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2012/13 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

EAST5035M Development Issues in South East Asia

15 creditsClass Size: 20

Module manager: Professor Mike Parnwell
Email: m.j.g.parnwell@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2012/13

Pre-requisite qualifications

Good undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience

Module replaces

MODL5033M

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

- The aim of the module is to look at the notion of 'appropriate development' from a wide variety of contextualised perspectives. - What does appropriate development mean? - Who decides? - How might it be engendered in the South East Asian context? - What are the barriers to the promotion of more appropriate forms and processes of development? - How might these be overcome? - What models might we follow? - What hope is there for the future?The module is based around (2-hour) seminars, held on a weekly basis. The first 5 seminars will be led by Dr Parnwell, and will concern such issues as bottom-up development (rural industrialisation in Thailand), recycling (informal waste collection in Vietnam), poverty (participatory poverty assessments in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand), and the building of community economies (neo-localism in Thailand). Appropriate readings will be handed out a week before each of these seminars. Each student will then lead a seminar based on their particular interests and backgrounds. The first will centre on the discussion of some images of South East Asia which introduce various development themes and issues.

Objectives

The aim of this module is to take a look at constructive means of confronting uneven, unsustainable and unfair development. We will start with a tabula rasa and gradually build up our understanding of appropriate development and our familiarity with constructive development practices in South East Asia. We will start by looking at a range of contemporary development issues in the region.

We will then think about the meaning of development and assess both the mild and strong post-development agenda. We will the consider what form the 'Asianisation' of development might take as we seek alternatives to Eurocentrism. I will then present five thematic seminars which look at various approaches to confronting a range of development problems and issues in South East Asia.

Finally, students will work in small groups on projects that look at aspects of appropriate development in the South East Asian context. These projects will be presented to the other members of the group as PowerPoint presentations.

The projects will consider the following:
- What does 'appropriate development' mean?
- Who should decide?
- How is it being engendered in the South East Asian context?
- What are the barriers to the promotion of more appropriate forms and processes of development?
- How might these be overcome?
- What models might we follow?

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have acquired the following:
- A broad knowledge and deep understanding of the development process and the South East Asian context at a level appropriate to postgraduate study;
- Ability to reflect on matters of positionality in respect to the definition and operationalisation of the concept of 'appropriate development' in the South East Asian context;
- Advanced skills of critical analysis and debate in respect of the development process, in both oral and written form;
- Enhanced skills and confidence in dealing with conceptual, theoretical and empirical material;
- An ability to chart a path through idealism, realism and pragmatism in respect of evaluating South East Asian development alternatives;
- Advanced skills of exploration and analysis in terms of obtaining and digesting relevant information and ideas from the literature, thinking about key issues and concepts, and preparing for seminar discussion and written assignments. Also, appropriate time management to allow these objectives to be achieved.


Syllabus

Many contemporary definitions of 'development' take us beyond its narrow, orthodox association with economic growth and modernisation and into the realms of social and distributional justice, self-reliance, basic needs, democracy, harmony, sustainability and security, in addition to economic improvement.

When viewed from this much broader perspective, large question marks had already started to loom over the supposed South East Asian economic 'miracle' even before the onset of the economic crisis in 1997.

Critics claimed that what was occurring in many parts of the region was in fact 'maldevelopment': environments were being despoiled, resources depleted, the spoils of growth were not being evenly and fairly distributed, human rights were being compromised, people lacked various freedoms, the socio-political system favoured some and disadvantaged many, and so the list continues. When times were good, this didn't seem to matter as much as it does now, when the economic crisis has forced people to reappraise their actions and aspirations.

Radical postdevelopmentalists are calling for alternatives to orthodox development. Others of a less radical persuasion argue the need for the orthodox to be made more appropriate, and it is with the tautological notion of 'appropriate development' that this module is principally concerned.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Seminar112.0022.00
Private study hours128.00
Total Contact hours22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)150.00

Private study

- 55 hours preparation for seminars
- 23 hours post-seminar reading
- 30 hours research for written assignments
- 20 hours writing of written assignments.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Seminar participation

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
EssayStudents must submit one piece of written work (min. 4,000 words, max. 5,000 words) during the course of the module.60.00
PresentationAssessed seminar presentation.20.00
Tutorial PerformanceGeneral participation in the seminar series.20.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 11/04/2013

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