Development Studies Courses

DEVS 101: Introduction to Development Studies

This course offers students an introduction to the field of development studies. It explores core concepts about 'development' and applies these at the global, national and local level. Along with an introduction to international development institutions, topics covered include colonial legacies and First Nations, gender and development, environment and climate change, human rights and diversity. Discussion of these topics will be situated in the context of country case studies. Three credits.

DEVS 201: Introduction to International Development: The Global South

An introduction to development theory and practice as it applies to inequality between countries, and within countries of the Global South. The course provides students with a critical framework for analyzing development policies, programs, trends, and impacts, especially since the formation of the Bretton Woods institute. Students will explore the concepts of substainable development and of social and economic justice as they relate to development. Prerequisite: 24 credits or permission of the co-ordinator. Three credits.

DEVS 202: Introduction to International Development: Canada

In this course, Canada's place in the world, its path to development, and the challenges it currently faces will be explored. These include the retention of its capacity to generate sufficient wealth to provide a high standard of living to its citizens, the persistence of inequalities that raise questions about the distribution of the benefits of development, and the challenge of sustainability, given the stresses that industrialized societies such as Canada's place on their physical and social environment. Prerequisite: 24 credits or permission of the co-ordinator. Three credits.

DEVS 203 / CLEN 201: Climate Change and People: Issues, Interventions, Citizen-led Actions, and Solutions

Conducted from a global perspective, this course is intended for students who wish to broaden their understanding of the present and future impacts of climate change on societies, including the social justice elements of the issues. The course also focuses on the interventions that are being made to combat the impacts of climate change – from global policies to community-level actions. Students will be equipped to articulate the world-wide impacts of climate change, how it impacts people at a community level, and how citizen led action can lead to positive change. Cross-listed as CLEN 201. Prerequisite: CLEN 101, or permission of the instructor. Three credits.

DEVS 211 / ECON 211: Local and Community Development Economics

Beginning with theories of local and community economic development and welfare, this course provides an economic analysis of community needs and resources (human resources, capital and natural resources, infrastructure). Students will examine interactions within the community and between the community and the outside world, exploring approaches to local and community economic development and planning. Three credits

DEVS 223 / ANTH 223: Anthropology of Globalization

Globalization has affected more than the world economy: people, politics and culture all travel globally, with wide-ranging consequences. This course will examine the history of global processes by focusing on how different peoples around the world have engaged in or resisted them. Ethnographic studies will be used to explore global diversity as well as the effects of efforts to impose global uniformity. Crosslisted as ANTH 223. Prerequisite: ANTH 111, 112 (formerly 110) or DEVS 201 and 202 or permission of the instructor. Students who have received credit for ANTH 220 cannot enroll in this course. Three credits Offered in alternate years.

DEVS 299 / WMGS 299: Selected Topics

The topic for 2021-2022 is Gender, Migration and Development. This course explores the meanings and intersections of gender, migration and development, in the context of immigration policies, citizenship practices, economic exploitation, human trafficking, border mechanisms and internal and external gatekeeping politics. Central here are the Indigenous debates and analyses on various factors that dispossess migrant communities to greater precarity and vulnerability. Cross listed as WMGS 299. No prerequisites.

DEVS 302: Globalization and Development

This course provides an analysis of the forces affecting the globalization process, its evolution over time, and its impacts on development. It takes a broad view, from an interdisciplinary perspective, of the factors at work, their nature and their consequences. Topics that are considered include the fact and policy dimensions of globalization, questions that pertain to equity and fairness, issues concerning production, consumption, global markets, governance, and the role of various international institutions. It also analyzes the mechanisms that link the global to the local level. Prerequisite: DEVS 201, 202, or ECON 101, 102. Three credits.

DEVS 303 Power, People, Planet and Profit

The course factors the interrelationship of social, economic, and ecological considerations related to globalization processes that impact development. The course is grounded in theoretical consideration of the central role consumption plays in globalization, markets, ecological crises, and (in)equity. It provides an interdisciplinary analysis of such issues as: local and global markets,  ecological stability, the significance of power, culture, norms, and varying stakeholders on how consumption impacts sustainable and equitable development. Specific initiatives reviewed include gender and the garment industry, boycotts, and child labour. Prerequisites: DEVS 201, 202 or permission of the instructor. Three credits.

DEVS 305 / ECON 305: Economic Development I

Starting with an overview of the present state of the world, this course explores economic development strategies and prospects for the Third World. Topics include: the meaning of economic development; past and present theories of growth; alternate approaches to economic development; (including the grassroots approach and sustainable development); the role of agriculture and industralization; and issues pertaining to development planning, markets and the role of governments. Three credits.

DEVS 306 / ECON 306: Economic Development II

This course covers economic development prospects and experience in the Third World. Topics include: income distribution; population and human resources (including education and health); urbanization, rural-urban migration and the informal economy; labor markets and unemployment; gender and development savings, taxation and investment; foreign aid and MNCs; the debt problem and structural adjustment; trade and globalization; and the international economic order. Prerequisite: ECON 101, 102. Three credits.

DEVS 311: Issues in Development Practice

In this course, students make the link between theoretical discussion of development and actual development practice, both locally and internationally. An in-class component addresses the practicalities of development interventions and the major issues that affect them, such as: gender/ethnic/class stratification; power relations within and between localities and external agents; and indigenous versus dominant forms of knowledge. Students will then apply this in an experiential learning component in a local or international context.  Prerequisites: DEVS 201, 202, or permission of the instructor. Three credits.

DEVS 321 / ANTH 320: People and Development

This course critically examines how development policy and practice have affected target populations. Students will develop critical analytical skills and knowledge by examining the strengths and weaknesses of strategies such as those promoting popular participation, gender equality, small-scale business, local knowledge and democratic reform, as well as of different forms of development institutions. The course uses case studies based on long-term participant observation that place development processes in larger historical, political and economic contexts. Cross-listed as ANTH 320. Prerequisites: ANTH 111, 112 (110) or DEVS 201/202. Three credits.

DEVS 352 / BSAD 352: Social Entrepreneurship

The context, models, trends, opportunities, and challenges associated with social entrepreneurship focus on areas of public concern such as economic development, education, community welfare, and healthcare. These issues are examined using case studies, group projects, and experiential learning. Emphasis is on how entrepreneurship is combined with the tools of business to create effective responses to social needs and innovatiive solutions to social problems. Three credits.

DEVS 354 / PSCI 354: International Political Economy

This course examines the politics of international economic relations: international trade, the international monetary system, multinational corporations and international development. Prerequisite: PSCI 250 recommended. Three credits. Offered in alternate years.

DEVS 355 / PSCI 355: Global Issues

This course examines the state's supremacy and its capacity to manage such global issues as: transnational flows of goods, services, money, and ideas; the continuing problem of poverty in the developing world; the phenomenon of failed states in the post-Cold War period; global environmental issues; international concerns with human rights; weapons proliferation; terrorism and other forms of transnational crime; and the rise of trans-national social activist groups. Prerequisite: PSCI 250 recommended. Three credits.

DEVS 371 / PSCI 371: Political Economy of Development

Countries in the developing world face a distinct set of political challenges, particularly as they relate to fostering economic growth and providing effective public services. This course will explore the political determinants of develpment as well as the effect of economic conditions on political outcomes. Key issues include the origins of state weakness, the relationship between political institutions and economic growth, the causes of corruption, and the effect of diversity on governance outcomes. Three credits.

DEVS 391: Selected Topics

Course content will cover current topics in Development Studies. Prerequisite: DEVS 201, 202 or permission of the instructor.

DEVS 401: Theories of Development

This seminar takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of theories that have shaped the conceptualization and practice of development around the world. The seminar focuses on current versions of general development theories such as: modernization, structuralism, Marxism, dependency theory, neoclassical and neoliberal theory, alternative development, and post-development. Examples of current theories that focus on key development issues are also covered. Prerequisite: DEVS 201, 202. Three credits.

DEVS 405: Community-Based Development: Strategies and Practice

The seminar is an examination of community-based development. It explores and evaluates strategies, practices and techniques used to strengthen people's capacity to build sustainable livelihoods, and examines the role of different agencies (e.g. local citizens, government, non government organizations, and the private sector) in stimulating development at the community level. The course will include development strategies used in the Global South and practices used in Canada, especially Atlantic Canada. Prerequisite: DEVS 201, 202. Three credits.

DEVS 412: Internship in Development Studies

This internship builds on DEVS 311. Students may extend their placement from 311 or undertake a new posting. The class will be largely experiential. Students will be required to blog regularly, to submit critical reflection papers, to produce a research product of use to their host organization, to make an oral presentation and to submit a final written report. Students will do their internship during the spring and summer before their senior year and complete this course in the fall term of their senior year. Prerequisite: DEVS 311. Three credits.

DEVS 490: Thesis

Students will work under the supervision of a faculty member who guides the selection of a thesis topic, use of resources, research methodology, and quality of analysis. Restricted to honours students. Six credits.

DEVS 499: Directed Study

Students will work with a course instructor on a topic which is not available through other course offerings. Prerequisites: DEVS 201, 202 and six additional credits in core development studies courses with a minimum average of 70. See section 3.5.