Economic Development

Economic Development is a Social Science class taught by Omar S. Dahi.

Course Description
As recently as 250 years ago the world had a roughly equal level of development. Today, the richest country in the world has an average income level around 400 times that of the poorest. What are the reasons behind this divergence? How have the "poor" countries attempted to reverse the gap and how have these attempts transformed societies within those countries? The course examines these general themes and consists of two components: First, we will survey contemporary debates in development economics, including such topics as development ethics (e.g. what is development? development by whom and for what?), development theory and models (e.g. import substitution, micro enterprises, export orientation), and development critiques (e.g. the impact of the "green" revolution on the rural poor). Second, student research teams will choose a developing country at the beginning of the course to study in depth, applying the ideas discussed in class. The groups will periodically present their research to the class to help us achieve a larger sense of the challenges faced in seeking effective, equitable development. This course will be taught in conjunction with a workshop--that students will be expected to attend--focusing on rural development run by a visiting professor from the Institute of Rural Management in Anand, India. Workshop times TBA.