Professor: John Dugas
Office: Dewing 212D
Office Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 1:00-3:00 pm (and by appointment)
Phone: 337-7105
Email: jdugas@kzoo.edu

Purpose of the Course

The purpose of this course is to provide a general introduction to the study of politics in developing countries. The term "developing country" is used in reference to the vast majority of states of Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and South, Central, East, and Southeast Asia. The primary focus of this course is on the domestic politics of countries in these regions, rather than on international relations; however, given the dependent situation of most developing countries, the international context of domestic politics is explicitly recognized.

The course proceeds by examining in turn the historical background of colonialism of the majority of developing countries; the problems of dependency and economic development that provide the economic context for politics; the social context of politics (focusing on the role of women in developing countries, as well as on the issues of religion and ethnicity); and culminating in an examination of the political alternatives of revolutionary, authoritarian, or democratic political regimes. The course is designed to make students aware of some of the principal issues that influence politics in developing countries, while at the same time providing students with an opportunity to select and research a developing country of particular interest to them.

Course Reading

The course readings include the following five books, all of which are available for purchase in the campus bookstore:

1) Handelman, Howard. 2006. The Challenge of Third World Development, fourth edition.

2) Isbister, John. 2003. Promises Not Kept: Poverty and the Betrayal of Third World Development, sixth edition.

3) Chinua Achebe. 1958. Things Fall Apart.

4) Seierstad, Asne. 2002. The Bookseller of Kabul.

5) Alicia Partnoy. 1986. The Little School: Tales of Disappearance & Survival in Argentina.

In addition, there are a number of articles and book chapters that are required reading. These are listed in the syllabus for each week and will be placed on reserve at the Upjohn Library.

Course Requirements

1) Students are required to read the assigned materials and to think actively about the issues under discussion. Reading assignments should be completed prior to the day for which they are assigned.

2) Class attendance and participation are also fundamental requirements for the course. Since class lectures supplement the readings, attendance is essential. The final determination of a borderline grade will be decided in accordance with a student's attendance and overall class participation.

3) Students are to conduct research on, and write about, a developing country that is of particular interest to them. Specifically, students are required to write three short papers (5-7 pages each) on their adopted country during the course of the quarter. These written assignments give students the opportunity to study a particular country in terms of some of the more general issues addressed during the course.

Each paper is to examine the specific characteristics of the adopted country in accordance with an overall theme. The themes to be addressed are: 1) "Historic Background" or "Contemporary Economic Scene" (due October 17); 2) "The Social Context of Politics" (due November 7); and 3) "Post World War II Political Regimes and Prospects for the Future" (due November 23). Specific expectations for each of these papers will be discussed in class.

Each written assignment must be typed, and must be approximately 5-7 pages in length. The paper must include proper bibliographic citations and be based upon a minimum of eight sources. The papers must be turned in on the assigned day. Late papers will be penalized. Plagiarism will result in an automatic “F” for the assignment. Each written assignment is worth 15% of the final grade, for a total of 45% of the grade.

4) Students must take both a mid-term and a final exam on the material covered in the course. The exams will test comprehension of both the lecture material and the reading assignments. The mid-term exam will be given on Monday, October 24, and will be worth 25% of the final grade. The final exam will be given during exam week (November 30), and will be worth 30% of the final grade. The final exam will focus on the material covered since the mid-term exam.

In summary, the final course grade will be determined as follows:

Historic/Economic Context Paper (Oct. 17) 15%
Social Context Paper (Nov. 7) 15%
Political Regime Paper (Nov. 23) 15%
Mid-term Exam (Oct. 24) 25%
Final Exam (Nov. 30) 30%

Schedule of Topics, Readings, Assignments, and Exams

I. HISTORIC AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT OF POLITICS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Week One: (September 19-23)
- Introduction to the Politics of Developing Countries

Naím, Moises. 2005. “Dangerously Unique,” Foreign Policy 150: 111-112

Merriam, Allen H. 1988. "What does 'Third World' Mean?" in J. Norwine and A. Gonzalez, eds., The Third World: States of Mind and Being, 15-20.

Lane, Charles. 1992. "Let's Abolish the Third World," Newsweek, April 27, p. 43.

Lewis, Martin W. 1999. “Is There a Third World?” Current History, 98(631): 355-358.

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 1: "Understanding Underdevelopment", pp. 1-11.

Isbister, John. 2003. Chapters 1 & 2: “Introduction” and “A World of Poverty,” pp. 1-29.

Week Two: (September 26-30)
- The Historical Context: Colonialism

Weatherby, Joseph N. 2000. “The Old and the New: Colonialism, Neocolonialism, and Nationalism” in Weatherby, et al., The Other World: Issues and Politics of the Developing World, pp. 22-43.

Isbister, John. 2003. Chapter 4: “Imperialism,” pp. 66-101.

Achebe, Chinua. 1959. Things Fall Apart.

Isbister, John. 2003. Chapter 5: “Nationalism and Independence,” pp. 102-147.

Week Three: (October 3-7)
- Economic Context: Explaining Poverty: Modernization Theory and Dependency Theory

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 1: “Understanding Underdevelopment”, pp. 11-21.

Isbister, John. 2003. Chapter 3: “Explanations of Underdevelopment,” pp. 30-65.

Rostow, W. W. 1961. "Introduction" and "The Five Stages of Growth -- A Summary" in The Stages of Economic Growth. Cambridge University Press.

Frank, Andre Gunder. 1966. "The Development of Underdevelopment," Monthly Review, 18 (4).

Week Four: (October 10-14)
- Economic Context: The Dilemma of Economic Development

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 10: "The Political Economy of Third World Development", pp. 253-283.

Isbister, John. 2003. Chapter 6: “Economic Development,” pp. 148-189.

*First Country Paper Due on October 17 - "Historic Background" or "Contemporary Economic Scene"

II. SOCIAL CONTEXT OF POLITICS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Week Five: (October 17-21)
- Social Context: Religion and Politics in Developing Countries

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 3: "Religion and Politics," pp. 45-71.

Sabini, John. 1997. “The World of Islam” and “Basic Beliefs” in Islam: A Primer.

Esposito, John. 1998. “Contemporary Islam: Religion and Politics,” in Islam: The Straight Path, pp. 158-195.

Feldman, Noah. 2003. “Islamic Democracy, Not Islamist Democracy,” “God’s Rule and the People’s Rule,” “Islamic Equality,” and “Islamic Liberty,” in After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy, pp. 19-25, 51-74.

** Mid-term Exam - Monday, October 24

Week Six: (October 24-28)
- Social Context: Ethnic Conflict and Politics in Developing Countries

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 4: "The Politics of Cultural Pluralism and Ethnic Conflict," pp. 76-109.

Katz, Mark N. 1995. "Africa's Dilemma: European Borders, Contested Rule," Current History, Vol. 94, No. 591.

Sadowski, Yahya. 1998. “Ethnic Conflict,” Foreign Policy, 111: 12-23.

Gurr, Ted Robert. 2000. “Ethnic Warfare on the Wane,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 79, No. 3.

Week Seven: (October 31-November 4)
- Social Context: Women and Politics in Developing Countries

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 5: "Women and Development," pp.114-142.

Seierstad, Asne. 2002. The Bookseller of Kabul

* Second Country Paper Due on November 7 - "The Social Context of Politics"

III. POLITICAL REGIMES AND PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Week Eight: (November 7-11)
- Political Regimes: Revolutionary Regimes in Developing Countries

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 8: "Revolutionary Change," pp.198-219.

Guevara, Ernesto “Che”. 1963. “Guerrilla Warfare,” in Che Guevara Speaks.

Wickham-Crowley, Timothy. 1989, "Winners, Losers, and Also-Rans: Toward a Comparative Sociology of Latin American Guerrilla Movements," in Susan Eckstein, ed., Power and Popular Protest: Latin American Social Movements. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Week Nine: (November 14-18)
- Political Regimes: Authoritarian Regimes in Developing Countries

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 9: "Soldiers and Politics," pp.223-249.

Partnoy, Alicia. 1986. The Little School: Tales of Disappearance & Survival in Argentina. Cleis Press.

Huntington, Samuel P. 1991 "The Torturer Problem: Prosecute and Punish vs. Forgive and Forget,” in The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, pp. 211-231.

Week Ten: (November 21-23)
- Political Regimes: Democratic Regimes in Developing Countries

Handelman, Howard. 2006. Chapter 2 “Democratic Change and the Change to Democracy,” pp.22-41.

Huntington, Samuel P. 1991. "Democracy's Third Wave." Journal of Democracy, 2(2):

Carothers, Thomas. 2004. “Democracy’s Sobering State,” Current History, 103(677): 412-416.

** Third Country Paper Due on November 23 - "Post World War II Political Regimes"

** Final Exam – Wednesday, November 30 (8:00 am)