POLS 571–Political Systems of Developing Areas
Spring 2016
Mondays 2-4:30 PM (MG453)
Instructor: Julia Albarracín
Email: J-Albarracin@wiu.edu
Office: 428 Morgan Hall 298-1055
Office Hours: M 12:45-1:45; T 3:30-4:30
W 12:45:00-2:45 PM; or by Appointment.
Objectives
This course introduces students to the main challenges facing developing countries, including
economic development and the struggle against poverty, pluralism and ethnic conflict, the role of
women in politics and society, and revolutions.
Required Readings
There are five books required for this class:
The Challenge of Third World Development by Howard Handelman (Prentice Hall,
2009 or later).
Encountering Development by Arturo Escobar (Princeton University Press, 1995).
Making Globalization Work by Joseph Stiglitz (W.W. Norton and Co, 2007)
Marking Race and Nation by Anthony Marx (Cambridge University Press, 1998)
Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective, 2nd Edition by Pamela Paxton and
Melanie Hughes (Sage Publications, 2013)
Revolutions: Theoretical, Comparative, and Historical Studies, 3rd Edition
by Jack A. Goldstone (Wadsworth Publishing, 2002)
Examinations & Course Requirements
1. Attendance and Participation. Students are expected to attend all classes and have
completed the readings before class. This course will be taught in a seminar format and
we will discuss the readings together. Students will be asked to share their thoughts on
the readings as well as on the article of The Economist chosen by them (see above under
“Required Readings”)
2. Reaction Papers. In addition to regular class participation, students will write ten (10)
papers (2-3 pages) reacting to the readings of the week. Students can opt to write more
than ten (10) reaction papers to have their ten highest scores counted as part of their
grade. Reaction papers should critically analyze ALL week’s readings. In this sense,
papers should include a short summary of the readings and your point of view, ideas, and
opinions about them. Papers should be posted on Western Online on Monday by 10:00
AM. In addition, students should bring a hard copy to class.
3. Presentation. Each student will lead a class meeting by making a formal 30-minute
presentation of the readings assigned and posing questions for class discussion. Students
will be required to meet with me in preparation for their presentation.
4. Final Paper Outline: Students are expected to turn in a 1-page outline and annotated
bibliography of their final paper by April 4th.
5. Final Paper: Each student will write a research paper discussing a topic from class in
relation to one or two countries. The paper should have 20-25 pages (Times New Roman
1
12, 1 inch margins, a page with references). Further guidelines will be distributed later in
the semester. The paper is due the last THE DAY OF THE FINAL (May 9th at 3 PM).
Grading
Reaction papers
Final Paper
Presentation
Attendance and Participation
Total
32%
40% (10 proposal)
15%
13%
100%
Schedule of Readings
Week 1-01/25-Introduction
Week 2-02/01- Development and Underdevelopment
Handelman Chapters 1 (Understanding Underdevelopment), and 9 (The Political Economy of
Third World Development).
Escobar, Chapters 1 (Introduction), 2 (The Problematization of Poverty), and 3 (Economics and
the Space of Development).
Presentation: Escobar 2 and 3
Week 3-02/08- Development and Underdevelopment
Escobar, Chapters 4 (Tales of Food and Hunger) and 6 (Conclusion).
Week 4-02/15- Development and Underdevelopment
Stiglitz, Chapters 1 (Another World is Possible), 2 (The Promise of Development), 3 (Making
Trade Fair), and 4 (Patents, Profits, and People).
Presentation: Stiglitz 3 and 4
Week 5-02/22- Development and Underdevelopment
Stiglitz, Chapters 5 (Lifting the Resource Curse), 6 (Saving the Planet), 7 (The Multinational
Corporation), 8 (The Burden of Debt), 9 (Reforming the Global Reserve System), and 10
(Democratizing Globalization).
Presentation: Stiglitz 9 and 10
Week 6-02/29-Cultural Pluralism and Ethnic Conflict
Handelman, Chapter 4.
Marx, Chapters 1 (Introduction), 2 (Trajectories from Colonialism), 3 (Lessons from Slavery),
and 4 (The Uncertain Legacy of Miscegenation).
Presentation: Marx 3 and 4
Week 7-03/7-Cultural Pluralism and Ethnic Conflict
Anthony Marx, Chapters 5 (The Racial State), 6 (To Bind up the Nation’s Wounds), and 7
(Order and Progress).
Presentation: Marx 5 and 6
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Spring Break: 03/14-18
Week 8-03/21-Cultural Pluralism and Ethnic Conflict
Anthony Marx, Chapters 8 (South Africa), 9 (United States), 10 (Brazil), and 11 (Conclusions).
Presentation: Marx 8 and 9
Week 9-03/28-Women
Handelman, Chapter 5 (Women).
Paxton and Hughes, Chapters 1 (Introduction), 2 (Struggle for the Vote), 3 (Struggle for
Representation), and 4 (Culture).
Presentation: Paxton and Hughes 2 and 3
Week 10- 04/04-Women
Paxton and Hughes, Chapters 5 (Social Structure), 6 (Politics), 7 (International Factors), 8 (Do
Women Make a Difference?), 9 (Women from Marginalized Groups), and 10 (The West and the
United States).
Presentation: Paxton and Hughes 8 and 9
Week 11-04/11-Women
Paxton and Hughes, Chapters 11 (Eastern Europe), 12 (Latin America), 13 (Middle East), 14
(Asia and the Pacific), and 15 (Sub-Saharan Africa).
Presentation: Paxton and Hughes 14 and 15.
Week 12-04/18- Revolutions
Handelman, Chapter 7 (Revolutionary Change).
Goldstone 1 (Classic Approaches), 2 (The Debate on Modernization), and 3 (The Origin of
Revolutions).
Presentation: Goldstone 2 and 3
Week 13-04/25-Revolutions
Goldstone 4 (The Outcomes of Revolutions), 5 (Republican Revolutions), and 6 (Marxist
Revolutions).
Presentation: Goldstone 4 and 5
Week 14-15/02-Revolutions
Goldstone 7 (Against Dictatorships), 8 (Against Communism), and 9 (Guerrilla and Ethnic
Revolts).
Presentation: Goldstone 7 and 8
Final Paper: Monday, May 9th at 3:00 PM.
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