Rich And Poor Nations: The North-South Dialogue

Rich and Poor Nations: The North-South Dialogue

International Relations/Social Sciences 540

Instructor: A.Y. Yansané

Office: HSS 334

Hours: T & Thu 9-10 a.m. & by appt.

Office: Phone: (415) 338-2495; Fax: (415) 338-2880

E-mail: aymouke@sfsu.edu

Website: http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~aymouke

Website: http://bss.sfsu/africanstudies

I. INTRODUCTION: SCOPE, CONTENT AND EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

The general objective of the course is to examine the socio-economic problems and policies of Third World countries (Africa, Asia, South and Central America) in order to foster an understanding of the major analytical and policy issues surrounding the problems of (under-) development. As such, the course combines an examination of the theoretical and practical aspect of development (general concept, models, structural characteristics, the expansion of world political economy, and the strategies for reversing the process of underdevelopment), with analysis of the social and economic inequalities left behind by the colonial powers, hence the dichotomies of rich and poor nations, industrialized and developing countries, North and South, etc. By taking specific questions such as poverty and population growth in Asia, agrarian crisis in Latin America, agricultural development in Africa, unemployment, industrialization, the modernization debate, social stratification, and income inequality, we will discuss them from both the general perspective of (under-) development theory, and from a perspective which emphasizes the experience of selected Third World countries. The specific objective is to understand the history of a given socio-economic problem as well as critical evaluation of policy prescriptions employed to solve the problem.

This course is a Social Science course which draws upon economic, historical, political, sociological, and policy oriented materials. The successful completion of this course or the expected learning outcome should enable the student to understand and analyze the environmental constraints and opportunities (domestic and foreign) which challenge economic and political development as well as business management in the Third World

In sum, the learning outcomes or objectives ar the following:

1) to study the origin of the world economy and the history of the economic, political and cultural problems of people, communities, societies, and nation-states of counties of colonial legacy;

2) to understand the devastating economic consequences of colonialism on societies and nation-states;

3) to understand those processes involved in the implementation of the values and constructs affecting the world economy, in order to redress the violations against humanity;

4) to be aware and integrate the knowledge and skills around the big issues of development ( government and stability, peace and war, capacity building, environment, women ‘ s issues, population, agriculture, industrialization, education, health, infrastructure, economic integration, debt overhang, AIDS, foreign aid, North/South negotiations, etc.), in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean and Pacific Islands, ie the South or Third World and E$astern European Countries in transition;

5) to be aware of and explore problems and issues brought by colonialism, imperialism and globalism;

6) to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems such as reversing the process of underdevelopment;

7) to critically examine contemporary ethical, political and economic issues such as growing inequality of income and wealth, violence, miltarization, heavy handedness, repression, denial of basic human rights, etc.

8) to be aware of and appreciate cultural, ethnic or social diversity in the South and understand how a given problem or achievement may be experienced differently;

9) to develop students ‘ capacity for critical analysis and synthesis;

10) to be aware of and explore problems and issues from different disciplinary approaches.

II. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

This course is offered for four units. There will be four hours of lecture and discussions per week. Discussions are an integral part of the course. Sometimes there will be guest lecturers. Students will be evaluated on their performance on brief exams, a mid-term, a final exam, the discussions of the assigned readings, and individual projects or term papers. The objectives of the course are to be reached in large measure by extensive reading and class discussions.

The two brief exams will cover the readings and lecture materials. Each student will write one research paper (approximately 15-20 pages) on a topic of his/her choice, to be cleared by the instructor before the beginning of the second week of the semester.

A student can also choose (instead of the term paper) three book reviews to be devoted to a topic linked to one of the themes of the course. The three books must be cleared with the instructor before the beginning of the second week of the semester. The first review is due on February 20^th, the second review on March 20th, and the third review on April 19th.

The two brief exams will constitute 40% of the course grade. They will be in the 8th and final weeks of class. The final paper will constitute 50% of the grade. Class participation will make the remaining 10%. Movies and audiovisual documentaries will be regularly shown in class. Students will be expected to take notes and bring 2-3 page reviews of films and audio-visuals at the coming lecture. They will all count in class participation.

III. REQUIRED READINGS

1a.A.Y.Yansané (Ed.) READER, required for the class.

2. Choose one of the following books on Poverty:

2a. Paul Collier, The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It? Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. OR

2b. Neil Webster and Lars Engberg-Pedersen, In the Name of the Poor: Contesting Political Space for Poverty reduction , NY: Zed Books, Development/Poverty Studies, 2002. Or

2c. Jeffry D. Sachs, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Times, NY; Penguin Books, 2005. Or

2d.Erik S. Reinert, How Rich Countries Got Rich and Why Poor Countries Stay Poor, N Y: Public Affairs, 2007. Or

2e. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Strengthening Efforts to Eradicate Poverty and Hunger: Dialogues at the Economic and Social Council, NY: United Nations Publications,

2007. Or

2f. Sam Daley-Harris, (Ed.), Pathways Out of Poverty: Innovations in Microfinance for the Poorest Families, Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press, 2002. Or

2g. Anirudh Krishna, John A. Booth et al., (Eds.), Poverty, Participation, and Democracy: A Global Perspective,

2h. Francçois Bourguignon et al. (Eds.), The Impact of Economic Policies on Poverty and Income Distribution : Evaluation Techniques and Tools, Washington, DC: The World Bank,

2003. Or

2i. Sylvia Chant, Gender, Generation, and Poverty: Exp-loring the Feminization of Poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America, Northampton, MA:P Edward Elgar Publ. 2007.

2j. Zillah Eisentein, Against Empire, NY: Zed Books, 2004. Or

2k. Kristin Helmore and Naresh Singh, Sustainable Livelihoods: Building on the Wealth of the Poor, West Hartford, CT: Kumarian Press, 2001. Or

2l. Ralph Hamann et al. (Eds.),The Business of Sustainable Development in Africa: Human Rights, Partnerships, Alternative Business Models,

3. Choose to read one of the following on theory of development economics or read all the summaries in the Reader.

3a. Albert Hirschman (AH), Essays in Trespassing: Economics, Politics and Beyond, Cambridge: Cambridge U.P. 1984. Or

3b. Alain de Janvry (AJ), The Agrarian Question in Latin America, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins U.P., 1981. Or

3c. Joel S. Migdal (JM), Peasants, Politics & Revolution, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1986. Or

3d. Clint E. Smith, Inevitable Partnership: Understanding Mexico-US Relations (2000). Or

3e. Julia Buxton and Nicola Phillip (Eds), Development in Latin American Political Economy: States, Markets and Actors, Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1999. Or

3d. The World Bank (WB), South East Asian Miracle, Washington: The World Bank, 1993. Or

3e T.J Pempel (ed.) The Politics of Asian Crisis, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1999.

4. Choose to read one of the following:

4a. Gerald Meier (Ed.) Leading Issues in Economic Development, N.Y.: Oxford U. Press, 2008. Or

4b. David Harvey, A Brief History of Neo-liberalism, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007. Or

4c. Ha-Joon Chang, Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism, NY; Bloomsbury Press, 2008. Or

4d. Sylvia Maxfield, Gatekeepers of Growth: The International Political Economy of Central Banking in Developing Countries, Princeton:

Princeton University Press, 1999/2000. Or

4e. Pietra Rivoli, The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley, 2005. Or

4f. Ronie Garcia-Johnson, Exporting Environmentalism: US Multinational Corporations in Brazil and Mexico, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. Or

4g. Simone Livio and Frank Popoff, Eco-efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. Or

4h. Thomas Oatley, International Political Economy, Interests and Institutions in the Global Economy, NY: Parson Longman, 2008. Or

4i. David C. Korten, When Corporations Rule the World, West Hartford, CT: Kumarian Press, 2000. Or

4j. David J. Saari, Global Corporationsand Sovereign Nations: Collision or Cooperation, Westport, CT, & London: Quorum Books, 1999. Or

4k. Tim Josling, et al., Food Regulation and Trade, Toward a Safe and Open Global System, Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics, 2004.

5 Choose to read one of the following books:

5a. The South Commission (SCom), The Challenge to the South, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1990. Or

5b. The South Centre (SCen), Facing the Challenge, London & New Jersey: Zed Books, 1993. Or

5c. International Commission on Peace & Equity (ICPE), Uncommon Opportunities, Zed Books, 1994. Or

5d. Lester R. Brown, et al. (LB), The State of the World,2010 (or current year), New York: WW Norton & Company, 2010, or the current

year. Or

5e. Lester R. Brown, et al. (LB, et al.), Vital Signs 2010 (or current year), New York: WW Norton & Company, 2010 (or current year). Or

5f. International Forum on Globalization (IFG), Alternatives to Globalization: A Better World Is Possible, NY: Berrett-Koehler Publ. Inc. 2004. Or

5g. Jagdish Bhagwati, In Defense of Globalization, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Or

5h. Joseph Stiglitz, Globalization and Its Discontents, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001.

IV BOOKS FOR REVIEWS

Books for Review - International Political Economy - Download PDF - 14 pages

V. COURSE OUTLINE

1^ST Week	Read first chapter in: Reader	REVIEW OF METHODS Method of Critique Decolonization & Dependence
2^nd Week	Reading: Reader	COLONIALISM/IPE STRUCTURES AND PROBLEMS/AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT DECOLONIZATION/DEPENDENCY Case Studies: Nigeria, Tanzania
3^rd Week	Reading: Reader	GENERAL CONCEPT MODELS/POPULATION QUESTIONS
4^TH Week	Reading: Reader	AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRIALIZATION ATTEMPTS AT INTEGRATION
5^th Week	Reading on Poverty & Development Economics:	THE RISE AND DECLINE OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS THE STRATEGY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/LINKAGE APPROACH
6^th Week	Reading on Poverty & Development Economics:	INFLATION & AUTHORITARIANISM IN LATIN AMERICA EXIT VOICE LATIN AMERICA: THE AGRARIAN QUESTION & REFORMISM
7^th Week	Reading on Regions:	THE IMPACT OF MERCANTILISM COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM ON INWARD ORIENTED COMMUNITIES POLITICS & REVOLUTION IN ASIA
8^th Week	Reading on Regions:	MODERNIZATION & ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PUBLIC POLICY IN EAST ASIA
9^th Week	Reading on Theory of Development :	THEORY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH DUALISTIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCING OF DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCES INDUSTRIALIZATION/AGRICULTURE TRADE & DEVELOPMENT MARKETS, GOVERNMENTS TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS
10^thWeek	Reading on Theory of Development:	THEORY CONTINUED
11^th Week	Reading On North/South:	NORTH/SOUTH DIALOGUE THE SOUTH/ITS TASKS AT THE 21^st CENTURY SELF-RELIANT & PEOPLE-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT MOBILIZING THE SOUTH NORTH/SOUTH RELATIONS THE STATE OF THE WORLD VITAL SIGNS UNCOMMON OPPORTUNITIES
12^th Week	Reading on North/South & Globalization	NORTH/SOUTH CONTINUED
13^th, 14^thand 15th Weeks	Group Papers Discussions	CONCLUSIONS AND REVIEWS

V. OUTLINE OF GRADUATE PAPERS

Selection of a hypothesis in the field of economic, political, and business development (for graduate students). Formulate it in an operational way and state the alternative hypotheses that purport to explain the phenomena. State the implications of the hypotheses. Design and present data whereby the hypothesis could be tested. (You do not have to do the calculations or conduct significance tests; only describe the method you would follow, present your data and state your reasons for expecting that the test would be a good one). Please discuss with the instructor the paper that you propose to write no later than the end of the third week of class. The paper will account for 50% of the final grade, with the two brief exams and class participation making the balance.

Films to Be Shown in Class:

Students will be required to see and report on the following movies:

"Guelvaar" – 3^rd week.
(Uganda) "Tug of War" –5^th week.
(Uganda) "Mountain of Debt" –7^th week.
"Brazil" – 9^th week
"Mexico" – 11^th week.
"Africans Are Coming" – 13^th week.