Contested Histories of International Development: Theories, Case Studies, and Controversies

3 units

These are the central questions with which students will grapple as they draw from conventional historical texts, fiction, poetry, United Nations reports, films, and cartoons in Histories of International Development. As the end of World War II gave rise to the Cold War, the Third World emerged as a battle ground on which global superpowers vied for influence, often through development initiatives. Critically examining development therefore provides a lens into the major historical processes that dominated the second half of the 20th century, from decolonization to the Cold War, the expansion of capitalism in its many forms and, eventually, the War on Terror. Combining an intellectual history of development with a series of case studies from around the globe, this course examines the myriad ways policy makers, theorists, and everyday people have created, contested, and reworked the complicated meanings of international development.