DEV 711 Development Theories and

Practices (3 Credits)
Course Description
This is an interdisciplinary and multidimensional advanced course on development studies. The
objective of this course is to enable students with the knowledge of an interlocking system of
theories and practice in development from their narrowest to broadest perspectives. A core
objective is to cultivate the analytical and methodological skills necessary to critically evaluate
development indicators and measurements. Upon completion, students will be prepared not only
to engage with the complex multifaceted problems of development theories and practices, but
also to build a strong theoretical and practical foundation for the whole advanced development
studies the doctoral research works.

Course Content
Unit Topic Hours

Unit I Understanding Development 3 hrs

Critical understanding of development and underdevelopment; growth and

development; Poverty, inequalities, vulnerability; Evolving paradigms and
development debates; The players and playground of development.

Unit
Development Theories, Models and Approaches 9 hrs
II

Economic orientation: Modernization, Keynesianism and neoliberalism;

Structuralism, Neo-Marxism, socialism and the emerging economic theories;
Ideological orientation: Economic, Normative, Positive, Holistic including post-
development, decolonial, re-colonial and gender; Approach orientation: Classical-
traditional approaches, Historical-empirical approaches, radical, political
economic-dependency approaches, alternative bottom-up and participatory
approaches, and the emerging new models and approaches including climate
change, environmental justice, sustainable transitions, the Asian models of
development transformation.
Unit Topic Hours

Unit
Measurement of Development 9 hrs
III

Overview of traditional measures; New multi-dimensional views of development

including Sen's capabilities approach; Core values of development: Sustenance,
self-esteem, freedom of choice; Development indicators; Measurement of
poverty, inequality, vulnerability, prosperity, happiness; Development indexes;
Contemporary and critical indicators and indexes including Human
Development Indicators and indexes; Need and construction of Composite
Indexes of Development; Critical assessment of applied development
measurements.

Unit
Development Strategies 6 hrs
IV

Traditional strategic concepts: Washington Consensus, Neoliberalism, Good

governance, Outward development and export-led growth, balanced vs
unbalanced growth strategy; Strategies of structural change: Towards
industrialization or commodities and services, Foreign aid based strategies.

Choices of techniques; Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper; MDGs/Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) and Strategies; Development and social
welfare/human rights/human wellbeing; Empowerment and development;
participatory development, inclusive development, community development;
Critical assessment of contemporary development strategies.

Unit
People and places/spaces in the Development process 6 hrs
V

Putting people at the centre of development; The population dynamics for

development; Human resources and development; The Role of Culture; Social
Norms, and Institutions in Development and creating development habits and
cultivating development culture; The organization and reorganization of spaces
and human settlements system for development; The movement and flows of
people, goods, services and resources over spaces and sectors; The diffusion of
ideas, innovations and information.
Unit Topic Hours

Unit
Resources and Development 6 hrs
VI

Critical understanding of resources and environment in development (Water

resources; Energy resources; Mineral resources; Forest resources; Financial
resources); Resource generation, utilization and constraints and the development
achievements.

Unit
Reflection of development theories and practices in Nepal 9 hrs
VII

An overview of development principles, practices and development dynamics;

Students prepare a unified development model and/or strategy for a sustainable
development framework for Nepal.

Evaluation Scheme
This is an advanced course on development theories and practices. The student's performance is
evaluated internally by the course facilitator using multiple marking criteria including various
innovative and participatory evaluation methods such as quizzes and tests, in-class problem
solving (individual), group work/workshop, media coverage analysis, book/journal article
review, essay writing/seminar paper, such as class participation, assignments, presentations, term
papers/seminar papers, and written examination(s).

Evaluation Criteria

 Class participation, assignments and presentations - 40 percent

 Writing term paper/seminar paper and presenting the paper in a class seminar - 30
percent
 Written examination, based on a real problem of development theories and practices - 30
percent

References
  Arturo, Escobar. Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third
World.
 Chambers, Robert. Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last.
 Chang, Ha-Joon. Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical
Perspective.
 Chari, S., & Corbridge, S. (Eds.). (2008). The Development Reader. Abington:
Routledge.
 Desai, V., & Potter, R. B. (Eds.). (2014). The Companion to Development Studies, (3rd
ed.). London: Routledge.
 Dahal, M. K. (ed.). (2004). Nepalese Economy: Towards Building a Strong Economic
State. Kathmandu: TU & New Hira Books Enterprises.
 Duflo, Esther, Banerjee, Abhijit and Kremer, Michael. Poor Economics: A Radical
Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty.
 Ferguson, James. The Anti-Politics Machine: ‘Development,' Depoliticization, and
Bureaucratic Power in Lesotho.
 Hickel, Jason. The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions.
 Haynes, J. (2008). Development Studies. Cambridge: Polity Press.
 IPCC. “The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change”.
 Janvry, Alain de and Sadoulet, Elisabeth (2016) Development economics: theory and
practice. Routledge.
 Meier, G. M. & Rauch, J. (eds.). (2005). Leading Issues in Economic Development.
(8th ed.). London: Oxford University Press.
 Perez, Caroline Criado. Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men.
 Potter, R. B., Binns, T., Elliott, A. J. & Smith, D. (2008) Geographies of Development:
An Introduction to Development Studies, (3rd ed.). London: Pearson Education Limited.
 Raworth, Kate. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century
Economist.
 Richard, P., & Hartweek, E. (2010). Theories of Development: Contentions, Argument,
Alternatives. New Delhi: Rawat Publications.
 Secondi, G. (Ed.). (2008). The Development Economics Reader. London: Routledge.
The Journal of Development Studies. Routledge.
 Sen, A. (2002). Development as Freedom. (New Delhi: Oxford University Press).
 Thorbecke, E. (2006) The Evolution of the Development Doctrine, 1950-2005. Research
Paper 2006/155. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER.
 Todaro, Michael P. and Smith, Stephen C. (12th Edition) (2015), Economic
Development. Education Pearson.
 Willis, K. (2011). Theories and Practices of Development (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
 UNDP. Human Development Report (relevant reports).
 Velitmeyer, H, Bowles, P. (Eds.). (2021). The Essential Guide to Critical Development
Studies. (2nd Ed.). London: Routledge.
 World Bank. World Development Report (relevant reports).

Websites
 Environmental Performance Index [Link]
  Heritage Foundation [Link]
 Legatum Institute [Link]
 New Economic Foundation (Happy Planet Index) [Link]
 OECD Better Life Index [Link]
 Poverty [Link]
 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). <[Link]>
 UNU-WIDER Research Paper: <[Link]>
 World Bank. <[Link]>
 World Economic Forum [Link]

Key Journals
 World Development
 The Journal of Development Studies
 Journal of Peasant Studies
 Development and Change
 Third World Quarterly