Leontina Hormel

POST-COLONIALISM

Dr. Leontina (LT) Hormel
Phinney Hall 115
Tel.: (208) 885-6735

Course Description

This course examines the history of development thought and its influence in post-colonial perspectives. Although generally conceived as a theory course in international development, this course will apply sociological tools for understanding the criticisms of modernization, neo-liberalism, and early dependency theories. Taking the position of the "other", post-colonial theory broadens the scope of these aforementioned theories by drawing upon everyday social experience and the myriad social relations that complicate mainstream and mono-causal explanations of such things as uneven development, diversity, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation. In learning what stirred the rise of post-colonial theories, students will learn how international development is understood from a variety of perspectives outside of the U.S.

Required Text

Slater, David. 2004. Geopolitics and the Post-colonial: Rethinking North-South Relations. Malden MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Remaining Reading Assignments are on Library E-Reserve.

Course Assignments

All assignments must be submitted in hard copy form. No late submissions without evidence of illness or emergency unless arrangements have been made with me beforehand.

4 Short Essays (10% each) Each essay will be 3-4 pages for undergraduate students, or 5-7 pages for graduate students. Essays will require students to apply a theoretical perspective to their selected region of investigation. Essays will build ideas connected to the research project and are intended to help students progressively work on it throughout the term (rather than at the very end of the term).

Group Research Project (35%) The research project includes a 15-25 page paper (25%) and a contribution grade for each student (10%). The student contribution grade assesses each student's performance in the group, both through a mid-term and end-of-term evaluation from each member in the group. Each group (3-5 students) will select a global region to investigate over the entire term and will build research on a weekly basis. The research project will be discussed in class and in groups every Friday, so there will be regular discussion of each group's research strategies and accomplishments. Graduate students will work individually on a research project examining a selected region.

Participation (25% total)

• Component 1 (15 %): Students are expected to come prepared to present new research information to the class each and every Friday we meet. Thus, attendance on Friday is mandatory. These informal presentations are a major means for learning about historical and contemporary events throughout the world. Plus, each group/individual is able to receive regular feedback about research pursuits.
• Component 2 (10 %): NEWS UPDATES Issues involving "international development" are constantly affecting contemporary events. Students are required to bring a news article in at least once in the term to share with the class. Each student needs to present the update to the class by briefly summarizing the article contents and connecting it to course discussions. Please submit the article and a one-page written summary to me by the end of the class session in which you present.

EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE WITH ME

I do not use email as a means to receive most student work (see exception below), general student questions, explanations for absences, and explanations for late assignments. I will accept email messages from students for the following reasons:

1. to schedule an appointment to meet with me (Write subject heading: "appointment") and
2. to submit a question list when WebCT does not work (Write subject heading: "question list").

If a serious emergency arises that affects your work, do not worry about contacting me until you can provide evidence (see detailed explanation below) and discuss the matter with me in person. Be assured that I will extend a deadline if evidence of a serious emergency is provided.

ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR THIS COURSE

This is a course in an institution of higher education, thus it is assumed that students will handle attendance maturely and responsibly. Class attendance is NOT recorded. If I notice patterns of absenteeism among particular individuals, I may confer privately with her/him. As a general rule, continual absence from class sessions will inhibit a student's ability to master course material and to complete this course successfully. Keep in mind class sessions are opportunities for students to engage in course topics.

Except in emergency situations, students are expected to submit all assignments by deadlines, regardless of whether or not they are in class when the papers are due.

Only the following, at the discretion of the professor, are possibly legitimate reasons for an absence:

• Death or serious illness in family;
• Medical emergency or illness (this does not include a non-emergency medical appointment that could have been scheduled for another time without significant difficulty);
• Emergency child-care responsibilities;
• Religious holiday, in accordance with state law;
• Participation in UI-sponsored athletic events, UI dramatic or musical performances, UI-sanctioned professional or academic conferences, etc.; or
• A similar type of situation/problem (at professors' discretion).

You should provide reasonable documentation for an absence, unless because of special circumstances I waive this requirement. Please discuss schedule conflicts in advance with me. As specified at the beginning of this syllabus, I do not accept any correspondence via email except to arrange office appointments and question lists.

Note that vacations, work schedule issues (except in cases of exceptional financial need, at my discretion), driving someone to an airport, etc., are not legitimate excuses for an absence.

WISH TO ATTEND A CLASS SESSION LATE, OR TO LEAVE EARLY?

To ensure a sound learning environment for all students taking this course, the door will be closed 10 minutes after the class session begins. If you are more than 10 minutes late and the door to the room is closed, you have officially missed class for the day. If you anticipate being late for class (conflicting doctor's appointment, childcare arrangements, work arrangements, and so on), let me know as soon as you are aware that you might be late one day. Also, if you need to leave early from class on a particular day, please let me know BEFORE class session begins. Otherwise, students are expected to attend the full class session - no early exits. Those who need to use the restroom are excused (I can tell since you will not put all of your books away and take off with your book bag to do this). Please acknowledge that these measures are taken to reduce interruptions in the class and to maintain respect in our classroom. Thanks, in advance, for cooperating

CODE OF CONDUCT AND RESPECT

Sociology explores topics that are often controversial. In light of the potential for conflict in the classroom, I ask that we follow a code of conduct. The code of conduct includes the simple idea that "you do unto others what you would like done unto yourself". How this translates into our own conduct in class comprises the following: listen attentively to individuals who present ideas in class; do not hold conversations with peers in the background of class presentations/discussions; and put away all materials that are not related to the course during class sessions (newspapers, magazines, cell phones - turn the ringer off - no text messaging, portable video games, CD players, and so on). In addition, when you pose your own position before the class, please recognize that others' ideas may vastly differ from your own. Be sure you don't make fun of, or degrade, others who hold different perspectives. Failing to abide by any of the terms in this code of conduct may result in expulsion from class sessions. Thanks, in advance, for your cooperation!!

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is not accepted in any student's work in this course. I will discuss more specifically in class what is considered plagiarism. Briefly, I consider plagiarism to be the duplication of someone's ideas (a famous writer/researcher's ideas and even a fellow student's ideas) without proper reference of WHO made these ideas, as well as WHEN and WHERE these ideas were made. A bibliography alone is not sufficient for avoiding plagiarism. Please discuss with me individually if you are not sure what constitutes plagiarism. The safest rule to follow is to acknowledge the source (through proper citation) of an idea whenever you are in doubt. I will fail an assignment if I identify any plagiarized ideas in it. If a student plagiarizes a second time in the same course, that student will fail the entire course. It is important to note, I can only determine if plagiarism has taken place and not whether a student intended to plagiarize. Therefore, it is critical for students to learn how to avoid plagiarizing.

Reading Schedule (TENTATIVE schedule of readings)

Week One: Introduction to Course and Post-Colonial Geopolitics

Course Text
Slater, Chapter 1, For a Post-Colonial Geopolitics

Web-Reference
World Social Forum (good reference throughout the term) www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2

Week Two: Emerging Empire

Course Text
Slater, Chapter 2, Emerging Empire and the Civilizing Powers of Intervention

E-Reserve
Marx, Karl. Primitive Accumulation

Week Three: The Process of Colonization and Primitive Accumulation

E-Reserve
Hochschild, Adam. 1998. "Introduction," "Prologue: The Traders are Kidnapping Our People," "The Wood That Weeps," "The Secret Society of Murderers," and "The Great Forgetting." King Leopold's Ghost: a Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Koning, Hans. [1976] 1991. Excerpts from Columbus: His Enterprise, Exploding the Myth. New York: Monthly Review Press: 43-91.

Week Four: Waves of Western Theory: Modernization

Course Text
Slater: Chapter 3, Modernization the Other and the Three Worlds of Development (57-85)

Week Five: Examples of Modernization Thinking

E-Reserve
Miner, Horace. 1952. "The Folk-Urban Continuum." The American Sociological Review. 17: 529-537.

Rostow, W. W. 1956. "The Takeoff into Self-Sustained Growth." The Economic Journal. No. 261: 25-48.

Huntington, Samuel P. 1993. "The Clash of Civilizations?" Foreign Affairs. 72 (3): 22-3, 25-32, 39-41, 49.

Week Six: Waves of Western Theory: Neo-Liberalism

Course Text
Slater, Chapter 4, The Rise of Neo-Liberalism and the Expansion of Western Power (86-114)

Week Seven: Examples of Neo-Liberalism

Film: Life and Debt

Web Resource: http://www.servicesforall.org/html/global_toc.shtml

E-Reserve
Perkins, John. 2006. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. New York: PLUME: xi-39.

Week Eight: The Dependency School

Course Text
Slater: Chapter 5, Societies of Insurgent Theory: The Dependentistas Write Back (117-140)

Week Nine: Examples of Dependency Thinking

E-Reserve
Galeano, Eduardo. 1973. Excerpts from Open Veins of Latin America. New York & London: Monthly Review Press.

Week Ten: Post-modern to the Post-colonial

Course Text
Slater: Chapter 6, Exploring Other Zones of Difference: From the Post-modern to the Post-colonial (141-166)

Week Eleven: Introducing Post-Colonial Analyses

Course Text
Slater: Chapter 7, Post-colonial Questions for Global Times

E-Reserve
Introduction to p-colonial theory (from Reader)

Week Twelve: Examples of Post-Colonial Thinking

E-Reserve
Fanon, Frantz. [1961] 1963. "Preface by Jean-Paul Sartre," and "The Pitfalls of National Consciousness." The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press.

Said, Eduard. Excerpt from Orientalism

Week Thirteen: Feminist Post-Colonial Thinking

E-Reserve
Mohanty, C. T. 1991. "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses." In C. T. Mohanty, A. Russo, & L. Torres (eds.), Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, pp. 51-80.

Shiva, Vandana. [1989] 1991. "Science, Nature and Gender." In Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development. Atlantic Highlands NJ: Zed Books: 14-37.

Week Fourteen: Global Movements

Course Text
Slater: Chapter 8, "Another World is Possible" On Social Movements, the Zapatistas and the Dynamics of 'Globalization from Below' and Chapter 9

Week Fifteen: Learning from the Grassroots

E-Reserve
Kabeer, Naila. [1994] 2003. "Empowerment from Below: Learning from the Grassroots." Reversed Realities: Gender Hierarchies in Development Thought: 223-263.