Contested Development and Culture

This subject explores development epistemes and practices and how they reflect cultural frames, concerns with different ways of seeing and organising the world, and, how they come into conflict and dialogue. It explores how development is situated within different cultural, economic and political contexts and reflects contested views and perspectives. The subject draws together examples of different ways of thinking and approaching development, the impacts of development and where culture and conflict are situated in the visions and ideologues of societal transformation, progress and modernity. We consider how new and alternative approaches emerge, tensions between local-global agenda setting and how they are built on or might lead to contestation and debate through case studies and illustrative material from Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and explore themes such as localisation, decolonisation, gender, equity, justice and inclusive and sustainable development.

• 1Have an understanding of the contemporary cultural, ethnic and religious factors in global conflicts
• 2Have familiarity with the notion of complex emergencies and their manifestations in Africa, Middle East and South Asia
• 3Have the ability to make sophisticated analysis of the contemporary terrain of development and to present that in the form of written and verbal accounts.