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Understanding Development: Modernisation Theory and its critics

KS5 Politics

Contents

Page 3: Course Rationale and Key Objectives

Page 4: Tutorial 1: Introduction to the Brilliant Club and Development Studies

Page 6: Tutorial 2: Modernisation Theory

Page 8: Tutorial 3: Structuralist Theories of Development

Page 10: Tutorial 4: Alternative and Post-‐Development

Page 12: Tutorial 5: Academic Practices

Page 17: Bibliography

Page 18: Your Dissertation


Course Rationale

This course has been designed to give students an introduction to contemporary political debates surrounding issues of “development” and “progress”. Modernisation Theory arose in the post-‐war period, based on the assumption that the reconstruction of European economies could be imitated in order to “develop” countries in the “Third World”. Modernisation Theory provides the starting point for this course, which will then go on to consider criticisms of the theory, particularly with regards to its Eurocentric nature and focus on economic growth. Students will consider Structuralism, Alternative Development and Post-‐Development as contrasting models of development, and consider the theoretical underpinnings and policy implications of each. The course will culminate in an extended assignment in which students will make their own judgement as to the usefulness of Modernisation Theory as a framework for understanding development.

This handbook, the attached readings, the course of six tutorials and the assignments set in each will work together to ensure the following objectives are delivered.

Key Objectives

• To identify key issues in contemporary debates about “development”. • To develop an understanding of the key facts of Modernisation Theory, Structuralism, Alternative and

Post-‐Development, the limits to each and the critiques they pose to one another. • To explore how assumptions about the meanings of concepts such as “development” have political

implications and shape national and international policy creation. • To encourage independent critical thought about development issues, and to guide students in

advancing their own academic argument about how “development” can and should be conceptualized.

• To provide a taster of university-‐style learning, and to develop a range of academic skills, applicable to a wide variety of disciplines and students’ current and future studies, including;

− Independent research − Written academic communication − Oral presentation − Critical engagement with literature and theory − Policy analysis − Self-‐reflection − Peer review − Academic referencing

Tutorial 1: Introduction to the Brilliant Club and Development Studies

In this first, shorter, tutorial we will introduce the role and function of the Brilliant Club. This course of six tutorials is intended to give you an idea of what it is like to study at university. It will combine tutor presentations, independent research and reading, and group discussions and presentations within the tutorials, all of which are features of learning at university. In this tutorial we will discuss our expectations of each other and ourselves, so as to foster a productive and effective learning environment over the coming weeks.

We will then consider our existing knowledge and assumptions about what “development” means, and look at different sources that show us how other actors and organisations conceptualise the idea. This will highlight some of the key issues in the study of development that we will be exploring in depth over the course of the module.

Contents:

Page 4: Development source materials: What can and should “development” be?

Page 10: Assignments and Readings for Tutorial 2

Assignments for Tutorial 2

1. Write a 300-‐word mini-‐essay answering the question “What I would like to gain from the Brilliant Club?”

− Each week you will be set a written assignment to hand in at the following tutorial. − These assignments are essential preparation for your final assignment. Firstly, they

are your chance to get written feedback from your tutor, on your knowledge and understanding and writing style. Secondly – after this first assignment – the mini tasks will form the backbone of your extended assignment. The more work you put in throughout the course – and the more opportunities you take to get feedback on your work – the easier you will find the extended assignment, and the higher quality your final work will be.

− THINK! What do you think are the most important differences between learning at school and learning at university?

− THINK! Which academic skills would you most like to develop? − THINK! Which academic skills do you think are your weakest?

2. Modernisation Theory Reading

− This reading booklet contains core and optional readings to prepare you for each week’s tutorials in school.

− The core readings are essential preparation for the tutorials, which you will not be able to participate in fully if you have not read these extracts.

− The optional readings are there to provide you with more in-‐depth and critical understanding of each topic.

− To achieve the highest grades in your final assignments, you will need to show that you have gone above and beyond the minimum research required. I may also provide additional reading materials in the tutorials; if you are interested in any particular topic and wish to read more, please let me know and I will get hold of relevant materials for you.

− This week’s core readings are Readings 1&2 − This week’s optional readings are Readings 3-‐5

Tutorial 2: Modernisation Theory

During the 1940s, social commentators began to view the reconstruction of war-‐torn Europe as a model for state-‐directed modernisation. This idea became pervasive in following decades, with widespread consensus that countries in the “third world” could imitate the ways in which Europe had overcome poverty and the chaos of post-‐war unemployment (Rapley, 2002).

Modernisation Theory centred on the Enlightenment concept of social reform, which asserted that traditional societies could evolve into enlightened, “modern” societies through secularisation, rationality and risk-‐taking (Power, 2008:71). Development was conceived to be synonymous with economic progress and growth, with Gross National Product (GNP) seen to be a primary indicator of development. Accordingly, the “development project” was oriented around the extension of markets into the global arena.

The process of modernisation was seen to be unilinear, assuming that the future path of “third world” countries would mirror that of the modern history of the “first world”. This notion is exemplified in the work of Rostow (1960), who described five stages of economic growth through which all societies would progress. The “final” stage was modelled on Western industrial societies, the qualities of which Rostow and others saw as the criteria of development, to which poor countries should aspire.

Modernisation Theory optimistically assumes that the gap between rich and poor countries can be bridged by underdeveloped societies mimicking the processes of developed nations and removing the barriers to economic change. These barriers might be lack of wealth (Rostow, 1960), or a lack of cultural values such as the profit motive (Apter, 1987), according to the commentator.

In this week’s seminar we will see that Modernisation thinking is still central to development thought. The global South continues to be seen in comparison to the global North, and the World Trade Organisation and others maintain that global gains can be maximised through free, international trade (Sapsford, 2008: 79). We will also consider criticisms of the optimistic, unilinear Theory and its usefulness in understanding and “doing” development.

Contents:


Checklist (to be done before tutorial in school):

Assignment for Tutorial 2 þ

Readings for Tutorial 2 þ


1. Write a 400-‐word summary of the key facets of Modernisation Theory − Make reference to the presentations and discussions from Tutorial 2, and the

reading you did last week. − THINK! What are the key points of Modernisation Theory − THINK! What are the strengths of the theory? − THINK! What are its weaknesses? What criticisms can be directed at

Modernisation Theory?

2. Structuralism reading − The core readings are Readings 6&7 − The optional readings are Readings 8-‐11

3. Prepare a two-‐minute (max) summary of one of the optional readings to share with the

group

Tutorial 3: Structuralist Theories of Development

A range of alternative schools of development thought have arisen from the criticisms of Modernisation Theory we saw last week.

In this week’s tutorial we will examine Structuralist models of development, which emphasise the weak position of “third world” countries in the global structure. Theorists argue that the asymmetrical structure of the global economy leads to “underdevelopment” in the “peripheral” global South, whilst powerful “core” economies’ dominance is reinforced by their market advantage (Rapley, 2002: 13).

Frank’s (1966) Dependency Theory rejects the idea of a natural progression from “traditional” to “modern” societies, arguing that the development of the “core” is made possible only by the exploitation of the peripheral economies, who are economically dependent upon that centre. The “underdevelopment” of the periphery, Frank argues, is a direct result of the Capitalist global structure. This is a pessimistic view of society, in which these is no scope for “development” of the periphery.

Wallerstein (1974) and others have developed this arguably over-‐simplistic model, depicting a tripartite international structure in which a “semi-‐periphery” exists between the “core” and “periphery”. In this World System Theory, there is some possibility for development, with certain peripheral and semi-‐peripheral economies striving towards a higher position. Thus, industrialisation to raise the economic advantage of peripheral nations is a policy implication of Structuralism, in addition to the political transformation advocated by typically Marxist Dependency Theory.

We will be considering the overlap and distinction between these two Structuralist models, the critiques they pose to Modernisation Theory and the limits to their worth.

Contents:


Checklist:



Two-‐minute (max) summary of one optional reading prepared þ


1. Write a 300-‐word summary of the key facets of Structuralist models of development − Make reference to the presentations and discussions from Tutorial 3, and the

reading you did last week. − THINK! What are the key points of Structuralist Theories of development? − THINK! What are the key differences between Dependency Theory and World

System Theory? − THINK! What are the strengths of these theories? − THINK! What are the weaknesses? What criticisms can be directed at

Structuralist models of development?

2. Alternative and Post-‐Development reading (core and optional) − The core readings are 12-‐14 − The optional readings are 15-‐20

3. Prepare to argue your case for how you believe “development” should be understood.

Does this echo or dispute the key ideas of Modernisation Theory?

Tutorial 4: Alternative and Post-‐Development

As we saw last week, although Structuralist theories address some critiques of Modernisation Theory, they share the objective of achieving a homogenised, industrial “modernity” and a focus on state-‐driven, economic development. This mainstream paradigm has been challenged both as a result of theoretical critiques and the apparent failure of the “development project” to improve conditions around the world.

In this week’s seminar we will look at a range of movements defined as “Alternative Development”, including Amartya Sen’s Human Capability Approach, Sustainable Development, and Ecofeminism. Alternative Development seeks to redefine the goals of development theory and practice, moving away from a preoccupation with economic growth towards a more “people-‐centred” and participatory approach (Pieterse, 1998: 343).

Although these “alternative’ approaches have been praised for attempting to break with Western dominance, some critics argue that they are equally as Eurocentric as traditional discourses due to their paternalistic stance (Latouche, 1996). The final theoretical model we will be exploring in this module is Post-‐Development. Post-‐development theorists argue that “development” is “the new religion of the West”, entailing the imposition of Western power and homogenisation (Pieterse, 2000: 175). This approach renders the development “project” senseless, and focuses on human need, self-‐reliance and structural transformation rather than the progress and makeability of nation states.

In this seminar we will consider the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches. We will then consider the policy implications of the four models of “development” that we have looked at in this course. Examining contemporary development sources, we will reflect upon the theoretical assumptions that different organisations and policy actors are relying.

Finally, we will have a tutorial debate in which you will put forward your case for how “development” should be understood. You will be required to justify how your approach is superior to others, and to consider the limitations of your approach. This will prepare you to make a strong and persuasive argument in your final essay.

Contents:

Page 16: Assignments for Tutorial 5

Checklist:



Argument for how you believe “development” should be understood

prepared þ


1. Skills worksheet: Academic Referencing

2. Prepare a three-‐minute presentation summarising your answer to the extended assignment question “What are the key elements of Modernisation Theory? How relevant is Modernisation Theory as a framework for understanding development?”

− You will be peer-‐reviewing each other’s presentations in Tutorial 5 − THINK! How will you structure your dissertation? − THINK! What are the key elements of Modernisation Theory? − THINK! What other theories will you address? − THINK! What are the main strengths and weaknesses of each theory? − THINK! How relevant or useful is Modernisation Theory?

3. Come with a first draft of your extended assignment to work on in the tutorial

− We will be talking more about academic writing conventions in Tutorial 5 − REMEMBER! Your introduction and conclusion must answer the question

4. There are no set readings for Tutorial 5, as you are expected to spend your time drafting

your final assignment. You may want to catch up on optional readings from previous weeks that you might have missed, in order to strengthen your writing.

Tutorial 5: Academic Practices

In this seminar we will introduce the idea of peer review, and consider the differences between criticism and critique. You will then peer review your colleagues’ presentations, providing feedback and ideas for improvement. In your own presentation you will present a basic summary of the structure and content of your dissertation.

We will then spend some time considering ways in which you can develop your analysis to the highest level. We will consider how the different theories we have examined interact with and pose critiques to one another, and the policy implications of each. As we saw last week, when considering the usefulness of different theories of development it is crucial to consider how they look when played out in practice.

Finally, we will focus on the conventions associated with academic writing. In particular, we will concentrate on writing concise and effective introductions and conclusions, and on the academic referencing skills explained in last week’s worksheet. You will have a chance to work on the draft of your assignment that you have brought to the seminar.

Contents:

Page 18: Academic Communication: Peer Review

Page 19: Academic Writing: Introductions and Conclusions

Page 20: Academic Writing: The Harvard System of Referencing

Page 21: Your Dissertation

Page 23: Dissertation Mark scheme

Checklist:

Academic referencing worksheet þ

Dissertation presentation prepared for peer review þ

First draft of final assignment þ

Academic Communication: Peer Review Peer-‐review is used in the academic world to uphold high standards

In academia, debate is mainly conducted through the written word. For example, academics will write replies to one another through articles published in academic journals. When an academic submits an article to be published, it will also be peer reviewed to ensure its rigour and quality.

Academics furthermore rely on verbal feedback from their peers to ensure that their work is of the highest standard. This might be in formal situations, such as when presenting their work at conferences, or might be through simply conversing and debating with colleagues.

In Tutorial 5 you will be peer reviewing your peers’ presentations. Every student will present a plan for the content and structure of their extended assignment, and you will be required to critique each other’s ideas, giving constructive feedback on how they might be improved.

Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people of similar competence to the producers of the work (peers).

It constitutes a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field.

Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards of quality, improve performance, and provide credibility.

In academia peer review is often used to determine an academic paper's suitability for publication.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_review

The practice of peer review is to ensure that good science is published.

It is an objective process at the heart of good scholarly publishing and is standard practice at all reputable scientific journals.

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/social-‐science-‐research/policies-‐and-‐guidelines/peer-‐review-‐policy-‐on-‐social-‐science-‐research/

Academic Writing: Introductions and Conclusions

Introductions

An academic introduction is quite different from the type of introduction you might write in an essay for your schoolwork. In truth, school level introductions are often quite weak in that they only describe the processes they will go through in the essay, for example:

The portrayal of women in the media is an important issue these days. In this essay I will look at whether or not the media portrays women in a realistic way. I will consider both sides of the argument and then make a conclusion.

An academic essay would be much more specific than this; it would tell the reader which arguments it is going to consider and what conclusion it reaches. The reason for this is that academics have to read a lot of essays, and being specific about the processes you will go through as well as being specific about the argument you are making helps the reader easily understand if it is the sort of essay or article they are looking for. So, for example:

This essay will address the issue of whether or not women are portrayed realistically in the media. It will begin by exploring how women have become more prevalent in the mainstream media, and trace the roots of this development back to the use of women in advertising in post-‐war America. This will be followed by a discussion of the feminist critique of the 1960s that challenged the status quo, and the conclusion that Western society has not properly addressed the issues raised because ultimately it is profitable for companies to use unrealistic images of women to advertise and to sell their products.

Conclusions

As with introductions, at university level the conclusions you write will be a specific summary of the key points that you have made, and will offer one final chance to justify your main argument. In this case, your argument is the degree of usefulness that you believe Modernisation Theory offers in understanding development (and perhaps how you believe development should be understood). You should not include anything new in your conclusion that you have not covered in the main part of your essay. It might help you to think of this section as the place where you repeat your key message, rather than where you bring it all together.

What to write… In the essay text.

When you paraphrase or summarise;

Note the author and year, in brackets.

When you quote directly;

Do the above and add the page number (if there is one).

Academic Writing: The Harvard System of Referencing Correct referencing is the cornerstone of all academic work. It gives due credit to the authors of any sources you may have used in your study, as well as demonstrating your understanding and familiarity with the resources. Referencing is an essential part of academic study, and will help you to avoid the risk of unintentional plagiarism.

.

What is a reference?

A reference is a notice in your writing that serves to acknowledge that you have either quoted from, referred to or have been influenced by another source such as a book, a website or an article.

When should I use a reference?

You should use a reference anytime that you either:

v Quote directly from another source v Paraphrase or summarise another piece of work v Discuss or analyse other people’s ideas

Where does it go in the text?

There are two parts to a reference: the first is a notice placed right after you refer to the source in your essay; the second goes on a separate page at the end of the essay called a bibliography. This is a list of all the sources you have used throughout your essay put together in alphabetical order according to surname of the author.

What exactly do I put?

There are various different ways of referencing but the most common, and the one we want you to use in your work for The Brilliant Club, is the ‘Harvard System’ of referencing. This requires that you put a particular type of acknowledgement in brackets immediately after the reference and then give a comprehensive description of the source in your bibliography. There are rules that govern both of these processes and these are spelt out in the following boxes.

What to write… In the bibliography.

For books;

You must give the following details in this specific order: author(s), year, title of book, city that publisher is located in, name of publisher. For example: Dubner, S. and Levitt, S. (2006) Freakonomics London: Penguin The author’s surname is given first and is followed by their initial. Where there is more than one author, they are listed in alphabetical order. The year is given in brackets, the title of the book is given in italics and the publisher’s home city and name are separated by a colon.

For journal articles;

You must give the following details in this specific order: author(s), year, title of article, title of journal, volume number, issue number, page numbers. For example Camfield, L. (2010). "'Stew Without Bread or Bread Without Stew': Children's understandings of poverty in Ethiopia." Children and Society 24 (4): 271-281 The above conventions apply to the name of the author, the year and the title of the article. The article title must be in speech marks, and the journal title should be in italics. The issue number sits within brackets, and the page numbers come after a colon.

For websites;

You must give the following details in this specific order: author(s), year, title of article (if there is one), website address, date accessed. For example: Bennet, J. (2008) Notes on the Crack Trade URL: www.newsweek.com/2008/01/31/notes-from-the-crack-trade.html, Retrieved: 23/02/11 The above conventions apply to the name, year and title. For the website address write ‘URL:’ and then copy and paste the website from the toolbar in your browser, and for the date you accessed the page write ‘Retrieved:’ and then write the date in shorthand.

You may wish to reference other types of sources in your dissertation, for example book sections or newspaper articles. Your tutor will provide advice and guidance in such instances

Bibliography The following is a bibliography of all the sources cited in this Brilliant Club Handbook. This, combined with the in-‐text referencing throughout the document, provides you with a model of the Harvard Referencing System. It also tells you where you can find the information being referred to – the fundamental purpose of referencing.

Apter, D. (1987) Rethinking Development: Modernization, dependency and postmodern politics Newbury Park, CA: Sage

Frank, A. G. (1966) “The Development of Underdevelopment” Monthly Review 18 (4): 17-31

Latouche, S. (1996) The Westernisation of the World Oxford: Polity Press

Pieterse, J. N. (1998) “My Paradigm or Yours? Alternative Development, Post-Development, Reflexive Development” Development and Change 29 (2): 343-373

Pieterse, J. N. (2000) “After Post-development” Third World Quarterly 21 (2): 175-191

Power, M. (2008) “Enlightenment and the Era of Modernity” in V. Desai and R. B. Potter (eds.) The Companion to Development Studies London: Hodder Education: 71-75

Rapley, J. (2002) Understanding Development: Theory and practise in the third world Boulder: Lynne Rienner

Rostow, W. W. (1960) The Stages of Economic Growth: A non-Communist Manifesto Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Sapsford, D. (2008) “Smith, Ricardo and the World Marketplace, 1776-2007: Back to the future?” in V. Desai and R. B. Potter (eds.) The Companion to Development Studies London: Hodder Education: 75-81

Wallerstein, I. (1974) “Dependence in an Interdependent World: The limited possibilities of transformation within the capitalist world economy” African Studies Review 17 (1): 1-26

Your Dissertation

The Extended Assignment

Up until now you have completed small writing tasks after each tutorial, but we have now reached the stage where you must start to bring all of your ideas together into a first draft.

The final outcome will be a 2500-‐word extended assignment answering the following question:

You are required to complete a first draft of your essay for Tutorial 5, which should be at least 1500 words long.

Well done for getting this far, we know it hasn’t been easy...If you have kept up to date with your assignments then you should have completed 700 words already, and will have considered all of the key issues that you will be addressing in this final extended assignment.

What we are looking for in an BRILLIANT assignment:

1) Understanding of the literature

An excellent assignment will engage with the literature and show a clear understanding of key ideas. This will be demonstrated by a sound analysis of a range of different arguments and by referring to the work of other academics wherever appropriate.

2) Independent thinking

An excellent assignment is one that provides an original argument in answer to the question and makes a definite judgment as to whether terrorism can ever be justified. Whilst the writer must build upon the work of other academics, their conclusions should go beyond a mere literature review and should seek to justify why their answer is more valid than others.

3) Structure and logical consistency

An excellent assignment will be structured in a way that allows its key points to flow easily. The main argument will be developed clearly and will be sustained consistently throughout.

4) Academic writing style

An excellent assignment will adopt an academic writing style that is clear and concise. It will be written in a neutral voice that maintains a formal tone throughout. Moreover, it will make effective use of discourse markers and connectives in order to guide the reader seamlessly from one idea to the next.

5) Adhering to conventions of academic writing

An excellent assignment will reference accurately using the Harvard System. It will ensure that the introduction and the conclusion each amount to 10-‐15% of the total word-‐count and that they are used to summarise the content of the dissertation.

“What are the key elements of Modernisation Theory? How relevant is Modernisation Theory as a framework for understanding development?”

Some top tips for structuring your writing effectively

University Grade Boundaries

v Plan out your essay paragraph-‐by-‐paragraph and plan your paragraphs point-‐by-‐point so that it has a logical structure that flows from one idea to the next.

v Your introduction should be no more than 10% of the total word count and your conclusion should be no more than 15%.

v If someone were to read just the introduction and conclusion of your essay then it should still make sense to them.

v Be systematic when making points. For example: “There are two points to note here. Firstly... Secondly...”

v Use connectives to link one sentence to another. v If you want to make an interesting point that is not directly related to your main

argument then you could use a footnote. v Be succinct: THINK! Is there a way of using fewer words to express the point that I am

trying to make?

Universities employ the following grade boundaries...

1st 70+

2:1 (Upper 2nd class) 60-‐69

2:2 (Lower 2nd class) 50-‐59

3rd 40-‐49

Fail 0-‐40

Most essays are marked as 2nd class and it is a great achievement to be awarded a mark over 75. As a rule of thumb, essays that score over 80 at university are usually considered good enough to be published in academic journals.

Dissertation Mark Scheme The following university mark scheme shows you the criteria which we are looking for, and so – combined with the previous advice – is the best way to ensure that you are demonstrating the skills and techniques required in this dissertation.

Class Comprehension Analysis Critique Presentation

1st

Demonstrates command of the subject matter including, where appropriate, methodological, technical and scholarship skills.

Presents a tightly-‐focused, relevant and well-‐structured answer with full and accurate development of concepts/theories, and excellent use of evidence.

Understands and evaluates relevant arguments, debates and/or interpretations in a manner that demonstrates a developed capacity for independent thought. This may amount to an extension of existing arguments, debates and/or interpretations.

Provides a thorough and consistent deployment of techniques of academic writing with particular reference to structure, referencing/sourcing and spelling/grammar.

2:1

Demonstrates good appreciation of the subject matter, including, where appropriate, methodological, technical and scholarship skills.

Presents a coherent and closely-‐argued answer with good structure, accurate use of concepts/theories, and good use of evidence.

Understands and evaluates relevant arguments, debates and/or interpretations in a manner that demonstrates a capacity for independent thought.

Provides a thorough and consistent deployment of techniques of academic writing with particular reference to structure, referencing/sourcing and spelling/grammar.

2:2

Demonstrates an understanding of core aspects of the subject matter including, where appropriate, methodological, technical and scholarship skills.

Presents an answer to the question taking into account appropriate structure, development of concepts/theories and reasonable use of evidence.

Understands and reproduces relevant arguments, debates and/or interpretations.

Acknowledges and employs techniques of academic writing with particular reference to structure, referencing/sourcing and spelling/grammar.

3rd

Demonstrates some familiarity with the subject matter including, where appropriate, methodological, technical and scholarship skills

Shows an understanding of the question with some structure, knowledge of concepts/theories and use of evidence

Demonstrates some awareness of relevant arguments, debates and/or interpretations.

Shows an awareness of techniques of academic writing with particular reference to structure, referencing/sourcing and spelling/grammar.

Fail Demonstrates little evidence of familiarity with the subject matter including, where appropriate, methodological, technical and scholarship skills.

Demonstrates a poor grasp of the question with loose structure, little knowledge of concepts/theories and inadequate use of evidence.

Demonstrates little awareness of relevant arguments, debates and/or interpretations.

Provides a poor demonstration of techniques of academic writing with particular reference to structure, referencing/sourcing and spelling/grammar.


KS5 Politics module designed for The Brilliant Club by Lydia Marshall

Summer 2013

www.thebrilliantclub.org

handbook in progress - · pdf filepage4!! tutorial!1:introductiontothebrilliantcluband!...

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