Theories of Social Change and Development

GEOG 3050, Theories of Social Change and Development, is compulsory for students attending the programme. The course serves as an introduction to the main theme of the MPhil programme. Students shall broaden their knowledge of theories of social change and development. Different theories will be introduced and examined with respect to key concepts, perspectives and key development challenges of our times such as poverty alleviation and growth, globalisation and marginalisation, gender and development, civil society mobilisation and other post-development discourses. The course draws on a wide range of practical and empirical knowledge, as the lecturers represent several disciplines within the social sciences and many have cross-cultural experience. During the autumn term the course consists of lectures and one compulsory assignment, while the spring term consists of seminars/group work and term paper writing. The term paper should serve as an epistemology paper for the thesis and should be presented at a final seminar (compulsory).

Students shall broaden their knowledge of theories of social change through an introduction to different analytical perspectives in development theory and practise.

Lectures (20 hours), assignment, seminars incl. term paper (26 hours).