Macquarie University

Development Studies: The Anthropology of International Aid - ANTH221

This unit examines the diverse impacts of international aid used to assist developing countries over the past five decades. Based on lessons from practical experience in development programs, this unit addresses the question: why do international aid programs designed to help people in the developing world sometimes fall short of their intended goals? Students will come to understand donor-driven development as both a way of thinking and a set of practices that affect recipient populations in profound ways. We will consider theories of what makes 'development' take place and why some theorists believe development itself does more harm than good by magnifying unequal power relations. We will examine different economic prescriptions: some deliver concrete benefits, others are less successful as the complexity of international and national relations at the macro-level and social relations at the micro-level consistently prove them wrong. We then explore specific themes in the contemporary practice of 'doing development'. Key issues explored include Australian development policies, the 'project cycle', China's increasing impact, the changing rhetoric and practices of donor agencies, debt crisis and poverty alleviation, NGOs and community empowerment, gender and social vulnerability, fair trade and sustainability, resettlement and ethnic safeguards, and social impact mitigation.

Timetable Information

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