Sociology 797P - ST-Politics of Development

This course is intended to introduce students to the field of theorizing about processes of development and to the ways that different actors - states, social movements, international financial institutions, development agencies, NGOs, and the "populations" (farmers, women, ethnic/racial groups, refugees, street children, sex workers, small entrepreneurs etc.) on whose behalf they claim to act - have engaged with one another through their practices in this field. Our readings will be drawn from a wide array of disciplinary traditions, and will include development theory, theoretically informed case studies, and analyses of the empirical practices of participants in the development process.

A prior background in social science and an idea for a project related to the subject matter will vastly improve students' abilities to engage with the material and use the class to support their work.