ISSSUM4710 – Democratic Governance and the Politics of Poverty
Course content
Do not miss this unique opportunity to participate in Circle U. summer school at the University of Oslo with co-students from nine universities across Europe!
This interdisciplinary course offers an in-depth examination of poverty as a critical issue affecting over a billion people in the world. The goal is to explore the persistence of various forms of poverty within the context of national and international policies. By employing a range of analytical tools, students will gain the skills necessary to critically assess and understand the influence of factors like democracy, human rights, corruption, climate change, and foreign aid on efforts towards poverty alleviation. We will also explore the future of poverty reduction in an era of radical climate disruption and democratic backsliding.
This course is provided as part of the Circle U. University alliance, students will therefore gain insights from experts across Europe on topics related to democratic governance, poverty, and inequality. Students will be introduced to the major theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of democracy, poverty, and development. Governance will be particularly explored, including the role of multilateral organizations, national governments, and civil society actors.
Learning outcome
- Obtain a nuanced understanding of how poverty is understood and measured, including the methodological challenges involved.
- Be well acquainted with the major theoretical and empirical approaches to the causation and production of chronic, acute, and extreme poverty.
- Identify, differentiate, and analyse the impact of conventional and participatory approaches to poverty reduction.
- Explain how and why official understandings of poverty may differ from those of people living in poverty.
- Define various types of poverty in global, national, and local contexts.
- Learn how to better understand what works, how and why in relation to global and national anti-poverty interventions.
- Gain insight into the explicit role of politics in the production and reduction of poverty and inequality.
- Critically examine the impact of democracy, human rights, corruption, climate change and foreign aid on policy policies aimed at reducing poverty and inequality.
- Evaluate the role and importance of role of ethics and morality in relation to poverty research and policy.
Admission
Admission requirements:
- Enrolment in a master's programme at one of the partner universities in Circle U.
- A completed bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS) with a minimum grade average of C (in the Norwegian grading scale).
- A CV.
- A motivation letter (maximum one page).
Please note that eligible applicants who fulfil the minimum grade requirement will compete with other applicants. Applicants will be admitted based on GPA, motivation letter, and CV. The course has 6 study places for each university.
In case of more than 6 eligible applicants, all applicants will be pooled together and chosen at random to ensure that all eligible candidates have an equal opportunity to participate.
Application period:
February 1 to February 29, 2024
Teaching
The course includes one digital lecture in June 24, 2024 and a week long, in-person summer school from Monday August 5 to Friday August 9, 2024 at the University of Oslo. The summer school in Oslo consists of a series of lectures in the morning, followed by supervised project work in groups in the afternoon. A detailed programme will be sent to successful applicants.
Course leader: Professor Dan Banik (with contributions from Circle U. colleagues). The Circle U. summer school will mainly be taught by professors and lecturers from Circle U. member universities.
This course will use Canvas as a digital learning platform. Read more about Canvas.
Examination
- Oral group presentation.
- The exam will be held Friday August 9, 2024.
- The exam is graded with a pass/fail grade.
- The presentation must be held in English.
- It is not possible to resit the exam in another semester.
Use of sources and citation
You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to the use of sources and citations. If you violate the rules, you may be suspected of cheating/attempted cheating.
Explanations and appeals
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.
Contact information
If you have questions, please send an e-mail to circleu-student@iss.uio.no
The Circle U. summer school at the University of Oslo is a cooperation between Circle U., Centre for Development and the Environment at University of Oslo and International Summer School at the University of Oslo
