2024

Sociology of Development

Name: Sociology of Development
Code: SOC02415L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area: Sociology

Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

Aims to understand the contribution of sociology to the analysis of international asymmetries, in particular evolutionary trends and determinants of different levels of development.

Sustainable Development Goals

Learning Goals

1 List the main concepts of the course in order to understand how a dynamic and interactivity of change processes and development have been realized in time and space;
2 Understanding the diversity and mutability of relationships established between the various actors in the World System; 3 Justify the causes, conditions and determinants of (under) development;
4 To characterize the main theories of (sub) economic and social development;
5 Identify the major imbalances between countries and regions;
6 Critically analyze the strategies of development cooperation contemporary;
7 Describe the principles of a new strategy for development; 8. Question the structural aspects of Portuguese society that influence the development process;
9 Discuss aspects of reality that shape inequalities between countries and intra-country;
10 Consider trends and possible future (prospective scenarios) for various territories world-system at different scales of analysis.

Contents

A. FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND THEIR INTER-RELATION
1. Growth, Development, Underdevelopment, Progress, Change, Globalization, Comparative Advantage, Competitive Advantage, Innovation and New Economy.
B. FACTORS AND THEORIES OF (SUB) DEVELOPMENT
2. Diversification and mutability of the centers of power and decision
3. From growth to development: the genesis and persistence of the structures of underdevelopment, the causes, conditions and determinants
4. Theories of (sub) economic and social development
C. ISSUES OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE WORLD TODAY
5. The development on a global scale: the large imbalances between countries and regions
6. The Development Cooperation
7. The principles of a "new strategy for development"
8. The case of Portugal, needs, desires and aspirations vs. structural aspects of Portuguese society.
D. SCENARIOS FOR THE WORLD-SYSTEM
9. Challenges, consensus, risks and uncertainties of a multipolar world.
10. Trends and possible futures for the world-system.

Teaching Methods

The process of teaching and learning will be organized based on theoretical and practical sessions.
In the sessions dynamic nature of theory and practice is expected to appeal to the exercises of analysis and discussion of texts and / or energizing part of sessions by students, individually or in small groups, from texts previously suggested and / or researched by (the) students.
Besides the legal sessions, classroom, students develop independent work, individually and in groups. It will use the Moodle platform to facilitate the sharing of educational resources and synchronous and asynchronous communication distance.
The evaluation will include a written test about the contents and in work (s) individually and / or group oral presentation sessions on legal persons. In the final classification is still considered the evaluation of socio-affective development of the student.

Teaching Staff