August 25

CPO 4034Politics of Developing Nations/Societies

Jonathan [email protected]

HOW DO WE CATEGORIZE CONTRIES AS UNDER-DEVELPOPED/DEVELOPING?

•GDP?•DEMOCRATIZATION?•LITERACY/HEALTH?•FREEDOMS?

The Books:

1. Paul Collier (2007) The Bottom Billion• Africa Focus• Somewhat right wing perspective

2. Naomi Klein (2008) The Shock Doctrine• Multiple countries• Highly left wing and controversial perspective

3. Atul Kohli (2004) State Directed Development• Korea, Brazil, India, Nigeria• Highly Controversial/top down perspective

4. Elisabeth Wood (2000) Forging Democracy From Below• El Salvador, South Africa• Bottom up perspective – role of the poor in democratization

Other Readings:

• Wide span of perspectives

• All available for download and print at UF ARES system

Movies

This Land is MineThis Land is Mine Ghosts of RwandaGhosts of Rwanda The TakeThe Take The CorporationThe Corporation

Grading:

• 10% participation and attendance

•15% surprise pop quizzes

•25% reading and writing packets

•25% group debate

•25% final take home exam (48 hours)

Debate Questions

1: Did Colonialism Help or Hinder African Development?1: Did Colonialism Help or Hinder African Development?2: Did Colonialism Help or Hinder Indian Development?2: Did Colonialism Help or Hinder Indian Development?3: Are Abundant Mineral and Energy Resources a Catalyst for 3: Are Abundant Mineral and Energy Resources a Catalyst for

African Development?African Development?**4: Has ethnic diversity negatively impacted Indian **4: Has ethnic diversity negatively impacted Indian

development?development?5: Have Structural Adjustment Policies worked for Africa?5: Have Structural Adjustment Policies worked for Africa?6: Is the Free Trade of the America’s (FTAA) good for Latin 6: Is the Free Trade of the America’s (FTAA) good for Latin

America?America?7: Have export Processing Zones been good for development in 7: Have export Processing Zones been good for development in

Mexico? Mexico? 8: Did the military takeover of Chile in 1971 help or hinder Chile’s 8: Did the military takeover of Chile in 1971 help or hinder Chile’s

future development?future development?9: Is a certain level of economic development necessary to foster 9: Is a certain level of economic development necessary to foster

further democratization in Africa?further democratization in Africa?**10 – Has the US intervention in Iraq helped or hindered Iraqi **10 – Has the US intervention in Iraq helped or hindered Iraqi

development?development?

Major Themes:

• seeing like a developing nation

•Conceptualizing development

•Development paths (Modernization and Dependency theory)

•Colonialism and the State (Kohli)

•Development ‘traps’•Natural resources/oil•Ethnicity and conflict (movie)•Rural societies•Geography and governance

•Neoliberalism to the rescue? (IMF, World Bank, Free Trade, etc..)

•Bottom up development (role of the everyday poor, NGOs etc..)•Wood•Film: ‘The Take’

Major Themes:

•The military

•US presidential elections (November 5th)

•The Development/Democracy nexus (parties, economic development)

•Topical Considerations•Natural disasters•World Trade Organization•Multinational Corporations (film – the corporation)•The Asian emergence and political influences•The war in Iraq

•Looking ahead: how do we solve these issues?

For the rest of the week:

•I get to talk about me!! (well talk about my research)

•We will watch a movie on resistance to an export processing zone in West Bengal

•Readings: goal is to get you into some real world reading on developing countries…..and to begin reading on some of the required books