MRD 7101: Rural Development Theories and Approaches (CU=4)

Course Description: Relationship between main strategies for rural development and general development theories; Major development paradigms during the post-World war II period; Post-impasse development theoretical debates and perspectives. Globalisation. Key concepts of rural development and poverty reduction; theories of economic development; and, the role of the State in development. Analysis of key rural development approaches („top-down‟, „bottom-up‟ and “partnership” development, urbanisation and migration); Integrated Rural Development.

Course Objective: To help the students understand and appreciate the theories and approaches to rural development in terms of their strengths and weaknesses and the way forward. Learning Objectives By the end of the course, the students should be able to:

understand the theories and approaches to rural development

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of rural development theories and approaches

Integrate different theories and approaches in designing development programmes. Methods of Course Delivery

Class Lectures and guest lectures

Seminars and Discussions

Self Study Assignments Course Outline

Introduction (to the course and conceptual definitions)

Rural poverty

Rationale for rural development

Development Paradigms

Modernisation, Dependency, Post-modernism, Liberalisation, Globalisation

Post-impasse development theoretical debates and perspectives)

Rural Development Approaches (Analysis of key rural development approaches („top-down‟, „bottom-up‟, “partnerships” development

Actors in rural development (the state and governments, development partners, Civil society organisations, NGOs, CBOs, etc in the process of rural development planning and implementation)

Public-Private partnerships in Development

Regional/Rural Area Development Programming

Integrated Rural Development.

Case Studies of Rural Development Method of Assessment o Term Paper (7500 words) 20% o Written Test (One Hour) 15% o Class Participation (Attendance and Quizzes) 5% o Final Examination (3 Hours) 60% o Total Course Mark 100% Basic Reading List Atekyereza, Peter and Andrew Ellias State. 2007. “Bourdieu‟s Habitus and Development Aid for

International Cooperation in Uganda” in Gotschi, Elisabeth, Andreas Hunger and Klaus Zapotoczky (Eds). 2007. Politik-Programme-Projekte: Menschenorientierte

Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in Sinne von Bourdieu. Linz: Trauner Druck GmbH & Co KG pp: 63-80

Bernstein et. al. 1992. Rural Livelihoods: Crises and Responses. (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Chambers, R. 1983. Rural Development: Putting the Last First. (England: Longman) Chambers, R. 1997. Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last. London: ITB De Beer, F. and H. Swanepoel. 2000. Introduction to Development Studies. Oxford: Oxford University

Press Harris, P. 1982. Rural Development: Theories of Peasant Economy and Agrarian Change. (London:

Century Hutchinson Ltd.), Jazairy, et. al. 1992. The State of the World Rural Poverty: An Inquiry into its causes and Consequences.

(London: IT Publications) Kothari, R. 1993. Poverty: Human Consciousness and the Amnesia of development. (London: Zed Books

Ltd.) Nabudere D.W. 1997. Beyond Modernisation and Development or Why the Poor reject Development.

Geografiska Annaler 79B. 4 Narayan D., R. Patel, K. Schafft, A. Rademacher, S. Koch-Schulte. 2000. Voices of the Poor: Can anyone

hear us? World Bank: Oxford University Press Ulf Himmelstrand et al. 1994. African Perspectives on Development. London: James Currey Ltd.)