International Development Studies

Poverty, inequality and injustice are persistent features of our world. This foundational course sets out to answer the following questions: How did things get this way? What has been done about it? And, what progress is being made? As these questions are explored we survey many of the salient issues in the field of international development studies including climate change, war, debt, global trade rules, foreign, aid, hunger and malnutrition, habitat destruction, rural and urban livelihoods, and population growth.

This course is a sequel to IDS1103. It explores i) how actors include international organizations, states, non-governmental organizations, and community-based groups have struggled to achieve greater economic and social justice and ii) how social scientists, development practitioners, and community activists have assessed the key practices and debated the key theories of international development.

This course integrates learning with a community based service project on an overseas international development initiative. The aim is to enrich students' education by providing a unique opportunity for acquiring first-hand skills and experiences. Students must consult with the IDS Co-ordinator to develop their Practicum prior to registration. The course is graded on a Credit/No Credit basis.

This course explores evolving perspective and schools of thought in the field of International Development Studies ranging from earlier modernization theory through to recent 'grassroots postmodernism.' Specific subjects covered may include the movement of peoples, the legacy of failed states and protracted regional conflicts, agrarian transformation, the impact of infra-structural projects, the question of sustainable development, global development organizations, and political resistance.

This course considers the practical and transferable management skills necessary to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate development projects, using group discussions, realistic project scenarios, and exercise simulations.

This course is compulsory for Honours students. The student conducts an independent research project on an important issue concerning international development studies under the direction of a member of the IDS program.