
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries, chapter 18.
Peter
Burnell & Vicky Randall (editors), Politics in the Developing Countries,
chapter 7.
Jeff
Haynes, Politics in the Developing World,
chapter 6.
A. A. An-Na’im, Cultural
Transformation and Human Rights in Africa (
Anne-Marie Hilsdom et al (edt.)
Human Rights and Gender Politics: Asia-
Pacific Perspectives (
Guiding Questions:
- How does the concept of Human
Rights in developing countries differ from that of developed countries?
- How do women’s movements in the
developing countries differ from those in developed countries?
February 20
– 25: Winter Break
February 27:
Revision
February 29:
Exam I
March 5 & 7: The Politics of Development
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries, chapter 16.
Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall (editors), Politics in the Developing Countries,chapter
23a & 23b.
Peter
Calvert & Susan Calvert, Politics and
Society in the Third World (
Guiding Questions:
- How have poverty and inequality
been measured in developing countries?
- How have policies of
development affected the developing countries? And who is to blame?
March 12
& 14: Environmental Issues
in Developing Countries
Reading
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries, chapter 14.
Jeff
Haynes, Politics in the Developing World,
chapter 8.
N. Patrick Peritore Third World
environmentalism: case studies from the Global South (Gainesville:
University Press of Florida, 1999).
Sarah Sturges Gardner, ‘Major themes in the study of grassroots
environmentalism in developing countries.’ Journal
of
Guiding Questions:
- How have environmental and
development issues been linked in developing countries?
- Is there a solution for
environment and development problems in the developing countries?
March 19
& 21: Globalization and Developing
Countries
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries, chapter 3.
Peter
Burnell & Vicky Randall (editors), Politics in the Developing Countries,
chapter 15.
Peter
Calvert & Susan Calvert, Politics and
Society in the Third World (
Jomo K. S. & Shyamala
Nagaraj, Globalization
versus Development (
Eleanor A. Doumato & Marsha P. Posusney,
Women and Globalization in the Arab
Middle East: Gender, Economy & Society (
Guiding Questions:
- How has globalization affected
the economies of developing countries?
- Is it possible to escape from,
or reverse, globalization?
March 26
& 28: Issues of Security
(*)Peter Burnell & Vicky Randall
(editors), Politics in the Developing
Countries, chapter 19.
James D. Kiras, ‘Terrorism and globalization’, in John Baylis & Steve Smith (ed.), The Globalization of World Politics, third edition (
John O’Loughlin et al (editors), Globalization and its Outcomes (
Guiding Questions:
- How has international terrorism
affected the perception of people of Middle Eastern descent in the West?
- How the concept of Security
differs in developing and developed countries?
April 2: Conclusion and Revision