MES 12.07 The Sociology of International Development
This course will introduce students to the major sociological perspectives on economic and political development, with emphasis on developing countries. Among the views to be considered are modernization, which assumes that later developing countries will follow paths once traveled by today's advanced countries; and dependency and world system theories, which view the integration of less developed countries into the world market as problematic and, under certain conditions, even disadvantageous. We will test these theories by applying them to specific cases. A major part of the course will focus on the economic 'miracle' of East Asian countries, as well as cases that have not been so successful. Other important topics to be studied include the influence of states, markets, and multinational corporations in economic development; the relationship between different modes of development and income distribution; and political development and the prospects for democratization. Open to all classes.
Cross Listed Courses
SOCY 022