COURSE UNIT TITLE

: PERSPECTIVES ON DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
ECN 5047 PERSPECTIVES ON DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS ELECTIVE 3 0 0 6

Offered By

Economics (English)

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR BURÇAK MÜGE VURAL

Offered to

Economics (English)

Course Objective

This course examines ideas in development, focusing primarily on some of the leading modern thinkers such as Karl Polanyi, Gunnar Myrdal, Arthur Lewis, Albert Hirschman, Samir Amin Amartya Sen, Mancur Olson, Douglas North, and Paul Krugman. Students will be expected to read and debate the major primary works, drawing comparative themes, assumptions, and lessons. Our interest is to reveal the classical foundations of these works and their links to current substantive issues on state and economy. It should appeal to students who want to improve their conceptual knowledge of political economy and social change.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Help students learn how to apply the tools of economic analysis to problems of growth, poverty, and environmental sustainability in developing countries.
2   Help students understand: (1) why some poor countries are catching up with the industrialized countries in per capita income, while others are increasingly lagging behind, (2) why half of humanity remains poor, and (3) why environmental degradation and resource exhaustion are commonly associated with income growth, and what are the implications of degradation and exhaustion on growth and poverty.
3   Help students understand what can be done to promote development through policies and investment projects, and learn to analyze the economic, social, and environmental impacts of specific initiatives.
4   Teach students to use data to conduct development analyses such as growth diagnostics, poverty assessments, impact analysis of development projects, and environmental impact assessments. Learn to prepare the corresponding reports for international development agencies and policy makers.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction and Organization
2 Wisconsin Economic Ideas
3 Karl Polanyi
4 Gunnar Myrdal
5 Arthur Lewis
6 Albert Hirschman
7 Midterm
8 Amartya Sen
9 Samir Amin
10 Paul Krugman
11 New Institutionalism
12 Capitalism Revisited: Olson
13 Back to Ideas
14 General Overview

Recomended or Required Reading

Paul Krugman, Development, Geography, and Economic Theory (MIT, 2000)
Mancur Olson. Power and Prosperity: Outgrowing Communist and Capitalist Dictatorships (Basic Books 2000)
Karl Polanyi. The Great Transformation (Beacon Press, 1957).
Amartya Sen. Development as Freedom (Anchor Books, 2000)

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lectures
Class Discussions

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 FIN FINAL EXAM
3 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.50 + FIN* 0.50
4 RST RESIT
5 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.50 + RST* 0.50


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

1. Articulate a clear understanding of the main tenets of economics and their application to a wide range of issues in development
2. Articulate a clear understanding of the main theories of development economics and how they have shaped policy and debates in the last six decades.
3. Articulate a clear understanding of the history of the praxis of the non- governmental sector in development over the last six decades and the theories and insights on which they have drawn.
4. Identify the key variables and strategies for creating and sustaining effective policies and programs in the development of low-income countries

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

It is obligatory to participate at least 70% of the classes

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

To be announced.

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 13 3 39
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 13 3 39
Preparation for final exam 1 30 30
Preparation for midterm exam 1 30 30
Midterm 1 2 2
Final 1 2 2
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 142

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10
LO.1554
LO.254
LO.3343
LO.445