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| Semester | fall semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Evelyn Dietsche (evelyn.dietsche@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The objectives of this BA seminar are to i) introduce undergraduate students to development and economic growth theories and the main variables that these have identified to explain the outcomes of economic, social, and political development processes, and ii) for students to learn about and discuss some of the issues and challenges that occupy the contemporary development debate. Among the latter are the nexus between resources, energy and climate policies and the rediscovery of industrial policy for economic diversification and structural transformation. The seminar balances knowledge acquisition on the objectives and the results of development policy with gaining an overview of the different methodologies and approaches that development researchers have applied to gaining insights on the development process and the relative importance of different sets of economic, social, and political variables. The seminar considers insights gained from across different continents, with contemporary issues and challenges focusing primarily on Sub-Saharan Africa. Individual seminar sessions will be based on i) the lecturer providing a topical 45-minute input every week and ii) individual students and/or student groups presenting their observations and findings based on reviewing selected journal articles and/or consulting relevant data bases. |
| Learning objectives | • Gain an overview of development theories, how these have evolved over time, and their implications for development cooperation. • Understand historical processes of development and their potential contemporary relevance, especially with respect to fragile and conflict-affected countries. • Learn about different methodologies and approaches applied to the study of economic, social, and political development and their practical implications. • Gain a basic understanding of the contemporary issues and challenges facing the development community. • Familiarisation with the World Bank Development Indicators and other development-focused databases. |
| Bibliography | Betz, Joachim. 2022. Entwicklungspolitik. Springer Verlag. (Erhältlich als Ebook mit Wissensprüfung). Die weiteren Artikel für die jeweiligen Seminarthemen und zur Erarbeitung der Lernjournale werden auf ADAM bereitgestellt. |
| Comments | Attention: All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. The number of participants is limited. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to students of Political Science. |
| Admission requirements | Attention: All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. The number of participants is limited. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to students of Political Science. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 14.15-15.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
| Modules |
Modul: Regionaler Fokus B.A. (Bachelor's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Vertiefung Politikwissenschaft B.A. (Bachelor's degree subject: Political Science) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | 1) Aktive Mitarbeit und Lektüre der Basisliteratur. 2) Erstellen eines Lernjournals zu 5 Sitzungen. Details zur Abgabe und Termine werden in der ersten Sitzung besprochen und festgelegt. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |