Is development a dream, an industry or a catastrophe?  The question is
an urgent one for societies affected by intentionally managed
socioeconomic change, and for those of us contemplating work and
research projects among them.  This course considers the varied and
contradictory meanings development has for international agencies,
donor and national governments, non-governmental organizations,
multinational corporations and local citizens wanting a better life.
We start by surveying conservative, critical and radical approaches to
development theory.  We then examine the relations between theory and
practice as these models are enacted in concrete policy arenas such as
structural adjustment, irrigation and soil conservation.  African
examples and contexts receive the most attention, but comparisons with
other continents are substantial.