MD525/625: Poverty and Development (4
units)
Dr. Bryant Myers, Professor of International
Development
Fall
2007
DESCRIPTION:
This course explores the challenges of empowering
the poor in a world marked by marginalization, disempowerment, abuse, and
injustice. Poverty is explored from a number of perspectives, concluding a
biblical framework. Responses to poverty are then explored, including the goals
of transformational development and the process and principles by which it is
pursued. Topics to be covered include the following—worldview issues that
influence our understanding of social development; a biblical framework for
transformational development; understanding poverty biblically; overview of
contemporary development theory; Catholic social thinking on development;
rights-based development and livelihood/food security; the development
practitioner; and Christian witness through transformational development.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Able to
articulate and critically apply biblical and holistic understanding of poverty
in broad Christian perspective
2. Able to describe and critically
assess some of the current theories of development
3. Able to articulate and critically
apply a biblical and holistic understanding of transformational development
4. Introductory knowledge of development
principles and practice
COURSE FORMAT: Course will meet once
weekly for 3-hour sessions. Course will
use a presentation and discussion format with occasional use of small groups.
REQUIRED
1. Myers, Bryant, Walking With the Poor:
Principles and Practices of Transformational Development. Orbis (NY) 1999.
2. Christian, Jayakumar, God of the
Empty-Handed: Poverty, Power and the
3. Freidman, John, Empowerment: The
Politics of Alternative Development. Blackwell.
4. Moser, Caroline, and Andy Norton, “To
Claim Our Rights: Livelihood Security, Food Security and Sustainable
Development,” Overseas Development Institute, 2001 (Available through ODI
website www.odi.org.uk ).
5. Centesimus annus (Click on
Encyclicals at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/).
6. Progressio Popularum (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum_en.html).
7. Redemptoris Missio. (Click on
Encyclicals at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/).
8. UN Millennium Development Project
2005, Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium
Development Goals. Overview. UNDP, 2005.
9. Articles in the Course Reader.
10. Chambers, Robert, Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last.
Intermediate Technology Publications (
11. Hiebert, Paul, et al., Understanding Folk Religion. Baker Books
1999. (Chs. 1-4).
12. Narayan, Deepa, et al., Voices of the Poor: Crying Out for Change.
13. Sen, Amartya, Development as Freedom. Knopf 1999.
(Introduction and chs. 1-4).
RECOMMENDED
1.
Barr, Robert (tr.), Pedagogy of Hope: Reliving Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Continuum Publishing Co (NY), 1994.
2. Guttierrez, Gustavo. The Power of the Poor in History. Orbis Books
(NY) 1983.
3. Korten, David C. Getting Toward the 21st Century: Voluntary Action and
Global Agenda. Kumarian Press, 1990.
4. Linthicum, Robert C. Empowering the Poor: Community Organizing among the
City's 'Rag, Tag and Bob Tail.
5. Additional reading of any the unassigned chapters in Chambers, Hiebert, and
Narayan.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1.
A written 750-1250-word critical assessment of the implied
understanding of poverty and development from any one of the following: Populorum
Progressio; Voices of the Poor: Crying
out for Change, Chapters 1 and 2;
“Obstacles to Economic Development:
A Case for Visionary Leadership, Orbis, Spring 2003; “Enabling
the Rural Poor to Overcome Their Poverty:
The Strategic Framework of IFAD;” or “Policy Framework for Bilateral
Foreign Aid: Implementing
Transformational Diplomacy Through Development, USAID.
2.
In teams of 4-6, students will do a presentation and lead a discussion
afterwards (total one-hour), which summarizes and critiques the explicit and
implicit 1) understanding of poverty and 2) theory of development of a major
development organization based on the materials on its website. Assigned from
among Tear Fund, Action Aid, Plan International, Oxfam, and United Nations
Development Program.
3.
A 3000 to 3750-word paper on a topic related to the course and agreed
to by the professor. Grade is determined equally by quality of research,
connections with course materials and quality of writing.
Th.M. Students
will complete an additional assignment: 1250-word paper describing a
substantive addition to or criticism of the lecture material on a theology of
transformational development. Topic to be agreed to by professor. Grading is
equally determined by quality of research, connections to course materials and
quality of writing.
PREREQUISITE: None.
RELATIONSHIP
TO CURRICULUM: Fulfills core requirement for MACCS in 07-08 academic year
(CSCC).
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.
Last edited: 3
August 2007