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Rural and Urban Development Strategies (DEVT90047)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
Availability | July |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject focuses on prevalent development challenges and strategies in rural and urban contexts of the developing world. Students will develop an understanding of strategies by actors at different levels, across rural and urban contexts, and of the ways in which these strategies can contribute to effective and sustainable development. Concrete examples and case studies from different developing countries will be used to explore topics such as: the Green Revolution and state-sponsored agricultural settlement schemes; peasant mobilisation and contemporary farmers' movements like Via Campesina; the socio-political determinants of public health in rural areas; infrastructure planning and development; the gendered dimensions of rural and urban work; urbanisation and urban planning; and livelihoods in the informal sector. Through these topics, students will gain critical insights into the interconnections between rural and urban development challenges and strategies, and into common and complementary approaches across different sectors.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Understand the key trends and interventions with regard to both rural and urban development;
- Develop a holistic perspective that treats rural and urban challenges as interconnected and considers the interlinkages between economic, ecological, social, political, cultural, gender, public health and other dimensions;
- Critically reflect on the fact that rural and urban development strategies, however sensible and necessary, almost invariably produce unforeseen and sometimes unwanted outcomes.
Generic skills
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of how to integrate practical examples with theoretical debates from different perspectives;
- Demonstrate critical reflections on rural and urban development strategies and a critical understanding of the impact of these strategies on marginalised communities in developing countries;
- Analyse the causes, dynamics and effects of key policy interventions, grapple with both intended and unintended effects and interrogate the underlying evidence base;
- Apply research skills to evaluate the impact of development strategies implemented in rural and urban contexts in various parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Last updated: 3 November 2022