COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course explores the multidimensional concept of Human Development, established by the United Nation, inspired on the conceptual ideas of the economist, Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen. Focused on the Latin American region, the course will show the new development perspectives, breaking the paradigm that this can only be achieved through economic growth.

It studies how Human Development seeks a more holistic growth, considering health, culture, education, and the environment. To understand this new development approach, the course analyzes the conceptual frame of development, from when the topic emerged following World War II to the present, in effect tracking the evolution of the thinking that has led to moving away from a strict economic approach to development issues, and on to human development as the key to improvement in living conditions.

The course describes human development index (HDI) helps evaluate the progress many countries around the world had achieve using this new approach. We will focus in the HDI of Latin America, so we will analyze the opportunities and challenges the region have related on the quality of life and wellbeing of its inhabitants.

 COURSE CONTENTS
UNIT 1. Concepts:
o The capability approach.
o Different perspectives around development.
o Human Rights.
o Economic Development.
o “El Buen Vivir”.
o Sustainability.
o Inequality, Injustice, Institutionalization, and market.
o Culture and Development.
o Democracy and political participation.

Unit 2: Health, economy, education, and the environment.
o Heath.
o Economic Development and poverty.
o Access to Education.
o Sustainable development.

Unit 3: Human Development Index
o The construction of the Index.
o United Nation Reports.
o Gender Development Index.
o Human Development and Inequality.
o Human Development and the SDGs.

Unit 4: Human Development in Latin America: Balance and Challenges.
o Inequality.
o Poverty.
o Education.
o Gender.
o Rural and Urban Development.
o Health and Social Epidemiology.
o Unemployment.
o Environment.
o Political Stability.

LEARNING EVALUATION

ASSIGMENTS + PERCENTAGE VALUE

Case Studies (2-15%) 30%

Reading Comprehension Oral Presentations (2-10%) 20%

Workshop Group Research Project: A balance of Human Development in a Latin American country 30%

Class participation and discussions 10%

Concept Map 10%

Total 100%

*Course content subject to change