Critical Perspectives in Global Development

This course explores global development through a critical lens, examining how power, history, and inequality shape our world. Rather than treating conventional indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as automatic measures of progress, this course draws on post-development, postcolonial, and decolonial theories to examine selected case studies in more depth. Particular attention is given to the experiences and perspectives of communities frequently marginalized in global decision-making, including Indigenous peoples, workers, local populations, and nations in the Global South. Students develop the skills to question dominant narratives, assess the distribution of power and resources, and engage with global development as a contested and evolving process.