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SP50235: Contemporary issues in South Asian development

[Page last updated: 15 October 2020]

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2020/1
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Social & Policy Sciences
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Essay (CW 100%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites: In taking this module you cannot take SP50236
Description: Aims:
To allow students to develop a more in-depth and contextual understanding of key development issues in South Asia To give the student an opportunity to plan and implement a piece of research (based on secondary sources) on a topic of their own choosing.
To enable students to develop a systematic and detailed multidisciplinary understanding of their chosen topic and to critically evaluate recent research related to it.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the unit students will have a deeper, more coherent and up-to-date multi-disciplinary understanding of contemporary development issues in South Asia and related debates.
They will have improved their skills in locating and critically reviewing published research findings about the region and in discussing their views with others.
They will have identified and examined in-depth a contemporary development issue in the region and developed a systematic, detailed and critical multi-disciplinary perspective on it.

Skills:
Cross-cultural and interpersonal sensitivity (Taught/Facilitated)
Comprehensive and scholarly written communication (e.g. essays) (T/F/Assessed)
Effective oral communication (e.g. seminar presentations) (T/F/A)
Ability to select, summarise and synthesis written information from multiple sources (T/F/A)
Ability to synthesise and critically evaluate multidisciplinary perspectives on the same problem (T/F/A)
Ability to formulate a research question, then develop and present an original & coherent answer (T/F/A)
Ability to produce work to agreed specifications and deadlines (T/F/A)
Ability to work independently, without close supervision of guidance (T/F/A)
Ability to work effectively as part of a group or team (F/).

Content:
Part 1 comprises a review of contemporary development debates in South Asia. These will be presented and analysed using multi-disciplinary perspectives. Cross cutting themes will be gender and youth. Topics to be covered will include:
* Economic growth and human development
* Agrarian change
* Politics and Governance
* Civil society and NGOs
* Health
* Borders and boundaries
* Insecurity and violence
* Conflict and development
* South Asia in a changing world order
Part 2 Students will identify their own essay topics with support from the unit convenor. The last part of the unit comprises a series of seminar presentations and discussions based on students essay topics in order to develop oral presentation skills and give formative feedback on essay development.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

SP50235 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

SP50235 is available for Auditing on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2021/22 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2020/21.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.