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Anthropology and Development (DS-707)
- Instructor Name: Zulfiqar Ali
- Credit Hours: 3
- Development Studies
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Office Hours: 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Prerequisites For this Course:
None
Text Book(s):
- Gardner, K., & Lewis, D. (2015). Anthropology and Development: Challenges for the Twenty-First Century. Pluto Press.
- Dhore, Cris. And Wright, Susan. (1997). Anthropology of Policy: Critical perspectives on governance and power. Routledge.
- Cornwall, Andrea, and Eade, Deborah. (2010). Deconstructing Development Discourse: Buzzwords and Fuzzwords. Practical Action Publishing.
- Eversole, Robyn. (2017). Anthropology for Development: From Theory to Practice. Routledge.
Reference Book(s):
- Amselle, Jean-Loup. (1993). Anthropology and Historicity. History and Theory, 32(4), 12-31.
- Babiker, Mustafa. (2005). It takes two to tango: Anthropologists and Development Agencies. Pan African Anthropological Association (PAAA) Annual Conference
- Craig, Gary & Mayo, Marjorie (1995). Community Empowerment: A Reader in Participation and Development. Zed Books.
- Crate, Susan A, & Nuttall, Mark. (2016). Anthropology and Climate Change: From Actions to Transformations. Routledge.
- Balandier, Georges. (1970). Political Anthropology. Penguin.
- Deaton, A. (2013). The great escape: health, wealth, and the origins of inequality. Princeton University Press.
- Edelman, Marc. and Haugerud, Angelique. (2005). The Anthropology of Development and Globalisation: From Classical Political Economy to Contemporary Neoliberalism. Blackwell Publishing. (Introduction titled Introduction: The Anthropology of Development and Globalisation).
- Escobar, Arturo. (1991). Anthropology and the Development Encounter: The making and marketing of development anthropology. American Ethnologist, 18(4), 658-682.
- Escobar, Arturo. 1997. Anthropology and Development. International Social Science Journal. 49(154):497-515.
- Carrier, James. (2005). A Handbook of Economic Anthropology. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. (Chapter 2 titled Anthropology, political economy and world-system theory and Chapter 3 titled Political Economy).
- Lewis, David. (2005). Anthropology and Development: The uneasy relationship. London: LSE Research Online.
- Oliver-Smith, Anthony (2010). Defying Displacement: Grassroots Resistance and the Critique of Development.
- Payal Arora · 2019. The Next Billion Users: Digital Life Beyond the West.Harvard University Press.
Course Description
This course offers the intersection of anthropology and development, critically examining how anthropological insights inform and challenge development theory and practice. It introduces students to ethnographic perspectives on development processes, focusing on issues such as poverty, inequality, aid, participation, culture and health, indigenous people’s responses to development, human rights, environmental degradation, climate change and many others. The course encourages a reflexive understanding of the role of culture, power, and agency in shaping development outcomes in different global contexts, particularly in the Global South.
Course Objectives
- Understand the key theoretical paradigms and methodological approaches as applicable to the field of development.
- Understand development on a comparative cross-cultural basis based on case studies from different areas of the world.
- Critically analyse development policies, programs, and practices using anthropological tools.
- Engage with ethnographic case studies to identify challenges and opportunities in development practice.
- Understand the contemporary debates around the articulation of Development and Anthropology.
- Assess the impact of international aid, NGOs, and state policies on marginalized communities in the Global South.
- Reflect on ethical challenges and the potential contributions of anthropological practice to more inclusive and culturally informed development strategies
Learning Outcomes
- Explain major anthropological theories relevant to development.
- Evaluate development programs using ethnographic evidence and critical analysis.
- Apply anthropological insights to design culturally informed and community-centered development interventions.
- Articulate the significance of participation, power dynamics, and local knowledge in development processes.
- Develop a nuanced understanding of global inequality and postcolonial critiques of development.
- Critically assess the role of development institutions, including NGOs, donors, and state agencies, in constructing and implementing development agendas.
- Reflect on ethical considerations in development practice and demonstrate awareness of the responsibilities and limitations of anthropologists working in development settings.
Lecture Plan
| Session | Topic & Readings | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 |
Introduction to Anthropology
|
Tutorial |
| Week 2 |
Introduction to Anthropology (continued)
|
Tutorial Format, Group discussion |
| Week 3 |
Research Areas in Anthropology
Discipline’s intersection with Media, Education, Urbanisation, Culture, Society and Politics, among others. |
Tutorial Format, Debate |
| Week 4 |
Defining Development in Relation to Anthropology
Covering the history of development, orthodox and heterodox definitions, and key theoretical paradigms informed by anthropological perspectives. |
Tutorial Format, Group discussion |
| Week 5 |
Applied Anthropology
Focus on using anthropological theories, methods, and insights to understand and solve real-world problems by engaging directly with communities, organisations, and governments. |
Tutorial Format, Group discussion |
| Weeks 6 & 7 |
Culture and Health
Exploring the contributions of medical, cultural, and social anthropologists to our understanding of health, illness, and healing as phenomena embedded in cultural beliefs and social structures. An expert will be invited for a seminar. |
Tutorial Format and Seminar |
| Week 8 |
Displacement, Migration, and Climate Change
This lecture will cover the following themes:
|
Tutorial Format, Group discussion |
| Weeks 9 & 10 |
Development, Indigenous People and Women
Exploring three critical domains in development discourse:
|
Tutorial, Seminar and group discussion |
| Week 11 |
Anthropology and Contemporary Development Challenges
Focusing on how anthropologists engage with pressing global issues like human rights, environmental degradation, climate change, and the preservation of cultural heritage. |
Tutorial Format |
| Week 12 |
Anthropological Critique of Development
Learning how anthropologists interrogate and challenge dominant development paradigms, questioning the assumptions, language, and power dynamics embedded in development discourse, particularly in postcolonial contexts. |
Tutorial Format, Seminar/Group Discussion |
| Week 13 |
Global Inequality
Critically examining the global inequalities that underpin development, covering:
|
Seminar, Group Discussion |
| Week 14 |
Policy and Anthropology
Focus on how anthropology intersects with social, economic, and development policy, highlighting how anthropological research has informed, challenged, and reshaped policy discourses and practices. |
Tutorial Format |
| Weeks 15 & 16 |
Digital Anthropology and Development
Exploring how digital technologies affect human societies and reshape power dynamics, knowledge production, and access to services in the Global South.
|
Tutorial Format, Group Discussion/Seminar |
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