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HIST 255

The History of Global Poverty

MWF 11:00-11:50, NC17
Spring 2006

Jan Bender Shetler
Office — Wyse 311, phone 535-7108
Home phone — (not after 9:00 p.m.) 534-5116
email — jans@goshen.edu
Office Hours – Tuesday and Thursday mornings or by appointment, or by email

Course Description:

Examination of the phenomenon and roots of global poverty in the colonial expansion of Europe, the rise of nationalism in the colonies and post-colonial globalization and development.  Emphasis will be placed on viewing this problem and its solution from the perspective of common people in the global south.   We will focus on the question of how globalization affects the everyday lives of poor people and how to bring about positive change.  The course will be divided into three parts: 
I. Definitions and Debates
II. Colonialism and the Creation of Global Structures
III. Globalization and Development

Course Objectives:

1. To gain knowledge, various perspectives and insight in respect to the following questions:

  1. How has the nature of poverty changed over time and why?
  2. How are people's local experiences of poverty connected to large global structures?
  3. How was the global economic structure created during the colonial era?
  4. How does globalization affect the poor?
  5. What strategies are helping to reduce poverty? 

2. To develop the art of reading critically, evaluating historical sources, articulating ideas in a group setting, and expressing arguments clearly in writing.
3. To discover the relevance of history and the historical mode of inquiry to the critical questions of our lives and world today.

Required Texts:

David Uru Iyam, The Broken Hoe:  Cultural Reconfiguration in Biase Southeast Nigeria (University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1995).
Robert B. Marks, The Origins of the Modern World:  A Global and Ecological Narrative
(Rowan and Littlefield:  New York, 2002)
Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions, A Novel, 1988
Philip McMichael, Development and Social Change:  A Global Perspective (Pine Forge Press:  Thousand Oaks, CA, 2000).

Course Requirements

  1. Attendance: Since so much of the course depends upon class discussion, attendance at all classes is mandatory.  After three unexcused absences your grade will drop 5 points each day you are absent.  You demonstrate respect for the teacher and fellow students by prompt arrival and attentiveness in class.  If you come into class after I have taken attendance your tardy will count as an absence unless you inform me of your presence after class.  It is up to you to make sure this happens, otherwise it will be an absence. 
  2. Late/Dishonest Papers: All assignments should be submitted in class on their due date.  Late papers will be docked 10 percentage points for every day that they are late unless specific permission is granted by the professor at least three days before the paper is due.  Academic dishonesty, plagiarism and other forms of cheating are serious offenses at Goshen College and will be dealt with according to the school policy.
  3. Reading Assignments: Questions for reading assignments must be completed before the class for which they are assigned. These written responses will be submitted through the Blackboard Assignments page by 8:00 am on the day the class meets.  These assignments will not be accepted after the day that they are due unless it is an excused absence and arranged ahead of time.  You will get up to 5 points each time responses to reading questions are required on the syllabus.  If you have answered the questions in good faith and made reference to specific content in the reading you get the credit.  I will only look to see that you have read, comprehended and answered, not whether it is right or wrong.  I use these to prepare discussions for class.  Responses to questions will be required 19 times on the syllabus, you need to submit at least 17 of these to get full credit (85 points).  Responses should be one page single-spaced.
  4. Optional Readings are indicated on the course schedule.  You do not need to do any of these to pass the course.  However, if you want to get an "A" for the course you will have to read at least 5 of these or other readings of your own choice that relate to what we are studying.  If you do an optional reading prepare a separate response to the reading questions that indicates what you have read.  You are encouraged to find other readings that are of particular interest to you so long as they follow the class topic.  Class discussions will be enriched by a variety of outside reading and opinion.  You will be called on to share your ideas from these readings with the class.
  5. Discussion Participation: Each class session will begin with discussion or questions concerning the reading for the day, followed by a lecture.  Some days will be devoted to small group discussions around a given topic.  These groups will be fixed early in the semester and remain together. Credit will be given for participation in group discussion.  Productive discussions are not automatic.  They require a clear sense of purpose, an attitude of respect, and a commitment to the productivity of the whole group on the part of all participants.  Our purpose is to make sense of a set of tremendously serious world problems.   We cannot have productive discussions unless everyone comes to class well-prepared.  We will need to develop the ability to clearly articulate differences of opinion, base our arguments on evidence, and listen to other perspectives.   We will establish ground rules for the discussion in order to ensure that everyone feels safe to express their opinions.  Try to stretch yourself this semester and pay attention to the perspectives that you don't normally support. You WILL be called upon during class to offer your questions or observations for the benefit of the class discussion.  If you are not prepared for discussion and do not participate your grade will suffer accordingly.  If you do not get a chance to participate in class discussions you may post your questions or observation on the Blackboard site for this class and receive participation credit this way.  You may also get participation credit by responding to someone else’s comments on-line.  I will give you a participation grade at the end of the semester that takes into consideration your participation throughout the semester.
  6. Papers: You will be writing three papers during the semester in order to get you to summarize and synthesize your learning from readings, discussions and lectures.  These papers should be thesis papers in the style of historical writing.  That is you will choose an argument to make, state it in the first paragraph, take a couple of pages to develop that argument by citing specific evidence and then concluding by restating how you have proved your thesis.  When you cite evidence from the assigned readings or class lectures footnotes are required.  More specific questions for the papers will be provided in class prior to the assignment.  This class requires a lot of reading and writing.  There is no other way to cover and digest the amount of material necessary for this subject. 
  7. Exams will include both objective and essay questions.

Evaluation:

Paper #1 The Broken Hoe (4-5 pgs)                                         50 pts.
Paper #2 Nervous Conditions (4-5 pgs)                                  50 pts.
Paper #3 Development Project/Agency Analysis (8-10 pgs)      100 pts.
Exam on Colonialism                                                                70 pts.
Final Exam                                                                               100 pts.
Reading questions (19 x 5)                                                          85 pts.
Discussion groups (3 x 9) and class participation                         45 pts
                                                                                                500 pts.

Paper #1:  A view of poverty from below.  Based on your reading of Iyam’s book, The Broken Hoe, in conjunction with our study of optimist and pessimist approaches to poverty in the world today, what does this case suggest must be taken into account in any analysis of the cause of, and solutions for, poverty in the world today?  In your analysis refer to the material on the Optimist and Pessimist positions from local, national and global levels and how these approaches might or might not be useful on the ground in Biase.  You do not have to cover all factors but focus on one issue that might be illustrated by the book in a couple of different ways.  Your approach should be one that demonstrates how poverty is understood from a local perspective. 
 
Paper #2:  An analysis of the effects of colonialism from the perspective of the colonized.  Based on your reading of Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions in conjunction with our study of the history of colonialism, what do the different characters in the novel tell us about the ways that the colonized coped with and tried to overcome poverty?  This book should allow you to approach colonialism from a more complicated view, not purely good or purely evil, but to see various characters caught in a variety of dilemmas. 

Paper #3:  Choose an organization, a particular project of an organization doing development or an approach to development in the Third World today.  Find out all you can about this.  Then use the reading and class materials for the last part of the course to critically evaluate this organization, project or approach to development.  Given what we have learned about the history of poverty in the Third World, how does this approach address the structural/systematic aspects of poverty and with what results?  Your grade will be partially based on how well you integrate class and reading materials into your critique.

Paper #3 Optional:  Model UN, Dayton Ohio
The Model UN meets in Dayton from

Paper #3 for SST Alternative Students:  If you are taking this class as an SST alternative you may choose an organization that works at poverty issues in the Goshen or Elkhart area and do voluntary service with that organization. You will write the same kind of paper as outlined above but based on your experiences more than library research.  You are required to spend at least 20 volunteer hours at this organization and you must verify these hours with a signature from your supervisor.  Please clear the agency with me before you begin volunteering. See the website for more information. 


Schedule for the History of Global Poverty, Spring 2006

Date

Topic

Assigned Readings

Optional Readings

Due in Class

Wed.
Jan. 4

Introduction

 

 

 

Part I:  Definitions and Debates

Fri.
Jan. 6

Definition of the Problem

Library Reserve:
- UNDP, "A Decade to Eradicate Poverty," 1997. Developing World 01/02
- The Economist, “More or Less Equal?,” 2-4
- Mark Baird and Sudhir Shetty, “Getting There:  How to Accelerate Progress toward the Millennium Dev. Goals,” 5-10. Both in Developing World 05/06
- See website assignments on Blackboard.

- Look up statistical information on poor nations, browse the web. 
- Browse the World Bank Atlas and Little Data Book

1. Who are the world's poor? Where do they live?
2. What is poverty?  How is it defined?  Based on absolute or relative factors?
3. Make a list (based on statistical or other evidence) characteristics the world's poor share.

Mon.
Jan. 9

The Optimists—World Bank and the Washington Consensus

Library Reserve:
- Daniel T. Griswald, "The Blessings and Challenges of Globalization,"  47-55
- Jay R. Mandle, "Trading up:  Why Globalization Aids the Poor," 56-9.
+ See website assignments on Blackboard

Library Reserve:
- Fieldhouse, "The Optimists"
+ Find out how the major international organizations, UN, WB, IMF analyze the causes and solutions to poverty.  See a list of these websites on the Blackboard site for this course.

 

Wed. Jan. 11

Discussion Groups:  The Pessimists: Dependency Theory and World Systems

Library Reserve
-Devesh Kapur, "The IMF: A Cure or a Curse?" 60
- Susan George, "How the Poor Develop the Rich," The Post-Development Reader, 207-213.
- Life is Unfair:  Inequality in the World, Developing World01/02, 8-16

-Fieldhouse, The "Pessimists"

Use the website assignment sheet or find your own organizations with a critique of the WB approach to development.

Compare/contrast the readings from the last two days.  Make reference to specific readings/authors in answering the following questions.
1. What do they say is the cause of poverty?
2. Who is responsible to alleviate poverty?
3. How will that best be done? 

Fri.
Jan. 13

Critiques from the Periphery

The Broken Hoe, pp. 1-63

Library Reserve
From The Post-Development Reader:
Gustavo Esteva and Madhu Suri Prakash, "From Global Thinking to Local Thinking"

 

Mon.
Jan. 16

MLK STUDY DAY.  No class.

Wed. Jan. 18

Background on Nigerian delta

The Broken Hoe, pp., pp. 64-97

 

1. How do factors such as the environment, social/cultural organization, politics, gender and religion determine the ability of the Biase to overcome poverty?
2. What is David Iyam’s approach to poverty in Biase?  Optimist or pessimist?
3. Questions for class discussion?

Fri.
Jan 20

Film, Delta Force in class

The Broken Hoe, pp. 98-161

- Bring us up to date on what is happening now in Nigeria and with Shell.
- Find out the connection between Biase and the movie.  Report in class.

 

Mon.
Jan. 23

Discussion Groups on the book and the movie

The Broken Hoe, pp. 162-end

Find out how Shell oil responded and more about the story. Report in class.

1. How will you answer the question for the paper on the Broken Hoe? Thesis?
2. Would the optimist and pessimist approaches work in Biase?
3. What are the connections for “Global Poverty” between the Broken Hoe and Delta Force?

Part II:  Colonialism and the Creation of Global Structures

Wed.
Jan 25

A History of Poverty

Write paper

 

PAPER on The Broken Hoe due.

Fri.
Jan. 27

Eurocentrism and the World Before Imperialism

Marks, Origins of the Modern World, Intro and Ch. 1, pp. 1-42

 

 

Mon. Jan. 30

Discussion Groups:
The Trading Post Empires

Marks, Origins of the Modern World, Ch. 2

 

1. Do you find the analysis of “European exceptionalism” useful?
2. How did the global trading systems change when Europeans came?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Wed. Feb. 1

The Social Construction of Economic Systems

Library Reserve
Pomeranz and Topik, “The Making of Market Conventions”

 

 

Fri.
Feb. 3

Discussion Groups:
Empire in the Americas

Marks, Origins of the Modern World, Ch. 3

 

1. What were the critical “contingent” factors that allowed for the conquest of the Americas?
2. How did those factors become  global  “conjectures” that influenced the Asian trade, the Atlantic slave trade and the rise of the nation-state?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Mon. Feb. 6

The Industrial Revolution and Changes in the Empire

Marks, Origins of the Modern World, Ch. 4

 

 

Wed. Feb. 8

The Consequences of Industrialization

Library Reserve:
Pomeranz and Topik, “World Trade, Industrialization and De-Industrialization

 

Draw response from Marks also:
1. How has industrialization and colonization affected poverty in the world?
2. Why were some countries able to industrialize and others not?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Fri.
Feb. 10

The Scramble for Africa:
"This Magnificant African Cake," Basil Davidson

Library Reserve:
Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, pp. 149-201

 

 

Mon. Feb. 13

Discussion Groups:
Explaining the Gap

Marks, Origins of the Modern World, Ch. 5 & 6

 

1. How do you explain the gap between the poor and rich nations of the world?
2. Why was so much of the world able to be subdued by colonialism?
3. What is your analysis of this book?

Wed. Feb 15

Indirect Rule and its Consequences

Library Reserve
N. Swainson, The Dev. of Corp. Cptlism in Kenya, Ch. 3

 

 

Fri.
Feb 17

The Second Colonial Occupation in Africa and Colonial "Development"

Library Reserve
Pamela Maack, "We Don't want Terraces…”

Library Reserve:
Steven Feierman, Peasant Intellectuals, pp. 160-203 (esp. Ch. 7)

1. How/why did the balance of power and wealth change after WWII?
2. Were the first attempts by colonial powers at “development” and “environmental conservation” in Africa successful?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Mon. Feb 20

Exam in class

Study for Exam

 

EXAM
Class Mid-term Evaluation

Wed. Feb 22

Resistance to Colonialism: MajiMaji

Nervous Conditions,
Chs. 1-3

 

 

Fri.
Feb 24

Discussion Groups: Independence, the end of colonialism?

Nervous Conditions,
Chs. 4-6

 

1. What can we learn about the effects of colonialism on poverty by reading this book?
2. How do each of the characters in the book approach the challenges differently?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Mon. Feb 27 Fri. March 3

MID-TERM BREAK

Mon.
March 6

Paths to Independence:
Ghandi and MauMau

Nervous Conditions,
Chs. 7-end

 

 

Wed. March 8

Colonization of the Mind

Library Reserve:
Ashis Nandy, "Colonization of the Mind," from the Post-Development Reader, 168-177

Library Reserve:

Developing World

- Edward Goldsmith, "Empires without Armies," pp. 24-27

1. From Nervous Conditions what psychological effects of colonialism do you see and how do the characters address it in different ways?
2. Is the concept of “colonization of the mind” a useful one?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Fri. March 10

Discussion Groups on Nervous Conditions

Write Paper

Find more information on the author on the context

PAPER on Nervous Conditions due in class

Part III: Globalization and Development

Mon. March 13

The Era of Development

Development and Social Change, pp. xxvii- 42.

Dyeing for Growth, 1-43

1. What is “development” and how did it become “a project”?
2. How is development related to decolonization?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Wed. March 15

Famine and NGOs

Library Reserve
Alex de Waal, Famine Crimes, pp. 1-25

 

1. What causes famine?
2. Can famine be eradicated? How?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Fri. March 17

The Origins of Aid

Development and Social Change 43-76

Dyeing for Growth, 44-64

 

Mon. March 20

Discussion Groups:  Transnational Corporations and Poverty

Development and Social Change pp. 77- 112

See website assignments

1. What are the origins of transnational companies?
2. Do TNCs benefit developing countries?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Wed. March 22

Debt, Structural Adjustment and Poverty

Development and Social Change pp. 113-146

Dyeing for Growth, pp. 65-126

1. What is the origin of debt in many developing nations?
2. Who benefits from debt?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Fri. March 24

Free trade and Poverty

Development and Social Change pp. 147- 188

Dyeing for Growth, pp. 177-224

 

Mon. March 27

Coping with Poverty:  The Informal Economy

Development and Social Change pp. 189-238

Dyeing for Growth, pp. 225-244

1. What are some of the ways that poor people find to cope with the global system?
2. What is the effect of democratization on poverty?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Wed. March 29

Poverty, Corruption and the State

Library Reserve:
Sandbrook, "The State and Economic Stagnation in Tropical Africa"

Library Reserve:
James Ferguson, Development and Bureaucratic Power in Lesotho," from the Post-Dev. Reader, pp. 223-233.

 

Fri March 31

Discussion Groups:
Poverty and Women

Development and Social Change pp. 239-276
Website Assignments

Library Reserve;

Developing World

- Mayra Buvinic, "Women in Poverty" p. 200
- Pam Simmons, "Women in Development…" from the Post-Dev. Reader, pp. 244-255

1. What kind of alternatives to or critiques of globalization are developing?
2. How can women and gender analysis be included in development?
3. What questions does this raise for class discussion?

Mon. April 3

The World Bank

Development and Social Change pp. 277-303

Dyeing for Growth, pp. 331-381

1. What does McMichael suggest about the future of development and solutions to poverty?
2. What is your critique of this book?
3. What questions does this suggest for discussion in class?

Wed. April 5

Guest Speaker

Work on final project

Library Reserve;

Developing World

-Jackie Smith and T. P; Moran, "WTO: Myths about …," p. 68
-John Stopford, "M.Corporations," p. 72

 

Fri. April 7

Globalization and Everyday Lives

Library Reserve
Majid Rahnema, "Towards Post-Development:  Searching for Signposts," pp. 377-403
from the Post-Development Reader

Library Reserve:
Leonard Frank, "The Development Game," pp. 263-273.

1. Where do you find hope for alleviating poverty in the world today?
2. What are the key issues that all development programs should take into consideration?
3. What are your final questions/thoughts for the class?

Mon. April 10

Student presentations

 

Work on paper

Final Paper due

Wed. April 12

Final Words, summing up

Reading TBA

 

 

 

Final Exam Tuesday April 18, 10:30 am

 

 

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