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POL431Social Sciences2 Unitsintermediate

Pol431

This course explores the political economy of underdevelopment in the Third World, with a focus on Africa. It examines theories of imperialism and neo-colonialism and their relevance to understanding underdevelopment. Students will develop an awareness of the political and economic contexts of underdevelopment, evaluate theoretical explanations, and familiarize themselves with debates on African development.

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75h
Study Time
13
Weeks
6h
Per Week
basic
Math Level
Course Keywords
Third WorldDependencyDevelopmentUnderdevelopmentImperialism

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
➕
Math Level
Basic Math
📖
Learning Type
Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Third World

2

Development

3

Underdevelopment

4

Dependency

5

Imperialism

6

Capitalism

7

Globalisation

8

Governance

9

Democratization

10

Foreign Aid

11

Debt Crisis

Total Topics11 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

tutor-marked assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

final examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Policy Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

International Development Officer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Political Scientist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Economist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Diplomat

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

GovernmentInternational OrganizationsNon-Governmental OrganizationsResearch InstitutionsConsulting

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: Understanding the Third World and its Descriptive Taxonomy

2h

Unit 1: Understanding the Concepts of Third World, Development, Underdevelopment and Dependency

2 study hours
  • •Define Third World, Development, Underdevelopment, and Dependency.
  • •Identify the relationship between these concepts.
  • •Discuss the classic notion of the Third World.
Week
2

Module 1: Understanding the Third World and its Descriptive Taxonomy

2h

Unit 2: Descriptive Taxonomy and the Commonalities of the Third World Countries

2 study hours
  • •Describe countries categorized as the Third World.
  • •Mention the characteristics of countries referred to as Third World.
  • •Explain the common features of the Third World countries.
Week
3

Module 1: Understanding the Third World and its Descriptive Taxonomy

2h

Unit 3: Theoretical and Empirical Explanations to the Causes of Third World Countries' Underdevelopment

2 study hours
  • •Explain the causes of Third World countries backwardness.
  • •Show why Capitalist development has not taken place in the Third World countries.
  • •Explain the postulations of modernisation for explaining Third World development crisis.
Week
4

Module 1: Understanding the Third World and its Descriptive Taxonomy

2h

Unit 4: Critique of the Theoretical Explanations

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the critique of the modernisation school.
  • •Discuss the critique of the dependency school.
  • •Explain the relevance of these theories in understanding contemporary crisis of underdevelopment and dependency of the Third World countries.
Week
5

Module 1: Understanding the Third World and its Descriptive Taxonomy

2h

Unit 5: Growth Theory of Development

2 study hours
  • •State the basic assumptions of the Growth Theory of development and underdevelopment.
  • •Discuss whether the Growth Theory of development and underdevelopment is eurocentric and neo-liberal and could explain the development of Nigeria and other third world countries.
Week
6

Module 2: The Emergence and Development of Capitalism and Imperialism

2h

Unit 1: The Emergence of Capitalism from Simple Production Expanded and to Monopoly Production

2 study hours
  • •Explain how capitalist mode of production emerged and developed from commodity production-expanded production to monopoly production.
  • •Identify the basic features of capitalist mode of production.
  • •Describe the main stimulus of capitalist mode of production.
Week
7

Module 2: The Emergence and Development of Capitalism and Imperialism

2h

Unit 2: Theories of Imperialism

2 study hours
  • •Explain the meaning of imperialism.
  • •Discuss the different theories that explain imperialism.
Week
8

Module 2: The Emergence and Development of Capitalism and Imperialism

2h

Unit 3: V.I Lenin's Theory of Imperialism

2 study hours
  • •Describe Lenin's theory of Imperialism.
  • •Identify the basic characteristics of Lenin's theory of imperialism.
  • •Explain the relevance and contribution of Lenin's theory to Third World development crisis.
Week
9

Module 2: The Emergence and Development of Capitalism and Imperialism

2h

Unit 4: Globalisation as an International System

2 study hours
  • •Explain the notion of globalisation (how it is the off-shore of capitalism and imperialism).
  • •Discuss globalisation as global capitalism and its contradictions for Third World Countries.
  • •State the tools of Globalisation.
Week
10

Module 2: The Emergence and Development of Capitalism and Imperialism

2h

Unit 5: The Relationship between Development and Underdevelopment

2 study hours
  • •Explain why is politics of development crucial in the understanding of development and underdevelopment of Nigeria and other third world countries
  • •Justify that the development of the productive forces is essential to the understanding of development and underdevelopment of Nigeria and other third world countries.
Week
11

Module 3: The Forms, Nature and Structure of Dependency and Underdevelopment

2h

Unit 1: Forms of Dependence

2 study hours
  • •Describe the development crises of the post independent TWCs.
  • •Explain the nature and forms of dependency of the Third World countries.
Week
12

Module 3: The Forms, Nature and Structure of Dependency and Underdevelopment

2h

Unit 2: Externalities of the Systems of Dependence and Underdevelopment

2 study hours
  • •Describe the nature of dependence of the Third World countries.
  • •Evaluate the various forms of dependence of the Third World countries.
Week
13

Module 3: The Forms, Nature and Structure of Dependency and Underdevelopment

2h

Unit 3: Internal Factors and Mechanisms of Underdevelopment

2 study hours
  • •Explain that Third World underdevelopment is not restricted to external factors alone.
  • •Discuss the various internal factors that conditioned Third World underdevelopment and dependency.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create a timeline of key historical events related to colonialism and its impact on Third World development (Units in Modules 1-2).

2

Develop concept maps linking different theories of imperialism and dependency (Units in Module 2).

3

Practice applying theoretical frameworks (modernization, dependency) to specific case studies of Third World countries (Units in Modules 1-3).

4

Prepare concise summaries of the main arguments for and against globalization's impact on development (Units in Module 4).

5

Analyze the role of governance and corruption in hindering or promoting development in specific Third World contexts (Units in Modules 4-5).

6

Compare and contrast the development strategies of different Third World countries, identifying factors that contributed to success or failure (Units in Modules 3-5).

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