CPOL3203 Seminario de Problemas en Estudios Internacionales
Título del seminario: COVID-19 and the Politics of Development in the Global South
This seminar concludes the training of political science students in the area of International Studies. The seminar allows them to utilize theories and methodological tools developed during their degree in International Studies to analyze important, contemporary political phenomena and ultimately to produce a final academic project which reflects their intellectual development.
Over the coming semester, we will be discussing issues related to the politics of the global south in an era of COVID-19. Over the last year, as the vaccine for Covid-19 was distributed throughout the global north, the world is coming to terms with the most catastrophic economic crisis since the Great Depression. As the New York Times recently noted, “[t]he world that emerges from this terrifying chapter in history will be more unequal than ever.” As many global south societies try to contain the virus and vaccinate their populations, they will also have to navigate the challenges of climate change, debt, food insecurity, and in some instances, civil conflict. In light of these challenges, this seminar seeks to analyze the historical roots and contemporary consequences of global economic inequality, particularly for countries in the Global South.
In the first half of the semester, we will analyze the past of the present, asking: why are some countries rich and others poor? How do countries’ colonial pasts shape their economic and political present? Some countries and regions in the Global South have managed to improve the living standards of their people considerably and, sometimes, in relatively egalitarian ways. Does comparative historical and political analysis enable us to isolate the correct “policy package” necessary for replication elsewhere? What are the potential problems with this type of analysis? And why are the worst consequences of poverty and inequality most acutely felt in societies in the Global South?
In the second half of the semester, we will shift our focus to an analysis of some of the most pressing contemporary challenges facing global south societies in their efforts to generate economic prosperity and positive social outcomes. Here we will more directly consider the consequences of the pandemic for global south societies, discussing its implications in relationship to the the geopolitics of development aid, the political economy of famine, debt, climate change and pandemic, among other topics.
The seminar will be mainly driven by student participation and discussion. Emphasis during the seminar will be placed on critical interpretation of assigned readings through the active participation of students in classroom dialogue and debate. Useful participation will be informed by knowledge of the readings and a willingness to share doubts as well as insights and certainties.
Periodo en el que se ofrece el curso
2022
Idioma en el que se ofrece el curso
Inglés
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