Professor Thandika Mkandawire, CON. H802.

For students taking MSc Development Studies, MSc Development Management, MSc International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies, MSc Environment and Development, MSc Anthropology and Development, MSc Urbanisation and Development, LSE-Sciences Po Double Degree in Urban Policy (MSc Urbanisation and Development stream only), MSc Global Politics, MPA International Development, MSc Political Economy of Late Development and MSc Human Rights only. Please note that in case of over-subscription to this course priority will be given to students from the Department of International Development and its joint degrees (where their regulations permit).

The major concern of the course is with the political economy of African development, to examine processes of economic, political, social and cultural change in Sub-Saharan Africa. It provides critical analysis of key development interventions and processes. It seeks to combine general theoretical overviews with country case studies illustrating the variety of experiences and trajectories. It does not aim to provide a comprehensive coverage of development issues or of regions. Course content will vary from year to year, depending on the specialities of staff.

Attention is paid to legacies of the colonial encounter; the constraints and opportunities presented by African countries' positions in the global economy; the political economy of indutrialisation and agrarian transformation, resource mobilisation; trade diversification; institutional reforms and state capacity. Attention will also be paid to social policy with special focus on issues such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, humanitarian and human rights interventions, horizontal inequality and conflict.

The course will be taught through 10 lectures and 10 seminars, both lasting one-and-a-half hours in the Lent Term.

Students will write a 2,000 word essay chosen from class questions and in discussion with the course leader, to be submitted by the beginning of week 6 of Lent Term.

A detailed weekly reading list will be provided at the first course meeting. The following readings provide an introduction to the course: Paul Nugent, Africa Since Independence: A Comparative History, Palgrave Macmillan: 2004; Nick Van de Walle, African Economies and the Politics of Permanent Crisis, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001; Robert Bates, Markets and States in Tropical Africa, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1981; G. Hyden, No Shortcuts to Progress: African Development Management in Perspective, London: Heinemann, 1983; Mahmood Mamdani, Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism, London: James Currey, 1996; C Clapham, Africa and the International System, Cambridge: CUP, 1996; T Callaghy and J Ravenhill (eds), Hemmed In: Responses to Africa's Economic Decline, New York: Columbia University Press, 1993; R Joseph (ed.), State, Conflict and Democracy in Africa, Boulder, Co.: Lynn Rienner, 1999; B Wisner, C Toulmin and R Chitiga (eds) Towards a New Map of Africa, London: Earthscan, 2005. W Harbeson and D Rothchild ed.: Africa in World Politics: Reforming Political Order (4th edition: 2009). Hossein Jalilian, Michael Tribe and John Weiss eds. Cheltenham, Industrial Development and Policy in Africa - Issues of De-Industrialisation and Development Strategy. UK: Edward Elgar, Mkandawire, Thandika and Charles Soludo. 1999. Our Continent, Our Future: African Perspectives on Structural Adjustment. Dakar/Trenton, NJ: CODESRIA/African World Publications, Moss, Todd J. 2007. African development: making sense of the issues and actors. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers; UNCTAD. 2002. Economic Development in Africa: From Adjustment to Poverty Reduction: What is New. Geneva: United nations.; White, Howard and Tony Killick. 2001. African poverty at the millennium: causes, complexities, and challenges. Washington, DC: World Bank.; World Bank. 2000. Can Africa Claim the 21st Century? Washington, DC: World Bank., Belshaw, Deryke and Ian Livingstone eds. 2003. Renewing development in Sub-Saharan Africa: policy, performance and prospects. London: Vishnu Padayachee (ed),2010 The Political Economy of Africa Routledge.

Two-hour exam (80%) in the Summer Term and 2,000 word essay (20%).
The essay will be on a different topic to the formative essay and is due on the first day of Summer Term.