POLS209-21S2 (C) Semester Two 2021

Politics of International Aid and Development

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 19 July 2021
End Date: Sunday, 14 November 2021
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 1 August 2021
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 1 October 2021

Description

This course introduces the main discourses, theories and practices related to the discipline of international development studies and its actors. We will first study the contentious history of the discipline which remains at times influenced by its colonial roots. This historical review will be key in appreciating how, since the end of World War II, global and regional political and economic contexts have informed the rise - and fall - of development theories and practices. Building on these historical insights, the course then turns to the politics of development aid and its actors. Here, a critical analysis of the drivers and practices for and around aid allocation will be pivotal in assessing the impact of aid on the ground. We will discuss key debates in relation to why and how governments give aid (bilateral and multilateral aid) and why, despite billions of dollars spent on international aid over time, poverty still plagues many countries across the Global South. The third part of the course turns to international private aid flows. Here we will discuss the trends and issues that arise from a proliferation of private actors in the aid industry: foundations, corporations, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and broader civil society movements. Practical case studies will be utilised throughout the course, by reference to a variety of historical events, case studies of actors in the field such as the World Bank, NZAid, and Oxfam, as well as guest experts from the field.

This course addresses the history, practices, discourses and conceptual approaches of international development. In the first part of the course, the history of international development
efforts will be addressed. This historical review will be key in appreciating how, since the end of World War II, global and regional political and economic contexts have informed the rise – and fall – of a wide range of development conceptual approaches and practices in the field of international development. The second part of the course tackles the politics of development aid, with an emphasis on Official Development Assistance. Here, a critical review of the motivations and practices for and around aid allocation will be pivotal in assessing the impact of aid on the ground. We will discuss key debates in relation to why and how governments give aid and why, despite billions of dollars spent on international aid over time, poverty still plagues many countries across the Global South. The third part of the course investigates the roles and practices of civil society in the context of international development efforts. Attention will be paid to the plurality of actors nestled within the umbrella concept of ‘civil society’, ranging from International Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as Oxfam and World Vision, to grass-root associations and social movements from the Global South. We will discuss key questions linked to the role of civil society in fostering – and sometimes hampering – social change; the institutional and financial constraints faced by these organisations; and the global divide between Northern and
Southern NGOs.

Learning Outcomes

  • Gain knowledge on the historical underpinnings of international development efforts and how (and why) such historical settings have influenced theoretical approaches in the field of international development studies (UC attributes: 1, 3, 5);
  • Critically reflect on the strengths and failings of the main theories informing the field in international development studies (UC attributes: 1, 3, 5);
  • Building on case studies from different regions of the world, demonstrate an ability to analyse how the range of political, economic and altruistic motives that animate actors across the field impact the outcomes of development activities on the ground (UC attributes: all);
  • Bring student to critically reflect on their own viewpoints on North-South
    relations (UC attributes: all).
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Engaged with the community

      Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Any 15 points at 100 level from POLS, or
any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or
LAWS, GEOG, or
the Schedule V of the BCom.

Course Coordinator

Pascale Hatcher

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Policy Brief Project (Essay) 35% Essay (2,000 to 2,500 words) (30%) and engage in an in-class simulation activity (5%)
Final exam 35% Closed book exam
Reading summary 15%
Informed & active participation 15%

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $785.00

International fee $3,500.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All POLS209 Occurrences

  • POLS209-21S2 (C) Semester Two 2021