MRD 7101:Rural Development Theories and Approaches (CU=4)

Course Description:

Relationship between main strategies for rural development and general development theories; Major development paradigms during the post-World war II period; Post-impasse development theoretical debates and perspectives. Globalisation. Key concepts of rural development and poverty reduction; theories of economic development; and, the role of the State in development. Analysis of key rural development approaches (‘top-down’, ‘bottom-up’ and “partnership” development, urbanisation and migration); Integrated Rural Development.

Course Objective:

To help the students understand and appreciate the theories and approaches to rural development in terms of their strengths and weaknesses and the way forward.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, the students should be able to:

  • understand the theories and approaches to rural development
  • Identify the strengths and weaknesses of rural development theories and approaches
  • Integrate different theories and approaches in designing development programmes.

Methods of Course Delivery

  • Class Lectures and guest lectures
  • Seminarsand Discussions
  • Self Study Assignments

Course Outline

  • Introduction (to the course and conceptual definitions)
  • Rural poverty
  • Rationale for rural development
  • Development Paradigms
  • Modernisation, Dependency, Post-modernism, Liberalisation, Globalisation
  • Post-impasse development theoretical debates and perspectives)
  • Rural Development Approaches (Analysis of key rural development approaches (‘top-down’, ‘bottom-up’, “partnerships” development
  • Actors in rural development (the state and governments, development partners, Civil society organisations, NGOs, CBOs, etc in the process of rural development planning and implementation)
  • Public-Private partnerships in Development
  • Regional/Rural Area Development Programming
  • Integrated Rural Development.
  • Case Studies of Rural Development

Method of Assessment

  • Term Paper (7500 words) 20%
  • Written Test (One Hour) 15%
  • Class Participation (Attendance and Quizzes) 5%
  • Final Examination (3 Hours) 60%
  • Total Course Mark100%

Basic Reading List

Atekyereza, Peter and AndrewElliasState. 2007. “Bourdieu’s Habitus and Development Aid for International Cooperation in Uganda” in Gotschi, Elisabeth, Andreas Hunger and Klaus Zapotoczky (Eds). 2007. Politik-Programme-Projekte: Menschenorientierte Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in Sinne von Bourdieu. Linz: Trauner Druck GmbH & Co KG pp: 63-80

Bernstein et. al. 1992. Rural Livelihoods: Crises and Responses. (Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press)

Chambers, R. 1983. Rural Development: Putting the Last First. (England: Longman)

Chambers, R. 1997. Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last. London: ITB

De Beer, F. and H. Swanepoel. 2000. Introduction to Development Studies. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press

Harris, P. 1982. Rural Development: Theories of Peasant Economy and Agrarian Change. (London: Century Hutchinson Ltd.),

Jazairy, et. al. 1992. The State of the World Rural Poverty: An Inquiry into its causes and Consequences. (London: IT Publications)

Kothari, R. 1993. Poverty: Human Consciousness and the Amnesia of development. (London: Zed Books Ltd.)

Nabudere D.W. 1997. Beyond Modernisation and Development or Why the Poor reject Development. Geografiska Annaler 79B. 4

Narayan D., R. Patel, K. Schafft, A. Rademacher, S. Koch-Schulte. 2000. Voices of the Poor: Can anyone hear us? World Bank: OxfordUniversity Press

Ulf Himmelstrand et al. 1994. African Perspectives on Development. London: James Currey Ltd.)