A postgraduate course in Childhood and Youth , Environment, Development and International Studies and Law.

TU871 explores contemporary debates on ‘development’. It does so in interdisciplinary fashion, and with an understanding that development is not confined to a particular geographical area but is happening anywhere and everywhere, presenting us all with challenges that are professional and personal, practical and political. The first part demonstrates the need on the part of managers to appreciate the significance of context – historical, cultural, social, political, economic – if they are to bring about development. The second part confronts conventional understandings of development and encourages critical reflection on how development is best undertaken, from local through to global levels.

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What you will study

This course helps you to approach development studies by teaching the context – from local to global – in which development practice takes place. What historical legacies shape the present? Why is an understanding of gender and other social relations crucial? Why is an understanding of technology or culture or the environment equally important? What are the processes of power and public action that influence the making of development policy and its implementation?

This course is intended primarily for graduates entering the development management programme who have little or no grounding in development studies, or who are in need of an update. You may be a development professional in a government or local government department, non-governmental organisation, international agency or public or private enterprise, or you may simply have an interest in public action for development. Many of you will be concerned about the apparently insurmountable problems of development. The aim of the course is to provide you with the analytical tools for understanding the complexity of development and, ultimately, enable you to think about ways of meeting its challenges.

The course takes a multidisciplinary approach. This is essential for grasping the complexity of the development process. While one academic discipline, say economics or anthropology, may have its own set of explanations for the causes of and solutions to a development ‘problem’, there is in fact no single explanation. Many factors – historical, social, economic, political, cultural, and technological – combine to make the world the place it is.

The course is built around a textbook, additional reading, audio-visual material and supporting study guides.

The text Poverty and Development into the Twenty-first Century focuses primarily on the so-called ‘developing’ countries. It presents global poverty in its many guises as an overriding concern for development, and introduces the main issues. It places these issues in their historical context, with chapters on pre-colonial societies, through colonialism, to contemporary ‘post-colonial’ developments such as the apparently inescapable processes of globalisation, the rise of identity, politics and urbanisation. Other chapters consider the theoretical and historical accounts of the origins of inequality and poverty, and the emergence of the field of development in response to them. The book also introduces the range of concerns raised in this field, and the policy responses that seek solutions to these concerns.

The additional readings are drawn from a variety of academic and other sources. Within an overall framework of ‘action for development’ they provide a deeper exploration of concepts and issues introduced in the textbook, such as trusteeship and development agencies, accountability, participation and governance. The focus of these readings, however, is on the different kinds of development policy and action, together with a consideration of the many agents who take part in such action. Some of the readings are case studies. They include case studies in a northern context, in order to counteract the tendency to reduce development to something that affects only ‘developing countries’, or the ‘South’.

The audio-visual material also provides ‘armchair’ case studies and discussion of key concepts and issues. Like the readings, some are drawn from the experience of the ‘North’.

Entry

This course can be taken on its own or as a module of a qualification. If you are taking it as part of a postgraduate qualification, you must have adequate preparation for study at this level, usually demonstrated by a bachelors degree (or the equivalent) from a UK university.

You do need to have a reasonable standard of spoken and written English to study successfully with us. Poor language skills will make study more difficult, and it will take longer. The normal requirements for English language skills are explained on our website.

If you have any doubts about whether your level of English is good enough for you to study this course you may find it helpful to look at our Skills for OU Study site.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Qualifications

TU871 is a compulsory module in our:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict and Development (C67)

TU871 is an optional module in our:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Development Management (C48)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Human Rights and Development Management (C96)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice (C72)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management (D37)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice (E28)
• Master of Laws (F64)
• MA in Childhood and Youth (F55)
• MSc in Development Management (F11)
• MA in Social Sciences (F09)
• MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice (F47)

Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. These qualifications allow most postgraduate modules to count towards them. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this module can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.

Excluded combinations

Sometimes you will not be able to count a module towards a qualification if you have already taken another module with similar content.  To check any excluded combinations relating to this module, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.

If you have a disability

There is a certain amount of visual material, and some of the study material is presented on DVD-ROM. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

Study materials

What's included

Textbook, other printed materials, audio CD and DVD-ROM.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course. It includes online activities – you can access using a web browser – and some course software provided on disk.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer running Windows since 2007 you should have no problems completing the computer-based activities.
• A netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device is not suitable for this course – check our Technical requirements section.
• If you have an Apple Mac or Linux computer – please note that you can only use it for this course by running Windows on it using Boot Camp or a similar dual-boot system.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will be responsible for monitoring your progress on the course, marking and commenting on your written work and whom you can contact for advice and guidance. Your tutor will mediate an online forum for your tutor group in which participation is optional. A programme of face-to-face tutorials will be arranged at one or two UK locations and students will also have the opportunity to engage in real time online tutorials. There is also a separate online forum for all students on TU871.

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

Future availability

The details given here are for the final course start in May 2013. Development: context and practice (T877) will be available from November 2013.

How to register

We regret that we are currently unable to accept registrations for this course. Where the course is to be presented again in the future, relevant registration information will be displayed on this page as soon as it becomes available.

Student Reviews

Distance learning

The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor or study adviser will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.

For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.

Course satisfaction survey

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