Introduction to International Development
Week 1
1. Introduction to Development Studies
Introduction: Academic justi cation for IDS(
● Why does a study focus only on one part of the world?
● What makes IDS distinctive from other social sciences?
● Studying Development (historic patterns of progress) or intentional plans to
‘develop’ (development practice)?
● What are the discipline’s boundaries? What thematic concentration?
● Is there an “asymmetric business” of Northern researchers studying the Global
South?
A. Brief History of Development
The 50s and 60s
It was thought that the pursuit of modernization and economic growth, through the transfer
of nance, technology, and institutions from the US/Europe or the Soviet Union, would
transform economic and social conditions, including poverty.
1
,The 70s
• Development thinking in major international agencies start to focus directly on poverty.
• UN agencies proposed a basic need approach:
• Basic needs: state-provided
• Rural development: free economy, income generation
• Towards the end, neoliberal free-market ideas, economic growth as key to development
The 90s
The need for economic reform to be accompanied by social policies.
UN´s Human Development Report
● Human development as an alternative to economic growth as a concept and goal.
● HDI introduced, poverty as multidimensional.
The 2000s
Millennium Assembly!"!#$%$&'()$*+!,-.!*'!&'*/$0!-1'2+!$3'*')43!/0',+5!-*6!
/$*$0-&47$6!4)(0'%$)$*+.!4*!,$&8-0$9!0-+5$0:!4+!,-.!.;*'*;)'2.!,4+5!+-0/$+$6!('%$0+;!
$0-643-+4'*<
Combining elements of structuralism with liberalism.
● Liberals promote the analysis of market-based growth by demonstrating growth's.
● Structuralists seek to promote the analysis of inequality through more relativist
and relational poverty analysis.
B. Labelling in International Development
Truman´s criteria underdevelopment (1949)
1. inadequate food
2. disease
3. primitive economic life
4. poverty
Truman’s criteria for development:
1. scienti c advancement
2. industrial progress
3. skill and technical knowledge.
📌 “Third World” &-1$&!"!!=+4$0.!)'*6$>!1;!?-2%;:!80$*35!6$)'/0-(5$0
• Refer to countries outside the two major power blocs of the West and the Soviet Union.
2
,• May be considered pejorative, patronizing and inaccurate. E.g. argentina is automatically
labelled a such while it is more prosperous than eastern european countries.
📌 "Fourth World" )'0$!0$3$*+&;!"!+'!6$*'+$!+5$!(''0$.+!'8!+5$!(''0!3'2*+04$.:!2.2-&&;!
0$&-+$6!+'!-0)$6!3'*8&43+!-*6!1-6!/'%$0*-*3$!@$</<!A'*/'B<
📌 “Global South” " geographically de ned concept = incorporates centrality of historical
+ contemporary patterns of wealth & power.
"!C33'2*+.!8'0!5',!D!('%$0+;!E!.'34-&!3'*64+4'*.!-0$!8'2*6!+50'2/5'2+!+5$!,'0&6<!
📌 "Emerging markets": countries that are perceived by the leaders of global capitalist
enterprises as potential markets to target for pro t.
📌 “Two-thirds world” and “majority world” "!+'!-%'46!64.3'*+$*+F'88$*.4%$*$..:!4+!
54/5&4/5+.!+5$!'%$0,5$&)4*/!)-G'04+;!'8!+5$!,'0&6H.!('(2&-+4'*!-0$!+5$!+-0/$+.:!.21G$3+.:!'0!
'1G$3+.!'8!6$%$&'()$*+<
📌 “Developing Countries” "!)'.+!3'))'*!&-1$&!8'0!3'2*+04$.!+5-+!5-%$!*'+!;$+!0$-35$6!
+5$!&$%$&!'8!$3'*')43!.233$..!*$3$..-0;!+'!1$!3'*.46$0$6!I6$%$&'($6I
📌 “Low-middle-high income” countries: World bank classi cation as a basis for
determining the loan programs for which a country is eligible to apply.
"!=#$%$&'(4*/>!4.!&',!-*6!)466&$!4*3')$!JKL!4+!6'$.!*'+!4)(&;!(0'/0$..!4.!1$4*/!)-6$<
1.1. Development Studies
★ International Development Studies = multi- + interdisciplinary eld of study
○ .$$M.!+'!2*6$0.+-*6!"!.'34-&:!$3'*')43:!('&4+43-&:!+$35*'&'/43-&:!$3'&'/43-&:!
/$*6$0!-*6!32&+20-&!-.($3+.!'8!.'34$+-&!35-*/$!
■ How? At local, national, regional and global levels
○ interplay between di erent levels and the stakeholders involved
○ broad eld united primarily by thematic concentration.
○ BUT ambiguity in what is multidisciplinarity + cross-disciplinarity + pluri-
disciplinarity + trans-disciplinarity.
★ Dimensions of Development:
○ Development as:
3
, ■ Short & medium-term
goals
■ Long-term & societal
transformation
■ Discourses
○
★ #$%$&'()$*+!N!#$%$&'()$*+!C46!"!C46!
$88$3+4%$*$..!-.!problematic
○ At rst, it might seem reasonable.
○ (1) it narrows our focus down to micro-interventions (at local level)
○ (2) tends to ignore broader macro-economic, political & institutional drivers
of impoverishment + underdevelopment.
■ It might seem reasonable + yield micro-results BUT little change in
systems that produce these problems
■ O$$6!+'!+-3M&$!0''+!3-2.$.!"!('%$0+;:!4*$P2-&4+;!Q!3&4)-+$!35-*/$<!
★ Development + Economic Growth
○ 📊 Banerjee, A. & E. Du o (2020) → No accepted recipe +'!)-M$!(''0!
3'2*+04$.!-354$%$!($0)-*$*+&;!54/5!/0',+5!"!!+02$!4*/0$64$*+.!'8!($0.4.+$*+!
$3'*')43!/0',+5!0$)-4*!);.+$04'2.<
○ #$%$&'()$*+!N!R3'*')43!S0',+5
■ @TB!U*!6$%$&'(4*/!3'2*+04$.:!$3'*');!4.!1-.$6!'*!-!8$,!$V('0+.!F!
0$.'203$.!"!GDP rates are thus very volatile (unstable) = may be high
one year and low the next.
● GDP rates!D!)$-.20$!5',!3'2*+04$.!-0$!$3'*')43-&&;!
($08'0)4*/!"!-664*/!,$-&+5!'0!OWL<
■ (1) GDP rapid increase could suggest industrialization.
● Increase in productivity!"!-/0432&+20$:!$V+0-3+4*/!*-+20-&!
0$.'203$.:!$+3<!
● Assumption that GDP increase would lead to Trickle down "!
/0',+5!'8!*-+4'*-&!,$-&+5!@4*!+$0).!'8!4*30$-.4*/!S#X!($0!3-(4+-B!
,'2&6!Y+043M&$!6',*Z!+'!(''0$.+!)$)1$0.
○ BUT GDP per capita = av. income in a country.
○ GDP cannot tells us about:
■ Extent of poverty
■ Growth is trickling down.
4
Week 1
1. Introduction to Development Studies
Introduction: Academic justi cation for IDS(
● Why does a study focus only on one part of the world?
● What makes IDS distinctive from other social sciences?
● Studying Development (historic patterns of progress) or intentional plans to
‘develop’ (development practice)?
● What are the discipline’s boundaries? What thematic concentration?
● Is there an “asymmetric business” of Northern researchers studying the Global
South?
A. Brief History of Development
The 50s and 60s
It was thought that the pursuit of modernization and economic growth, through the transfer
of nance, technology, and institutions from the US/Europe or the Soviet Union, would
transform economic and social conditions, including poverty.
1
,The 70s
• Development thinking in major international agencies start to focus directly on poverty.
• UN agencies proposed a basic need approach:
• Basic needs: state-provided
• Rural development: free economy, income generation
• Towards the end, neoliberal free-market ideas, economic growth as key to development
The 90s
The need for economic reform to be accompanied by social policies.
UN´s Human Development Report
● Human development as an alternative to economic growth as a concept and goal.
● HDI introduced, poverty as multidimensional.
The 2000s
Millennium Assembly!"!#$%$&'()$*+!,-.!*'!&'*/$0!-1'2+!$3'*')43!/0',+5!-*6!
/$*$0-&47$6!4)(0'%$)$*+.!4*!,$&8-0$9!0-+5$0:!4+!,-.!.;*'*;)'2.!,4+5!+-0/$+$6!('%$0+;!
$0-643-+4'*<
Combining elements of structuralism with liberalism.
● Liberals promote the analysis of market-based growth by demonstrating growth's.
● Structuralists seek to promote the analysis of inequality through more relativist
and relational poverty analysis.
B. Labelling in International Development
Truman´s criteria underdevelopment (1949)
1. inadequate food
2. disease
3. primitive economic life
4. poverty
Truman’s criteria for development:
1. scienti c advancement
2. industrial progress
3. skill and technical knowledge.
📌 “Third World” &-1$&!"!!=+4$0.!)'*6$>!1;!?-2%;:!80$*35!6$)'/0-(5$0
• Refer to countries outside the two major power blocs of the West and the Soviet Union.
2
,• May be considered pejorative, patronizing and inaccurate. E.g. argentina is automatically
labelled a such while it is more prosperous than eastern european countries.
📌 "Fourth World" )'0$!0$3$*+&;!"!+'!6$*'+$!+5$!(''0$.+!'8!+5$!(''0!3'2*+04$.:!2.2-&&;!
0$&-+$6!+'!-0)$6!3'*8&43+!-*6!1-6!/'%$0*-*3$!@$</<!A'*/'B<
📌 “Global South” " geographically de ned concept = incorporates centrality of historical
+ contemporary patterns of wealth & power.
"!C33'2*+.!8'0!5',!D!('%$0+;!E!.'34-&!3'*64+4'*.!-0$!8'2*6!+50'2/5'2+!+5$!,'0&6<!
📌 "Emerging markets": countries that are perceived by the leaders of global capitalist
enterprises as potential markets to target for pro t.
📌 “Two-thirds world” and “majority world” "!+'!-%'46!64.3'*+$*+F'88$*.4%$*$..:!4+!
54/5&4/5+.!+5$!'%$0,5$&)4*/!)-G'04+;!'8!+5$!,'0&6H.!('(2&-+4'*!-0$!+5$!+-0/$+.:!.21G$3+.:!'0!
'1G$3+.!'8!6$%$&'()$*+<
📌 “Developing Countries” "!)'.+!3'))'*!&-1$&!8'0!3'2*+04$.!+5-+!5-%$!*'+!;$+!0$-35$6!
+5$!&$%$&!'8!$3'*')43!.233$..!*$3$..-0;!+'!1$!3'*.46$0$6!I6$%$&'($6I
📌 “Low-middle-high income” countries: World bank classi cation as a basis for
determining the loan programs for which a country is eligible to apply.
"!=#$%$&'(4*/>!4.!&',!-*6!)466&$!4*3')$!JKL!4+!6'$.!*'+!4)(&;!(0'/0$..!4.!1$4*/!)-6$<
1.1. Development Studies
★ International Development Studies = multi- + interdisciplinary eld of study
○ .$$M.!+'!2*6$0.+-*6!"!.'34-&:!$3'*')43:!('&4+43-&:!+$35*'&'/43-&:!$3'&'/43-&:!
/$*6$0!-*6!32&+20-&!-.($3+.!'8!.'34$+-&!35-*/$!
■ How? At local, national, regional and global levels
○ interplay between di erent levels and the stakeholders involved
○ broad eld united primarily by thematic concentration.
○ BUT ambiguity in what is multidisciplinarity + cross-disciplinarity + pluri-
disciplinarity + trans-disciplinarity.
★ Dimensions of Development:
○ Development as:
3
, ■ Short & medium-term
goals
■ Long-term & societal
transformation
■ Discourses
○
★ #$%$&'()$*+!N!#$%$&'()$*+!C46!"!C46!
$88$3+4%$*$..!-.!problematic
○ At rst, it might seem reasonable.
○ (1) it narrows our focus down to micro-interventions (at local level)
○ (2) tends to ignore broader macro-economic, political & institutional drivers
of impoverishment + underdevelopment.
■ It might seem reasonable + yield micro-results BUT little change in
systems that produce these problems
■ O$$6!+'!+-3M&$!0''+!3-2.$.!"!('%$0+;:!4*$P2-&4+;!Q!3&4)-+$!35-*/$<!
★ Development + Economic Growth
○ 📊 Banerjee, A. & E. Du o (2020) → No accepted recipe +'!)-M$!(''0!
3'2*+04$.!-354$%$!($0)-*$*+&;!54/5!/0',+5!"!!+02$!4*/0$64$*+.!'8!($0.4.+$*+!
$3'*')43!/0',+5!0$)-4*!);.+$04'2.<
○ #$%$&'()$*+!N!R3'*')43!S0',+5
■ @TB!U*!6$%$&'(4*/!3'2*+04$.:!$3'*');!4.!1-.$6!'*!-!8$,!$V('0+.!F!
0$.'203$.!"!GDP rates are thus very volatile (unstable) = may be high
one year and low the next.
● GDP rates!D!)$-.20$!5',!3'2*+04$.!-0$!$3'*')43-&&;!
($08'0)4*/!"!-664*/!,$-&+5!'0!OWL<
■ (1) GDP rapid increase could suggest industrialization.
● Increase in productivity!"!-/0432&+20$:!$V+0-3+4*/!*-+20-&!
0$.'203$.:!$+3<!
● Assumption that GDP increase would lead to Trickle down "!
/0',+5!'8!*-+4'*-&!,$-&+5!@4*!+$0).!'8!4*30$-.4*/!S#X!($0!3-(4+-B!
,'2&6!Y+043M&$!6',*Z!+'!(''0$.+!)$)1$0.
○ BUT GDP per capita = av. income in a country.
○ GDP cannot tells us about:
■ Extent of poverty
■ Growth is trickling down.
4
