The ‘developing world’ is a slippery concept. In this module, we will analyse it from an international political perspective. This means that we will uncover the international power relations that constitute the ‘developing world’ as such.

We will start questioning the very concept of development and what it entails. In the first few weeks, we will read influential writers in international development, such as W.W. Rostow, Gunder Frank, Amartya Sen, and Arturo Escobar. Then we will look in closer detail at key topics in international development, such as gender, race, class, and the impact of neoliberalism in the global south, using the work of critical contemporary scholars and activists such as Kalpana Wilson, Naila Kabeer, Ben Selwyn, and Veronica Gago. Finally, we will discuss alternative ways to research and represent the global periphery.

We had a lot of fun preparing your lectures and seminars. We hope you enjoy the module as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you.

All the best,

Felipe Antunes de Oliveira, Clive Gabay, Lipika Kamra, and Salomé Ietter.