College of Notre Dame	Dr. Michael Urmann
Economics 183	Cuvilly Hall 8, (650) 580-3591
Economic Development of Less Developed Countries	urmann@sonoma.edu
Spring 1999, Term I	www.sonoma.edu/people/urmann
	Conference Hours: Tues. 5-6pm

COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

This course has three primary goals:

1. Acquire a broad understanding of and a healthy respect for the reality of "underdevelopment." This includes examining the characteristics of underdeveloped countries and learning about the many domestic problems faced by Third World countries -- poverty, population growth, unemployment, distribution of income and wealth, food and agricultural production, education, appropriate technology, and balancing growth with environmental concerns. We will examine the origins of "underdevelopment" and will seek to discover how these economic problems are related and often closely connected to a society's social traditions and institutional structure. Included here are international problems-- trade, foreign investment, and debt, and their relationship to underdevelopment.
2. Exposure to the principle economic theories intended to explain or describe this reality as well as how and why economic growth occurs, and look and historical experience.
3. Become familiar with the real world of development activity carried out by a wide variety of development organizations of the industrial countries - both official and non-governmental

Readings: John Isbister, Promises Not Kept, Kumarian Press, 4^th Ed., 1998

Richard Poole, The Inca Smiled: The Growing Pains of an Aid Worker in Ecuador.

Attendance: It is the policy of the Intensive Program that if a student is absent more than one time, he or she will be dropped from the course

CLASS STRUCTURE AND LEARNING METHODS

A. Weekly Class Meetings

Class meetings consists of four distinct parts:

1. During the first, there will be a video intended to highlight and add life to one or more of the topics covered in the reading for that night.
2. This will be followed by a discussion of that week's readings and will be based on student questions, comments, insights, and evaluation. This part of the weekly class is essentially a student-led seminar. Students will be graded on both their own preparation, and on how well their question and leadership is able to draw out and involve the participation of the other students. At the same, other students will be evaluated on their participation in these discussions.
3. The third part of each class meeting will consist primarily of a lecture by the instructor intended to:
   1. Make connections between ideas, provide overview, and incorporate your instructor's personal experience in development work.
   2. Examine a topic in economic theory relevant to the week's reading.
4. The final period will be devoted to student presentations beginning January 27. During the first two meetings when there are no presentations, this time will be used either to extend 2 or 3 above, and/or to discuss the paper/presentation assignment itself and answer questions that arise.

B. Reading Questions:

To facilitate and provide focus for each week's discussion on the reading, each student is to prepare three questions - two from Isbister, and one from Poole. Each week, I will select 6 - 8 students each of whom will lead a 10 minute class discussion on one of their questions. Prepare an outline answer for each question and include any available examples or data that support or illustrate each point you include in your outline. These questions and outline of the answers are to be typed and turned in each week at the beginning of class. I will immediately review these questions and select those that will be used that night in class. Keep a copy of question and answer for your self. These will be an important part of your overall grade.

C. Student Presentations:

Each student will select one international development agency and prepare a 5-8 page paper and 20 minute presentation describing its purpose, structure, type of work it does, how it carries out this work, its work with and use of local NGO's, etc.. The information will come from materials in your professor's personal collection of documents from development organizations. The goal is to learn about the wide variety of development activity undertaken by different types of organizations. More detailed instructions will be available on my home page (see first page headings for address) after the first of the year and at the first class meeting.

Class Grade: Discussion questions, answers,

and discussion leadership: 40%

Participation in Class Discussions: 20%

Presentation/Paper: 40%

SCHEDULE SUMMARY

Jan 19: Isbister 1, Introduction, and 2, A World of Poverty, Poole, Part I, The Promised Land

Jan 26: Isbister 3, Explanations of Underdevelopment, Poole, Part II, Native Americans

Feb 2: Isbister 4, Imperialism, Poole, 9 ,

Begin student presentations

Feb. 9: Isbister 5, Nationalism and Independence, Poole, 10, 11

Feb. 16: Isbister 6, Economic Development, Poole, 12

Feb. 23: Isbister 7, Foreign Policy, Poole, 13

Mar. 2: Isbister 8, Into the Future, Poole, Part IV, Paradise Lost, and Epilogue

Sonoma State University, 1992 - present

BA & MA , Economics, UC Berkeley; Ph.D., Economics, University of Utah

Previous Academic Appointments:

University of San Francisco

Southern Oregon State College (Ashland)

Field Experience in Economic Development:

TECNICA, Program Director ('83-'86) & Executive Director ('86-'90)

Medium sized non governmental organization supporting projects in basic infrastructure and appropriate technology and emphasizing the transfer of technical skills to Nicaragua, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Placed 150 short-term technical volunteers annually in engineering, communications, agricultural, and health projects. Extensive collaboration with other NGOs.