Time Schedule:
Colin Danby
BIS 394
Bothell Campus
Introduces a variety of issues affecting Third World economies in a framework that emphasizes their particular and varied post-colonial histories. Draws on economic theory, cultural and economic anthropology, literature, and other sources to understand institutions and sources of change in these economies.
Class description
This course will give you tools to understand changes in Third World economies. We will focus on institutions — established sets of relationships among people in a society or culture — which organize productive activity. Such institutions include families, markets, systems of land ownership, governments, and firms.
For more information please see the syllabus, accessible via http://www.bothell.washington.edu/faculty/danby/
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
The course will emphasize the internal diversity of the Third World, but will not attempt to teach you the economic history of all 150 or so nations that can be put in this category. Rather, we will look at a number of interesting examples, and build an intellectual toolkit that will enable you to gain insights into other cases.
This requires two kinds of readings. Theoretical readings provide us with tools, while readings about specific places and times give us the opportunity to use our tools. Sometimes a reading will do both. Our readings about specific places and times will include films and short stories as well as more traditional social science writing. Learning this material also requires discussion and your own writing -- you cannot get very far by passively listening and reading. You will begin to get comfortable using these tools by trying them out yourself in essays and take-home exams, and through discussion in small and large groups. The small seminar groups to which you will be assigned are a vital component of this course.
Recommended preparation
Some previous social science training is recommended, especially in cultural anthropology, sociology, or economics.
Good writing skills will be helpful.
Class assignments and grading
The course involves a lot of reading and writing.
The last time this course was taught, grades were assigned as follows: Participation 20% Completing question sets 10% Seminar papers (3) 35% Take-home exams (3) 35%
