Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Introduction
Course description
This lecture series will introduce students to basic theories and approaches ininternational development. We will begin by examining how development has been
defined, measured, and approached by the development community. This is followed by
the review of classical theories of development that examine the roles of the market andthe state in promoting development. We will try particularly to understand theories
about modernization and underdevelopment, the two major currents of thought that
explore the causes of why nations stay poor. We will then look at development actors,i.e., foreign donors, aid recipients, international financial institutions, the United
Nations, multinational corporations, and civil society organizations. Lastly, we will
discuss some of the current issues in international development: environment, rural andurban development, and health. By the end of this course, students will be expected
to demonstrate their understanding of the evolution of development theories aswell as their ability to articulate their views concerning current development
issues.

Weekly lectures
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Introduction: what is development?
History of development
Theories of development
Post-development and alternatives to development
Gender and development
Globalization and development

7) The state, development agencies, and bilateral aid8) Multilateral actors in development
9) Civil society and development10) Environment and development
11) Rural development
12-15) Social Research Methods

Referencesl Haslam, P. A., J. Schafer, and P. Beaudet, eds. 2012. Introduction to International
Development: Approaches, Actors, and Issues. Second ed. Ontario: Oxford
University Press.
l Haynes, J. 2008. Development Studies. Cambridge: Policy.
l Willis, K. 2005. Theories and Practices of Development. London: Routledge.
l Perecman, E. and S. R. Curran, eds. 2006. A Handbook for Social Science Field
Research: Essays & Bibliographic Sources on Research Design and Methods.
Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications

Course Evaluation
Term paper (70%) and contribution to classroom discussions (30%)

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development

Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

History of development
Objectives:
In this lecture we will examine the historical process in which the enterprise of‘development’ emerged after the Second World War. Firstly, we will try to understandthe two main tenets of development theories, i.e., modernization theory and dependency
theory, which gained influence in the 1950s and 1960s. Secondly, we will discuss whatcame after these grand theories in the 1970s and 1980s in the form of basic needs
approaches and structural adjustment programmes. Thirdly, we will review the
neo-liberal policy agenda (Washington Consensus) during the 1990s and the subsequent
formulation of the Millennium Development Goals in the 2000s.

Questions:
1) How do dependency theorists challenge the modernization approaches todevelopment?
2) What are the main aspects of structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) and what are
the social effects of SAPs?
3) How does the international community assess the achievement of MDGs and whatshould come after the MDGs?
Required reading:
Haynes, J. 2008. ‘History of Development’. In Development Studies. Chapter 2.
Cambridge: Polity.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Theories of development
Objectives:
Following last week’s lecture, we will look closer at the lineage of development
theories over a longer period of time and examine more recent developments in theso-called ‘developing world’. This will help you to better understand some of thetheories reviewed in the previous week in the longer historical perspective.
Questions:
1) How has the Great Recession of the twenty-first century changed the prospects fordevelopment?
2) What is neo-liberalism? How has it affected development?
3) Do you think developmental states are the key to development’s future? If we aremoving towards a post-state future, who or what will be the agent of development?
Required reading:Desai, R. 2012. ‘Theories of development’. In International Development. P. A. Haslam,J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 3. Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Post-development and alternatives to development
Objectives:
In this lecture we will learn about the historical context in which the post-development
school emerged and understand the core arguments put forward by post-development
scholars. We will then discuss the validity of their arguments and examine whether
there are any alternatives.
Questions:
1) What do scholars mean when they claim that development discourses are ahistoricaland that they depoliticize political and economic processes in the Global South?
2) Why is it claimed that the question of knowledge production and circulation is central
to students of development?
Required reading:
Sahle, E. N. 2012. ‘Post-Development and Alternatives to Development. In
International Development. P. A. Haslam, J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 4.
Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Gender and Development
Objectives:
Women used to be viewed as simple recipients of social assistance in earlier
development programs up until the 1980s. Since then, debates surrounding women haveundergone many changes. In this lecture we will explore the historical and theoreticalfoundations of the field of ‘women, gender, and development’ and examine key
concepts and debates. By the end of this lecture, students will understand how thequestion of gender in international development is fundamentally related to power
relations concerning other minority groups.
Questions:
1) Why is it claimed that development can no longer ignore women?
2) How do gender relations influence the feminization of poverty?
3) How could the ‘mainstreaming gender equality’ approach improve power-sharing
between the sexes in a sustainable development project?
Required reading:Martinez, A. 2012. ‘Gender and Development: the Struggles of Women in the Global
South. In International Development. P. A. Haslam, J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter
5. Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Globalization and Development
Objectives:
The increasing level and speed of globalization is profoundly changing the way oursocieties and states are structured and governed. In this lecture we will examine how
globalization intersects with development, changing the relationship between developed
and developing countries. By the end of this lecture students will understand what theworld is debating concerning globalization’s impact on development.
Questions:
1) How is globalization changing the meaning of ‘development’?
2) Why might some countries be characterized as ‘winning’ in the globalization
process? What explains that others appear to be losing?
3) Why are the BRICS countries becoming more powerful in the world’s economy?
Required reading:Beaudet, P. 2012. Globalization and Development. In International Development. P. A.
Haslam, J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 6. Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

State, development agencies, and bilateral aid
Objectives:
This lecture looks at different actors involved in international development. First, we
will familiarize ourselves with the historical context of debates about the role of statesin development. Second, we will learn about the reasons why donors provide assistanceand how their priorities may vary. Third, we will examine current trends in and debates
surrounding foreign aid. By the end of this lecture, students will understand how
different actors interact with each other with divergent views and priorities aboutdevelopment.
Questions:
1) Select a developing state and identify the major issues it faces by examining current
news report. Then examine something about its history. To what extent are its current
problems tied to its colonial origins?
2) Why should wealthier countries give aid to poorer ones? How much should they giveand for what purposes?
3) How should donors decide on which countries to concentrate their assistance?
Required reading:l Anil, H. 2012. State of the State: Does the State Have a Role in Development? In
International Development. P. A. Haslam, J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 7.
Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.
l Brown, S. 2012. National Development Agencies and Bilateral Aid. Anil, H. 2012.
State of the State: Does the State Have a Role in Development? In International
Development. P. A. Haslam, J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 8. Ontario: Oxford
Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00
The United Nations and Multilateral Actors in Development
Objectives:
In this lecture we will look at the rise, and the fall, of multilateral organizations
considered relevant for development. We will learn about the United Nations systemand examine the geopolitical contexts, global economic flows, and tensions under which
different multilateral actors operate. We will then discuss the significance ofmultilateralism and the emergence of new non-state actors who take on new forms of
multilateral roles.
Questions:
1) Given the grossly unequal distributions of power and wealth, how can multilateral
initiatives produce more equitable development outcomes?
2) The historian Arnold Toynbee wrote that the twentieth century would be remembered
as an age when ‘human society dared to think of the welfare of the whole humanrace’. In light of this chapter’s contents, how valid is that observation?
3) The UN and its agencies have been criticized for serving unilateral political interests
under the guise of multilateral politics. How valid are such criticisms?
4) Given the emergence of new powers in the Global South, to what extent willtraditional North-South fractures continue to dominate multilateral processes?
Required reading:
Sogge, D. 2012. The United Nations and Multilateral Actors in Development. In
International Development. P. A. Haslam, J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 10.
Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Civil Society and Development
Objectives:
So far we have been discussing the roles of formal development actors such as national
governments, aid agencies, and multilateral institutions. In this lecture, we will look at
the role of civil society organizations in development. First, we will examine the notionof ‘civil society’. Second, we will discuss the role of the development NGOs which
work within civil society. By the end of the class, students will understand that the role
the NGOs play in development is a matter of intense debate and that there may bealternative forms of civil society that represent the socially marginalized people.
Questions:
1) What is the role of civil society in the social change and development process inmediating between donors (and outside forces) and the localities/communities of thepoor? To facilitate or act as a catalyst of a participatory form of economic or social
development? Or to contribute to the establishment of ‘democracy’ and ‘good
governance’?
2) Are NGOs a positive factor in the development process? Whose interests do they
primarily represent – those of the donors and the guardians of the new world order,
or the groups that are socially excluded, marginalized, and poor?
3) What is the best way to advance the interests of the socially excluded, marginalized,
and poor – by joining (and encouraging the poor to join) anti-globalization
movements for social change or to serve as strategic partners of overseas
development associations and their so-called ‘war on poverty’?
Required reading:
Veltmeyer, H. 2012. Civil Society and Development. In International Development. P.
A. Haslam, J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 12. Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Environment and Development
Objectives:
As the Sustainable Development Goals are soon to replace the Millennium
Development Goals, we will try to understand the concept of sustainable development.
We will then examine some of the debates surrounding the relationship between theenvironment and development. By the end of the class, students will understand thecomplexity of the development-environment nexus, appreciating how the notions ofequity and justice underlie the nexus. This should lead to the reflection upon our own
consumption behaviour.
Questions:
1) Do the benefits provided by large-scale development projects such as hydroelectric
dams outweigh their adverse environmental and social costs? Why or why not?
2) If economic development efforts are contributing to climate change, how should webalance the rights of those in developing countries who wish to enjoy higher standardsof living with the global problem of climate change?
3) In what ways does what you consume every day affect the environment and the livesof others in the world? What concrete ways can you think of to reduce that impact on adaily basis?
Required reading:Sick, D., 2012. Civil Society and Development. In International Development. P. A.
Haslam, J. Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 17. Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015
Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Rural Development
Objectives:
In this lecture we will try to understand the characteristics of ‘rurality’ and examine
different ways of thinking about rural development. First, we will look at two paradigm
shifts, one in the mid-1960s and the other in the late 1980s. Second, we will explore themore recent approach associated with ‘sustainable rural livelihoods’ to see how it isdifferent from the promotion of agricultural growth and whether it brings any changes
in the alleviation of rural poverty. By the end of the class, students will understand theshifting ideals of rural development over the past sixty years as well as the importanceof distinguishing agricultural development from rural development.
Questions:
1) Do rural and urban areas differ in meaningful ways in regard to livelihoods andalleviating poverty?
2) Considering the various rural development models of the past 50 years, how can thedevelopment challenges move beyond arguments of specialist versus generalist
knowledge or of top-down versus bottom-up approaches?
3) In a world where over a billion people struggle to survive without food security, towhat extent can or should agriculture lead rural development?
Required reading:Ramisch, J. 2012. Rural Development. In International Development. P. A. Haslam, J.
Schafer, P. Beaudet, eds. Chapter 18. Ontario: Oxford Univ. Press.

Nagoya University
Graduate School of International Development
Development Sociology 2015

Sanae Ito
Room 603/ Tel: (789) 4977
Email: ito@gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Class hours: Monday 16:30 – 18:00

Social research methods
Objectives:
Using the coming four weeks, we will learn how to use: i) case studies, ii)
ethnographic methods, iii) focus groups, and iv) surveys/secondary data sources. Whileeach of them is suited to a particular type of research better than others, they can be
combined in a single research. Students will be divided into four groups and each groupwill teach the rest of the class the assigned topic, relying on the relevant chapter from A
Handbook for Social Science Field Research.
Chapter 2: Case Studies
Chapter 3: Ethnographic Methods
Chapter 5: Focus Groups
Chapter 6: Surveys and Secondary Data Sources
Required reading:
Perecman, E. and S. R. Curran, eds. 2006. A Handbook for Social Science Field
Research: Essays & Bibliographic Sources on Research Design and Methods.
Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications