300664 Politics of Governance and Development in Post-Colonial Societies (S) (SoSe 2022)

This course aims to introduce the graduate students to the pervasive issues surrounding the politics of development and governance in the so-called postcolonial or developing societies. By postcolonial, we refer to those societies and their nation-states which were colonized and later decolonized, and in which the majority of humankind lives, but where the quality and efficiency of public service delivery continues to be severely undermined by various historically determined political-economy factors emanating from the very process of colonization that in turn shaped the functioning of state capabilities and their governance mechanisms especially in relation to the functioning of public institutions. The course will empirically look at two specific sectors–education and health–including issues related to their privatization, in South Asia, Africa and Latin America. The course will also focus on the politics and praxis of international development aid. It will include relevant readings from Nepal, South Asia, Africa and Latin America. The course will be conducted in seminar mode and the reading materials will be distributed in advance. Students are required to go through the prescribed texts in advance, prepare synopsis of the articles, make individual and group presentations, and actively participate in class discussions.