World Development Studies  {SF State Bulletin 2011-2012}

Image: San Francisco State University seal on a gold background

World Development Studies

World Development Studies Program

HSS 149
415-338-1116
Director: Phil King

 

Faculty

Professors: Banerjee, Barbosa, Moss, Oñate, Shastri, Yansane
Associate Professors: Keith, King, Quesada

 

Program

Minor in World Development Studies

 


 

Program Scope

The field of world development studies looks at the comprehensive transformations that have been brought to human societies across the globe by the spread of the industrial revolution. Approximately one-third of the world's population enjoys a higher material standard of living due to industrialization, whereas two-thirds are in relative poverty. The likelihood, means, and consequences of closing this gap provide the central foci of world development studies. Since this social transformation affects all aspects of human existence, all of the social science disciplines devote important efforts to understanding it.

 

Issues Central to World Development Studies. How did the world distribution of income and wealth become so unequal, and will or must it stay that way?

  • Can economic development occur in a non-Western way?
  • What is the role of grassroots organizations and movements in social change?
  • In development strategy, how much market and how much planning?
  • How does the development process impact women differently from men?
  • Are industrialization and environmental health compatible?
  • Is economic development necessarily associated with democracy?
  • What does global change do to existing cultures and psyches?

 

Career Outlook

Though the minor is not intended as a complete career preparation, it certainly serves as an introduction to a growing career field. There are tens of thousands of development professionals working for governments, the United Nations and its affiliated agencies, a multitude of non-governmental organizations, development banks, universities, and private companies around the world. The minor enables the student to discover a major field of employment as well as scholarly activity.

 

Minor in World Development Studies

All choices must be approved by a faculty adviser, who should be contacted as soon as a student decides to take the minor. Courses with at least three different departmental prefixes must be included in each student's program.  With an adviser's approval, substitutions are possible.

 

Courses are 3 units unless otherwise indicated. On-line course descriptions are available.

 

Minor in World Development Studies

Course Title Units
Historical Background: Units selected from the following: 3
AFRS 302 Black Diaspora
HIST 400 Modern European Imperialism
HIST 501/
ANTH 501/
LTNS 501/
S S 501 
Latin America: The National Period
S S 520/
I R 520 
Globalization and Development
The Global Development Era: Theory and Practice Units selected from the following: 3-4
ECON 620 Economic Development
I R 540/
S S 540 
The Rich and the Poor Nations (4)
Development and the Environment Units selected from the following: 3-4
ECON 550 Environmental Economics
GEOG 427 Agriculture and Food Supply (4)
I R 331 Global Environmental Crisis (4)
SOC 483 Global Sociology (4)
SOC 484 Population and Social Dynamics (4)
Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Perspectives Units selected from the following: 3-4
AFRS 335 Black Woman: A Cultural Analysis
ANTH 321 Endangered Cultures
LTNS 410 Seminar on Gender and Latinas/os
S S 544/
PLSI 544/
I R 544 
Women in the World (4)
SOC 461 Ethnic Relations: International Comparisons (4)
Regional Comparisons Units selected on two different regions from the following: 6-8
AFRS 301 Africa in Global Perspective
ANTH 315 Peoples and Cultures of Central America
GEOG 572 Geography of Latin America
HIST 520 Central America and the Caribbean
HIST 611 Modern Africa
I R 321/
PLSI 321 
Development and Foreign Policy—Africa (4)
I R 322/
PLSI 322 
Latin American Policy Analysis (4)
I R 324 Middle East and North Africa in International Relations (4)
PLSI 412/
I R 412 
South Asian Politics (4)
PLSI 416/
I R 416 
Ethnicity and Nationalism (4)
LTNS 460 Central Americans of the U.S.: History and Heritage
S S 550/
HIST 550 
Social Change in Modern Latin America
Electives: Units selected on advisement from the following, or from courses in the above categories not chosen to fulfill a requirement within student's program. 3-4
ANTH 320/
CST 320 
Racism: Cross-cultural Analysis
ANTH 585/
CST 585 
Multinational Corporations and World Cultures
ART 508 African Art History
GEOG 425 Economic Geography
HIST 524 History of Mexico
HIST 528 History of Brazil
HIST 571 History of Modern China
HIST 578 History of Japan
I R 325/
PLSI 325 
Chinese Foreign Policy (4)
I R 326 South and Southeast Asia Foreign Relations (4)
I R 334 International Organizations: New World Order (4)
I R 446 The Multinational Corporation in World Affairs (4)
PSY 455 Cross-cultural Perspectives in Psychology
LTNS 376/
HIST 463 
History of Latinos in the U.S.
CINE 308 Third Cinema
HUM 520 North and South American Cultural Expression
IBUS 591 Doing Business in Latin America
IBUS 592 Doing Business in Greater China
Holistic Perspective: Special Study A 1 unit special study from the student's adviser's home department (ANTH 699, ECON 699, etc.) 1

Total for minor 22-28

SF State Home