240088 KU GM3 - Development Theories and Paradigms from a Transdisciplinary Perspective (2024S)

The course provides an introduction to key theories, paradigms and criticisms of development and development studies. As a first step, we will consider how and why the development idea originated in the context of colonialism and global capitalism. Subsequently, we will critically discuss central (development) arguments in modernization theory, dependency theory, and neoliberalism. A key focus lies on critical development perspectives from Latin America (epistemologies of the south, buen vivir, dependency theory, and current debates on green colonialism), as well as on anti-colonial and post-colonial perspectives on development. In the concluding sessions, we will also focus on contemporary debates of development studies, especially the relation between development and natural resources.

The course aims at providing students with a critical understanding of different development theories. In this regard, we address how these theories have influenced development policy, and practices. We will discuss the basic readings in working groups (WG) and the plenary along guiding questions. In thematic WGs, students will present key concepts such as unequal exchange, neocolonialism or been vivir based on additional literature.