SI 657 / 757 - Information Technology and Global Development

Overview

This course will provide an intensive introduction to the field of information technology and global development, in its historical, policy, and design dimensions. Part One offers a comprehensive overview of key historical and contemporary debates, problems, and issues in international development. Part Two explores crucial information policy issues in developing country contexts, ranging from technology transfer, research and innovation systems, and intellectual property to telecommunications, wireless, and other critical infrastructure development. Part Three explores the growing ICT4D project literature, with special reference to programs and applications in the health, education, finance, governance, agriculture, and rural development sectors. Through readings, discussions, and course assignments, students will gain critical research and professional skills in the analysis and design of information policies, programs, and projects in a range of developing country settings. Through geographically focused project and discussion groups, students will also develop specific regional or country-level knowledge and experience.

Learning Objectives

By the end of SI 657/757, all students are expected to be able to:

• Understand key transnational economic, institutional, and political factors shaping the nature and use of ICTs in developing country settings;
• Identify and analyze the key policy positions, interests, and strategies of major stakeholders in the information policy field;
• Compare and contrast domestic information policy processes, frameworks, and challenges across a range of developing country settings;
• Assess local and sector-specific policy and design initiatives in the IT and development field;
• Analyze and contribute to current theoretical and practical debates in IT and global development policy; and
• Write concise, informed, and effective policy briefs and analyses appropriate to work in the IT and development field.

These learning objectives will be met through a combination of readings, lectures, discussion, and individual and small group assignments, as described below.

Recommended Books

The following books are recommended for purchase:

J. Timmons Roberts and Amy Bellone Hite, eds. The Globalization and Development Reader: Perspectives on Development and Global Change (Blackwell: London, 2007).

Michael Todaro and Stephen Smith, Economic Development, 10th edition (Addison-Wesley: Boston, 2009).

We’ll be reading numerous pieces out of the Roberts and Hite book in the first 3 weeks of class; we’ll also be referring periodically to the Todaro and Smith book throughout the term (this will be perhaps especially valuable to those of you without a prior background in the economics of development). Both are available on fast order from major online booksellers, at varying cost: Roberts and Hite for around $35, and Todaro and Smith at around $135. Copies of both will be placed on 4 hour reserve in the library.

SI 657 MSI Requirements

Reading Notes: 20%
Policy Assessment Paper: 20%:
Integrative Information Assessment and Design Project: 40%
Seminar Participation and Small Group Work: 20%

Reading Notes: (20%)
Working individually, students will be responsible for producing a brief summary and analysis of one of the assigned additional readings (indicated by “Plus ONE of” in the syllabus) several times throughout the term. Your summary should be no more than 1 single-spaced pages, and should: a) synthesize the key points and arguments of the article; and b) connect the article to arguments and themes from the weekly reading set and/or larger themes in the course. Your notes should be posted to the relevant section of the Ctools Resources folder by the start of seminar using the following format: “Chambers_JacksonNotes_22March2010” (where Chambers is the author of the piece you’re reviewing, Jackson is the student, and 22March2010 is the date). Please also bring 5 paper copies to class (4 to share with your colleagues, 1 for me).

Policy Assessment Paper: (20%)
Working individually, students will be required to produce a 3-4 page (single-spaced) paper assessing a relevant information policy framework or initiative (e.g. innovation, tech transfer, intellectual property, broadband or wireless policy) in a developing country context. Your paper should include a clear and succinct explanation of the policy framework or initiative in question; an analysis of its pros and cons, including an explicit analysis of its developmental costs and benefits (as measured along economic, social, cultural, environmental, or other dimensions); and your recommendations for possible changes, supplements, or alternatives. Additional details and possible themes or examples will be discussed in class. Policy assessment papers will be due in class and to your Ctools dropbox on Monday, March 15th.

Integrative Information Assessment and Design Project: (40%)
Working in groups of 3-4, students will be required to produce a 12-15 page (single-spaced) project proposal that: a) identifies a clearly-defined development problem, barrier, or challenge; and b) proposes an innovative programmatic, institutional, or design intervention that shows reasonable promise of addressing or improving the problem identified. Your proposal must include:

• A clear problem statement identifying the specific local need(s), issues, or challenges your project is meant to address. This should include relevant background research providing evidence of the problem(s) to be addressed, and an explicit statement of how your project will address these.
• A clear project description that explains exactly what (and who) your project involves; the method and timeline of implementation; and possible project sponsors, partners, or funding sources. This section should include a clear stakeholder map identifying key groups, populations, and organizations directly or indirectly affected by your project.
• A clear impacts statement that describes the specific impacts your project will have, including poverty impacts, inequality, gender, etc.
• A clear evaluation or assessment plan, explaining the precise methods, procedures, and criteria by which project outcomes will be assessed.
• A clear discussion of likely or possible implementation barriers, and how your project will overcome these.
• A clear and concise (one page) executive summary at the start of the proposal that summarizes each of the above points.
• A list of references providing bibliographic information on any sources cited in the proposal.

These requirements and ideas for possible project types will be explained in further detail in class. Students are strongly encouraged to start thinking about project ideas early in the semester; a 2-3 page project pre-proposal addressing each of the points above will be due to the Ctools site by 5 pm on Sunday, March 28th. Final integrative assessment and design projects will be due no later than 5 pm on Saturday, April 17th. Groups will also be expected to prepare a 10-15 minute presentation of the project in class on Monday, April 19th.

This is an advanced graduate research seminar, with serious expectations placed on quality of preparation and participation on the part of all seminar members. While I will lecture on specific points, the class will operate primarily as a discussion-based research seminar; the quality of class discussion will therefore depend heavily on the care and depth with which you engage the course materials and each other. This requires you to complete and reflect critically on all readings in advance of the seminar itself; I’d also encourage you to take careful notes as part of this process, including around any points you found confusing or problematic and would like to bring up for seminar discussion. Failure to consistently attend, complete, reflect on, and/or participate in assigned readings and discussions will have a negative impact on your seminar participation and/or overall class grades. If you know in advance that you won’t be able to attend a session, please let me know via email or in person.

SI 757 Doctoral Requirements

Weekly reading notes: 20%
Critical Literature Review: 20%
Final Seminar Paper 40%
Seminar Participation and Small Group Work: 20%

Weekly Reading Notes: (20%)
Working individually, doctoral students will be responsible for producing an integrative summary and analysis incorporating most or all of the commonly assigned readings for the week. Your summary should be no more than 1-2 single-spaced pages, and should: a) synthesize key points and arguments made across the reading set; and b) critically engage one or more of the key arguments or problems referenced in the readings. Your notes should be posted to the relevant section of the Ctools Resources folder by 6 pm the night before the seminar in which the readings are to be discussed. Please also bring at least 2 paper copies to class (1 to reference for discussion purposes, and 1 for me).

Critical Literature Review: (20%)
Working individually, doctoral students will be required to complete a 3-4 page (single-spaced) critical literature review of academic research around a topic of relevance within the information, globalization, and development field. The review may include reference to specific development projects or practical initiatives, but should be grounded in appropriate bodies of academic work. Students are expected to consult with the instructor in selecting a topic. Your literature review will be due in class on Monday, March 22nd.

Final Seminar Paper: (40%)
All doctoral students will be required to submit a 20-25 page (double-spaced) final seminar paper on a course-related topic of your choice, to be developed in consultation with the instructor. The paper may include portions of your previously submitted critical literature review, and may align with or contribute to other doctoral program requirements; students are welcome and encouraged to use their final paper to move forward relevant pre-candidacy, preliminary, or journal publication projects, though in no cases will previously completed or submitted work be accepted for course credit. Students will be expected to submit a 500 word proposal and outline for the final paper by no later than the last class before winter break (i.e. Monday, February 22nd). Students are expected to prepare a 10-15 minute presentation on the topic of their final paper in class on Monday, April 19th. Final papers will be due in paper copy and in Ctools drop box by 5 pm on Friday, April 23rd. More details will be discussed in class and in individual consultation with the instructor.

Seminar Participation and Small Group Work: (20%)
This is an advanced graduate research seminar, with serious expectations placed on quality of preparation and participation on the part of all seminar members. While I will lecture from time to time, the class will operate primarily as a discussion-based research seminar. The quality of class discussion will therefore depend heavily on the care and depth with which you engage the course materials and each other. This requires you to complete and reflect critically on all readings in advance of the seminar itself. I’d also encourage you to take careful notes as part of this process, including around any points you found confusing or problematic and would like to bring up for seminar discussion. Failure to consistently attend, complete, reflect on, and/or participate in assigned readings and discussions will have a negative impact on your class participation and/or overall course grades. If you know in advance that you won’t be able to attend a session, please let me know via email or in person.

Other Resources

Beyond the materials dealt with in class, there are a (huge!) variety of books, journals, blogs, lists, websites, and other online and offline resources featuring material highly interesting, relevant and useful to the themes of the course. We’ll create a more active list of these (to which you’ll be encouraged to contribute) on the wiki section of the course Ctools site. But here’s a good starting point.

Academic Journals and Proceedings:

Development in Practice

Information Technologies and International Development

International Journal of Technology and Globalization

Information Technology for Development

Proceedings of the International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development

Websites & RSS Feeds:

Association for Progressive Communication website (http://www.apc.org/) –
Development Gateway
World Bank InfoDev Program
International Development Research Center (http://www.idrc.ca)
Science for Development Network (http://www.scidev.net)

Blogs:

Center for Global Development (http://blogs.cgdev.org/globaldevelopment/) -

Many Possibilities (http://manypossibilities.net/) - a blog maintained by Steve Song, telecoms and access fellow at the Shuttleworth Foundation in South Africa (and before that, IDRC and BellaNet)…

Future Perfect (http://www.janchipchase.com/) - a blog maintained by Jan Chipchase, intrepid Nokia ethnographer at large…

Books:

Arjun Appadurai, Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization (University of Minnesota Press: Minneapolis, 1996)

Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom (Anchor Books: New York, 1999).

Arturo Escobar, Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World (Princeton University Press: Princeton NJ, 1995).

William Easterly, The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good (Penguin: New York, 2006).

Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time

Joseph Stiglitz, Globalization and its Discontents

Jagdish Bhagwati, In Defense of Globalization

Thomas Friedman, The World is Flat or Flat, Hot, and Crowded

David Mosse, Cultivating Development: An Ethnography of Aid Policy and Practice (Pluto Press: London, 2005).

Bruce Rich, Mortgaging the Earth: The World Bank, Environmental Impoverishment, and the Crisis of Development(Beacon Press: Boston, 1994).

Paul Mosley, Jane Harrigan, and John Toye, Aid and Power: The World Bank and Policy-Based Lending, Vol 1 (Routledge: New York, 1991).

John Friedmann, Empowerment: The Politics of Alternative Development (Blackwell: Oxford, 1992).

Anna-Lee Saxenian, The New Argonauts

Emma Crewe and Elizabeth Harrison, Whose Development? An Ethnography of Aid (Zed: London, 1999).

Swasti Mitter and Celia Ng, eds. Gender and the Digital Economy: Perspectives from the Developing World (Sage 2005)

Arturo Escobar, Encountering Development: The Making and Unmaking of the Third World (Latin America)

James Ferguson, The Anti-Politics Machine (Southern Africa)

David Mosse, Cultivating Development: An Ethnography of Aid Policy and Practice (South Asia)

Tania Murray Li, The Will to Improve: Governmentality, Development, and the Practice of Politics (Duke University Press, 2007)

James Ferguson, Global Shadows

James Scott, The Art of Not Being Governed

James Scott, Agrarian Studies: Synthetic Work at the Cutting Edge

Chambers, R. “Poverty and Livelihoods: whose reality counts?” Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 7, No. 1 (April 1995), p. 173-204.