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Pol 324 Politics of Development and Underdevelopment

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Pol 324 Politics of Development and Underdevelopment COURSE GUIDE POL 324 POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT Course Team Dr. G.S.M Okeke (Course Writer)-UNILAG Abdul-Rahoof Adebayo Bello (Course Coordinator)-NOUN Prof. D.A Olufemi Otubanjo (Programme Leader)- NOUN Dr. A. Irene Pogoson (Course Editor) - UI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA POL 324 COURSE GUIDE National Open University of Nigeria Headquarters 14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way Victoria Island, Lagos. Abuja Office 5 Dar es Salaam Street Off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse II, Abuja Email: [email protected] URL: www.nou.edu.ng Printed 2015 National Open University of Nigeria ISBN: 978-058-544-3 All Rights Reserved ii POL 324 COURSE GUIDE CONTENTS PAGE Introduction…………………………………………… iv What you will Learn in this Course …………............... iv Course Aims………………………………………….. v Course Objectives……………………………………. v Working through this Course………………………… vi What you will Need for this Course…………………… vi Course Materials………………………………………. vi Study Units……………………………………………. vii Textbooks and References…………………………… viii Assessment File………………………………….......... viii Tutor-Marked Assignment…………………………… viii Final Examination and Grading……………………… viii Presentation Schedule…………………………………. ix Course Marking Scheme……………………………... ix Course Overview……………………………………… ix How to Get the Most for this Course………………..… xi Facilitators/Tutors and Tutorials……………………… xii Summary………………………………………………. xiii iii POL 324 COURSE GUIDE INTRODUCTION This course guide provides you with the relevant information about this course, including the course contents and the supporting materials to enable you excel in the study and proper understanding of the subject matter. It is also a compendium of the key issues involved in the study of the course. In other words it is intended to enable you have a 360 degrees view of the reasons why some countries are poor, while others are rich or not so rich. This also provides guidance on how to approach the course and how best to understand it. This is done through self assessment exercises and tutor- marked assignments which punctuate the entire units in all the modules. The countries which we used as case studies are intended to help you understand a practical applicability of the principles enunciated in the preliminary part of the course. These countries, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Iran and Nigeria obviously earn their place in the study, for both explanatory clarity and strategic reasons in the discourse. Therefore I have no doubt that at the end the student will be properly equipped with the necessary tools of analysis, and the broad overview of the issues discussed, the style of writing, current examples cited which if properly utilised could also be useful in other courses where the emphasis is interdisciplinary. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS COURSE The Politics of Development and underdevelopment is introduced with focus on the developing world. Issues such as revolution, cultural diversity, nationalism, authoritarianism and democracy are explored. The major focus of the course is how the incorporation of non-Western countries into the productive system of global capitalism has disrupted, distorted and shaped the political organisation and cultural identity of Third World states. The first section of the course begins with an examination of how our understanding of the “Third World” has been constructed through Western concepts and theory and what this implies for the dynamics of power and knowledge between North and South. The second section explores the politics of diversity, revolution and economic change in the Asian cases of China and India. The third section looks at the experiences of Brazil and Mexico focusing particularly on industrial development, dependency, democracy and trade. The fourth section examines the military might and revolution, nation-building and religion and shifting power amongst social groups in the struggles for democratic development in Iran and Nigeria. However, you are expected to concentrate on the institutions of only three countries and should be prepared to follow political events in these countries that are reported in iv POL 324 COURSE GUIDE the media. For this purpose, reading of a good general interest daily newspaper and a newsmagazine would be helpful COURSE AIMS This course aims to acquaint the student with the tools of analysis of the politics of development and underdevelopment. The tools would enable you to: • reasonably apply the principles of the course in everyday living and reason(s) for development, underdevelopment, inequality and poverty • broaden the your views on the dynamics of politics and economics side-by-side the society on issues of development • expose you to the geographical spread of the issues involved (the geographical North and South) is relevant in the discourse, as an important aspect of political economy • in this course specific case studies are treated for explanatory purposes. COURSE OBJECTIVES It is to note that this course has general objectives that it sets out to achieve. But each unit has its specific objectives, which is stated at the beginning of each unit. I advise that you read them before you start working through the unit. You may make reference to them in the course of the unit as self-assessment strategy. The major and comprehensive objectives of this course are stated below. By meeting these objectives, it is expected that you have as well met the aims of the course. On successful completion of the course, you should be able to do the following: • identify and explain development and underdevelopment • appreciate the theories of development • discuss the external agents of development and underdevelopment • define and apply the role of revolution in changing the economies of the countries used as case studies • explain revolution, religion, military rule and democracy in the Third world, and • state the meaning of corruption and the solution(s) to Third world underdevelopment v POL 324 COURSE GUIDE WORKING THROUGH THIS COURSE In order to successfully complete this course, the you are required to read the study units and other related materials. It is necessary to undertake practical exercises for which the you need a pen, a note-book, and other materials that will be listed in this guide. The exercises would aid you to understand and properly grapple with the concepts as you are presented. At the end of each unit, you will be required to submit written assignments for the purpose of assessment. At the end of the course, a final examination shall be written. WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS COURSE It is important that you reflect on preliminary courses on the foundation of political economy, in order to understand the basis for the existence of inequality and poverty. It is also important to have knowledge of colonialism and the history and government of African politics to assist you in understanding the reason(s) for development and underdevelopment as they stand, and why they have persisted. It is also important to read materials on trade relations and the dynamics of politics involved in order to understand why the weak (in this sense the developing countries) will continue to be marginalised in the process if they do not fight for their own emancipation. This if not done will continue to perpetuate poverty and underdevelopment. Other issues can be itemised as follows; 1. The course guide 2. Study units 3. Assignment file 4. Relevant textbooks including those listed under each course unit 5. Student may also listen to discussions on contemporary national and international issues on development 6. It is equally important that student access the internet on related issues as well as read political economy journals and write-ups and business newspapers. COURSE MATERIALS The major materials which are needed for this course are: 1 The Course Guide 2. Study Units 3. Textbooks and References 4. Assignment File 5. Presentation Schedule vi POL 324 COURSE GUIDE STUDY UNITS Politics of Development and Underdevelopment is a 3-credit unit 300 level course for undergraduate Political Science students. There are 4 modules of twenty-one units in this course, with a minimum of five units in each module. Specifically, module one contains six units. Each module and the units do not have the same length. In other words, some modules and perhaps units may be longer or more detailed than others, because of the nature and scope of issues involved. The four modules contained in this course are broken down as follows; Module 1 Understanding Development and Underdevelopment Unit 1 What is Development? Unit 2 What is Underdevelopment? Unit 3 Theories of Development and Underdevelopment (Modernisation and Dependency as well as Sociological Theories) Unit 4 Critique of Modernisation and Dependency Theories Unit 5 Development in the Industrialised Economies Unit 6 Underdevelopment in Africa. Module 2 External Agents of Development and Underdevelopment in the Third World Unit 1 Global Capitalism and Globalisation Unit 2 Britton Woods Institutions (IMF and the World Bank) Unit 3 Multination/Transnational Corporations (MNCs or TNCs) Unit 4 The Politics of Debt and Foreign Aid in Africa Unit 5 North/South Dichotomy and the Search for a New International Economic Order Module 3 Revolution and Emerging Economies of Asia and South America Unit 1 The Rise of China Unit 2 The Growing Economy of India Unit 3 China and India on the March to the First World Unit 4 Industrial Development in Brazil Unit 5 Industrial Development in Mexico vii POL 324 COURSE GUIDE Module 4 Revolution, Religion, Military Rule and Democracy in the Third World Unit 1 The Iranian Revolution Unit 2 Military Rule and Third world Development Unit 3 Democratisation in Nigeria Unit 4 Corruption as the Bane of Third world Development Unit 5 Solutions to the Third world Underdevelopment TEXTBOOKS AND REFERENCES After the summary of each unit you will find a list of current and leading textbooks and relevant reading materials in the area(s) under discussion. I try as much as possible to provide you with the relevant information on the core issues in the discourse, but it may also be necessary to consult the list of provided texts in order to further expand your horizon.
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