INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
INTE-GE 2862
Wednesdays 2PM-3:40PM
Fall 2014
(last updated September 3rd, 2014)
Prof. Elisabeth King
Email:[email protected]
Office: 306 Kimball
Office hours: Wednesdays 11-12 drop in; or, please email me to set up an appointment Tuesdays
3-5.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Why are so many around the world still so poor? What, if anything,
can the West do about it? How does education factor in? This course introduces students to some
of the most important normative, theoretical, empirical, and practical questions in international
development today and encourages you to critically and analytically engage with them.
The course proceeds in three parts. Part I builds a foundation by considering the concept of
development, various explanations for differential rates of development, and the ways in which
development is measured. Part II studies responses to low levels of development, focusing on
international development aid, the actors and institutions involved in international development
activities, and the ways in which education is an integral part of development interventions. Part
III explores the future of international development, reflecting upon the (in)effectiveness of
current international development projects and the balance between international and local
development priorities. Education is among the key fields in which international and national
agencies intervene to improve living conditions for many of the world’s poor, or politically and
socially excluded, and is a common thread across the course.
The course is a seminar, meaning that the core of each session will comprise a critical discussion
of the week’s theme and readings in which all students are requested to participate. Some
sessions will open with mini-lectures. We will benefit from guest speakers during some of the
sessions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Learning objectives are for students to (i) become familiar with
some of the main debates, theories, and issues in contemporary international development; (ii)
engage with them critically and develop your critical thinking, reading, writing and presentation
skills; and (iii) explore your potential role in problems and solutions. It is my hope that students
will leave the course with a heightened appetite and ability to learn and engage in the world
around you.
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REQUIREMENTS & EVALUATION: All requirements will be further discussed in class. You
are also always invited to discuss the requirements, your ideas, and other issues during office
hours.
1. PARTICIPATION: The success of any seminar depends on the willingness of students to
participate in the weekly discussions. Marks (30%) will be awarded to students on the basis
of their general participation in the weekly seminars. Participation does not simply mean
“talking in class”. Please prepare for each session by carefully reading and thinking about
the assigned readings. Because the number of pages for each week averages 100, you
cannot read or memorize every word. Note the key argument of each article or chapter and
the main points that support the argument. Highlight key terms or concepts. It is also helpful
when reading analytically to consider the similarities and differences between the authors’
positions as well as the way the pieces inform and respond to each other. You should come
to class with a list of possible questions for group discussion. You will be expected to offer
informed insights into the session’s theme during each class. Asking good questions is a key
element of academic inquiry and professional life. Practicing this technique and honing your
skills as questioners is a critical aspect of improving your academic work and professional
skills. I may create discussion boards on NYU Classes for some of the sessions. In this case,
I’d like you to post your critical questions (approximately three) about that week’s readings
24 hours in advance of the session. You will not get credit for late submissions.
2. SHORT ASSIGNMENTS (15% each totaling 30%):
a. Written: Measuring Development (due week 5 at the beginning of class).
Each student will choose a specific country (and one that is unique from other students). For
the country you choose, please author a 4-5 page paper (double-spaced, 12-pt font, Times
New Roman, 1 inch margins), plus works cited, that answers the following question: What is
the best way to measure development in country X?
Review basic information about your country available at the CIA World Factbook. To
support your thesis, compare alternate ways to measure “development” (see list below, and
feel free to include other indexes) and how your country ranks in these various indexes
(today and over time); think about definitions of development and the assumptions
underlying each type of measurement; think about the methodologies behind the various
measurements; consider if and how education factors in. Consider the readings for week 5.
Come to class ready to discuss your paper.
UN Human Development Index: http://hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/
Millennium Development Goals Indicators: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Default.aspx (this
one might also be useful: MDG Progress Index: http://www.cgdev.org/page/mdg-progressindex-gauging-country-level-achievements)
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Prosperity Index: http://www.prosperity.com/#!/
Happiness Index: http://www.happyplanetindex.org/data/
Program in Student Assessment (PISA): http://www.oecd.org/pisa/aboutpisa/pisa-2012participants.htm
World Inequality Database on Education: http://www.education-inequalities.org/
b. Oral: Education and Development (due week 7 or 8)
With a group of classmates (the class will be divided into four groups), teach a 45 minute
class on one of the four assigned themes (economic development, health, gender and human
rights) answering the question: In what ways might education contribute to the specific
development outcome you are assigned?
Consider theory, evidence, and both positive and critical perspectives. Your teaching session
should include time for questions from your classmates. You may use the list of possible
readings below to kick-start your research. To coincide with your presentation, please hand
in a bibliography of sources you used (this may include sources from the list I provide) and a
list of approximately 100 pages of reading (a subset of your bibliography), that your group
would have included on a syllabus and assigned to your classmates, if given the chance.
Please include a brief justification (one paragraph to one page) explaining your choices.
3. FINAL ASSIGNMENT (40%): Mock Job Application in International Development and
Education (due date TBD)
You will be asked to write a 10-12 page paper (double-spaced, 12-pt font, Times New
Roman, 1 inch margins) that responds to a specific job description in the field of
international development and education. The exercise will require you to critically reflect
upon the themes of the course, draw on the course readings and conduct some additional
research. Details will be provided during the course.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Academic integrity is essential to the success of our class. All
assignments must adhere to standards of academic ethics. According to the Steinhardt Statement
on Academic Integrity, you violate the principle of academic integrity by turning in work that
does not reflect your own ideas or includes text that is not your own; when you submit the same
work for two different courses without prior permission from the instructor; when you receive
help on a take-home examination when you are expected to work independently; when you cheat
on exams, and when you plagiarize material.
Any student who submits work that constitutes plagiarism will be subject to disciplinary
sanctions, which range from failure of the course to dismissal from the school.
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All students are required to attach a printed copy of the Academic Integrity Checklist to your
written assignments. This checklist will be provided on NYU Classes.
If you have any questions or doubts about plagiarism or academic integrity, please ask me.
CLASS POLICIES:
Late assignments: Barring serious illness or family emergency (both require documentation), late
papers will be reduced by 1/3 of a grade for each 24-hour period for which they are turned in
after the deadline. For example, a paper turned in one day late with a grade of B would be
marked down to a B-. This is a strict policy. Exceptions are granted only in extreme
circumstances and require written documentation. Examples of exceptional circumstances
include a learning disability (documented by NYU in the form of a written letter from the Center
for Students with Disabilities) or hospitalization. Changing topics, regions, countries of study
for an assignment; poor time management; and procrastination do not count as exceptional
circumstances.
NYU Classes and email will be used to manage and coordinate the course. Much of the reading
material and important course announcements will be posted electronically on NYU Classes.
Students are expected to check their emails and the course page regularly to ensure you have
access to this material and announcements.
Special Accommodation: Any student attending NYU who needs an accommodation due to a
chronic, psychological, visual, mobility and/or learning disability, or is Deaf or Hard of Hearing
should register with the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at (212) 998-4980, 240
Greene Street, www.nyu.edu/csd.
READINGS:
The readings are available in at least one of the following formats:
1. As direct links to online resources. (In these cases, websites are noted in this syllabus.)
2. Through NYU’s e-journals
3. On NYU Classes
OR
4. We are going to read large parts of the following books. I recommend that you purchase
them, but they should soon also be on reserve at the NYU library (not necessarily under
my name, so search by book title or call number). They should be available in the
bookstore or may be purchased from online bookstores. On the online bookstores that I
checked, these books cost $10-12 each.
Acemoglu, D. & Robinson, J. A. (2012). Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power,
Prosperity, and Poverty. New York: Crown. – have requested to be put on reserve
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Easterly, W. (2007). White Man’s Burden: Why the West`s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have
Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, New York: Penguin.
Sachs, Jeffrey. (2005). The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. New
York: Penguin Books.
Because we are studying education in dynamic international environments, and because much of
international development education work relates directly to current political changes, I may
add short readings that will be particularly relevant to the topics that we are studying as
the course progresses. Please check for these updates on NYU Classes.
PART I: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: DEFINITIONS, EXPLANATIONS &
MEASURES
1. Introductory Class: Poverty and Life in the Global South -- September 3
Collier, Paul. (2007). “Falling behind and falling apart” in The Bottom Billion: pp. 3-13
Wainaina, Binyavanga (2005). How to Write About Africa. Granta. London, Granta Publications.
92. Available at: http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-about-Africa/Page-1
2. What is (international) development?– September 10
De Sardan, Olivier. (2005). Anthropology and development. Understanding contemporary social
change. London: Zed Books, pp. 24-7. Available at:
https://getit.library.nyu.edu/go/9365751
Sachs, Jeffrey. (2005). The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. (New York:
Penguin Books), pp. 5-50 (chapters 1, 2).
Sen, Amartya. (1999). Development as freedom. New York, NY: Anchor Books, pp.3-34
(introduction & chapter 1). (NYU Classes)
Shanin, T. (1997). “The idea of progress”. In M. Rahnema & V. Bawtree (Eds.), Postdevelopment reader. London, UK: Zed Books, pp. 65-71. (On reserve at the library or on NYU
Classes)
3. Explaining Differential Development: Theoretical Approaches – September 17
Bock, JC. (1982). “Education and Development: a Conflict of Meaning”. In P. G. Altbach, et. al.
(Eds.) Comparative Education. New York: Macmillan, pp. 82-5. (NYU Classes **note pages to
read)
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Isbister, J. (2003). Promises Not Kept. Bloomfield CT: Kumarian Press, p.30-65 (Explanations of
Underdevelopment), pp. 66-101 (Imperialism). (NYU Classes)
UN Millennium Project. (2005). “Education and Society: Multiple Benefits, Unrealized
Potential”. Chapter 2 (pp.23-30) in Toward universal primary education: investments, incentives,
and institutions (Final report from UN Millennium Project Task Force on Education and Gender
Equity). Available at http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/Education-complete.pdf
4. Explaining Differential Development: Contemporary Debates – September 23
Acemoglu, D. & Robinson, J. A. (2012). Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity,
and Poverty. New York: Crown, pp.1-5, 45-69, 70-87
Collier, Paul et al. (2003). Breaking the Conflict Trap: Civil War and Development Policy.
Washington: The World Bank, pp. 13-32. Available online at:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=NkzJO_84_x0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=breaking+the+confli
ct+trap+paul+collier&source=bl&ots=J1CH3HoQX&sig=VfAJXwNshwCoJoXUi3sT9A_ZBQg&hl=en&ei=iIiFS9v2GpPWNvWYqDQ&sa=X
&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=twopage&q&f=false
Sachs, J. (2005). The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. New York: Penguin
Books, pp. 51-73 (chapter 3).
Sachs, J. (2012). “Government, Geography and Growth: The True Drivers of Economic
development,” Foreign Affairs, 91:5, pp. 142-50. Available at:
https://getit.library.nyu.edu/go/9365726?umlaut.institution=NYU
5. Measuring Development – Oct 1
Mini-assignment due
Clemens, M. and Moss, T. (2005). What’s Wrong with the Millennium Development Goals?
CGD Brief. Available at: http://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/3940_file_WWMGD.pdf
Haq, M. (2003). “The Birth of the Human Development Index” in Sakiko Fukuda-Parr and A. K.
Shiva Kumar (Eds.), Readings in Human Development. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,
pp. 103-113. Available:
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nyulibrary/reader.action?ppg=69&docID=10279067&tm=1409690078
300
Pritchett, L. (2013). The Rebirth of Education: Schooling Ain’t Learning. Washington DC:
Center for Global Development, pp. 1-4; 13-21; 41-42; 47-50. (Will soon be available online at
library).
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Robertson, S., Novelli, M., Dale, R., Tikly, L., Dachi, H., & Alphonce, N. (2007). Poverty,
MDGs and education. In Globalisation, Education, and Development: Ideas, Actors and
Dynamics Available online:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dfid.gov.uk/documents/publications/glo
bal-education-dev-68.pdf Read pp. 87-116.
Steiner-Khamsi, G. (2009). Conclusion: A way out of the dependency trap? (chapter 13). Southsouth cooperation and development in education. (NYU Classes)
Stiglitz, J, A. Sen and JP Fitoussi. (2010). Mismeasuring Our Lives: Why GDP Doesn’t Add Up.
New York & London: The New Press, pp. 7-18 (executive summary). Available at:
http://www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr/documents/rapport_anglais.pdf
No class October 8th (possible library workshop)
PART II: RESPONSES: AID, INSTITUTIONS & ACTORS
6. Foreign Aid – Oct 15
Easterly, W. (2007). White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So
Much Ill and So Little Good. New York: Penguin, pp. 3-33 and 37-55 (chapters 1 and 2).
Moyo, D. (2009). Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, pp. 35-47 (recommended: 48-68). (NYU Classes)
Sachs, J. (2005). The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. (New York: Penguin
Books), pp. 266-87 and 309-46 (chapters 14, 16, 17).
UNESCO. (2014). Aid reductions threated education goals. Education for All Global Monitoring
Report, Policy Paper 13. Available at:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002280/228057E.pdf
7. In what ways might education contribute to development? - Oct 22
UNESCO. (2013). Education Transforms Lives
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002231/223115E.pdf
Tickly, L. (2004). Education and the new imperialism. Comparative Education 40(2), 173-198.
Available at: https://getit.library.nyu.edu/go/9365770?umlaut.institution=NYU
Presentations to focus on (i) economic development and (ii) health
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8. In what ways might education contribute to development? Continued - Oct 29
Presentations to focus on (iii) gender and (iv) human rights
9. International Actors & Institutions – Nov 5
De Moura Castro, C. (2002). “The World Bank policies; damned if you do, damned if you
don’t”. Comparative Education, 38:4, pp. 387 – 399. Available at:
https://getit.library.nyu.edu/go/9365835?umlaut.institution=NYU
De Sardan, Olivier. (2005). Anthropology and development. Understanding contemporary social
change. London: Zed Books, pp. 68-73. Available at: https://getit.library.nyu.edu/go/9365751
Easterly, W. (2007). White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So
Much Ill and So Little Good. New York: Penguin, pp. 210-236, chap 6 (on IMF)
Steiner-Khamsi, G. (2007/8) “Donor Logic in the Era of Gates, Buffett and Soros” in Current
Issues in Comparative Education 10:2, pp. 10-15. Available at:
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ841595.pdf
Browse the UNDP website. http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home.html
Browse USAID website. Among other things, have a look at the education priorities:
http://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/organization/bureaus/bureau-economic-growth-educationand-environment/office-education
10. International Non-Governmental Organizations – Nov 12
Sutton, M. and R. Arnove. (2004). “Introduction” (pp. vii-xviii) in Sutton and Arnove (Eds) Civil
Society or Shadow State: State/NGO Relations in Education. Charlotte NC: Information Age
Publishing. Available at:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=195tMLoajFYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summar
y_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Seay, L. (2011). “After Peace: Education, Non-State Actors, and the Erosion of State Authority
in the Eastern DRC” L’Afrique des Grands Lacs Annuaire 2010-2011: pp.127-142. Available at:
http://www.ua.ac.be/objs/00310533.pdf
Werker, E. and F.Z. Ahmed (2008). “What Do Nongovernmental Organizations Do?” Journal of
Economic Perspectives 22:2. Available at:
http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/jep.22.2.73
Browse: aiddata.org
Browse: http://www.ngoaidmap.org/
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PART III: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES & THE WAY
FORWARD
11. Do international development projects work? – Nov 19
Clemens, M. and Moss, T. (2005). What’s Wrong with the Millennium Development Goals?
CGD Brief. http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/3940
Ferguson, J. (1997). “Development and Bureaucratic Power in Lesotho” In M. Rahnema & V.
Bawtree (Eds.), Post-development reader London, UK: Zed Books, pp. 223-233. Available at:
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_3682_f08/Articles/Ferguson%20%20The%20Anti%20Politics%20Machine.pdf
Karlan, D. and J. Appel. (2011). More Than Good Intentions: How a New Economics is Helping
to Solve Global Poverty. New York: Dutton. Pp.1-38, 191-222 (chapters 1, 2 and 9). (library is
acquiring)
12. Participatory/Community-Driven Development – Nov 26
Acemoglu, D. & Robinson, J. A. (2012). Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity,
and Poverty. New York: Crown, pages TBD
Cleaver, F. (1999). Paradoxes of participation: Questioning participatory approaches to
development. Journal of International Development 11, pp. 597-612. Available at:
http://courses.washington.edu/pbaf531/Cleaver_ParadoxesParticpiation.pdf
Easterly, W. (2007). White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So
Much Ill and So Little Good. New York: Penguin. Homegrown development (chapter 10) & The
future of western assistance (chapter 11)
King, E and Cyrus Samii (2014). “Fast Track Institution Building in Conflict-Affected
Countries? Insights from Recent Field Experiments”. World Development, 64: pp. 740-54.
(on NYU Classes)
13. TBD – Dec 3
*******
POSSIBLE READINGS FOR SHORT ASSIGNMENT B:
(i)
Economic Development
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Barro, Robert J. (2002). "Education as a determinant of Economic growth" in Edward P. Lazear
(ed) Education in the Twenty First Century. Stanford: Hoover Institution, pp. 9-24.
Chaaban, J. and W. Cunningham. (2011). Measuring the Economic Gain of Investing in Girls:
The Girl Effect Dividend. Washington: World Bank Publications.
Hall, Robert E. (2002). "The Value of Education: Evidence from Around the Globe" in Edward
P. Lazear (ed) Education in the Twenty First Century. Stanford: Hoover Institution, pp. 25-40..
Robertson, C. (1984).“Formal or Non-Formal Education? Entrepreneurial Women in Ghana.”
Comparative Education Review 28:4, pp. 639-658.
Schiefelbein, E. and J. P. Farrell. (1984) “Education and Occupational Attainment in Chile: The
Effects of Educational Quality, Attainment, and Achievement.” American Journal of Education.
92:2, pp.125-162.
Tarabini, A. (2010). Education and poverty in the global development agenda: Emergence,
evolution and consolidation. International Journal of Educational Development, 30, pp. 204212.
(ii)
Health
Nutbeam, D. (2000). “Health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary
health education and communication strategies into the 21st century”. Health Promotion
International, 15:3.
Leclerc-Madlala, Suzanne (2009). “Cultural scripts for multiple and concurrent partnerships in
southern Africa: why HIV prevention needs anthropology” Sexual Health. 6: pp. 103–110.
Vavrus, F. (2006). “Girls' schooling in Tanzania: The key to HIV/AIDS prevention?” AIDS
Care, 18:8, pp. 863 – 871
Winterbottom, Anna, et. al. (2009). “Female Genital Cutting: Cultural Rights and Rites of
Defiance in Northern Tanzania” in African Studies Review 52:1, pp. 47-71
(iii)
Gender
Abu-Ghaida, Dina and Stephen Klasen. (2004). “The economic and human development costs
of missing the millennium development goal on gender equity”, World Bank Working Paper.
Available at: http://www1.worldbank.org/education/pdf/MDG_Gender_Equity.pdf
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Chaaban, J. and W. Cunningham. (2011). Measuring the Economic Gain of Investing in Girls:
The Girl Effect Dividend. Washington: World Bank Publications.
Kristof, N and S. WuDunn (2009). Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for
Women Worldwide. New York: Knopf, pp.167-183 (Chapter 10)
Lockheed, M.E., & Lewis, M.A. (2007). Inexcusable Absence: Why 60 million girls still aren’t
in school and what to do about it. Washington, DC: Center for Global Development. Also
available online: http://www.cgdev.org/doc/books/Inexcusable%20Absence/Overview.pdf
Manion, Caroline (2011). PhD dissertation. Girls’ Education as a Means or End of
Development? A Case Study of Gender and Education Policy Knowledge and Action in The
Gambia. PhD Dissertation, OISE, University of Toronto. Available at:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/thesescanada/vol2/OTU/TC-OTU-29801.pdf
Nussbaum, M. (2003). “Women’s education: a global challenge.” Signs: Journal of Women in
Culture and Society 29: pp. 325-355.
Plan (Principal Writer: van der Gaag, N.). (n.d.). Caught in the crossfire: Conflict. In Because I
am a Girl: The State of the World’s Girls 2008. Amadeus, Italy, pp. 43-69.
Ringrose, J. (2007). “Successful girls? Complicating postfeminist, neoliberal discourses of
educational achievement and gender equality.” Gender and Education 19:4, pp. 471-89.
(iv)
Human rights
Glaeser, E., G. Ponzetto, A. Shleifer. (2007) Why does Democracy Need Education? Journal of
Economic Growth.
Kupermintz, H. and Salamon (2005). Lessons to be learned from research on peace education in
the context of Intractable Conflict. Theory into Practice 44:4.
Mcmahon, Walter W. (1999). Education and Development: Measuring the Social Benefits.
Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Suarez, D. (2003). Education professionals and the construction of human rights education.
Comparative Education Review. 51:1.
Torney-Purta, J., R. Lehmann, et al. (2001). Citizenship and Education in Twenty-Eight
Countries: Civic Knowledge and Engagement at Age Fourteen - Executive Summary. IEA.
Amsterdam, International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.
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