1
Department of Geography Spring 2012
University of Illinois Instructor: T. Bassett
https://compass.illinois.edu Office Hours: Tu: 2:00-4:00
125 Davenport Hall
Geography 101
The Geography of Developing Countries
COURSE OUTLINE
This course explores the geographies of the “developing” world, also known as the
“Third World” or “global South.” We will first ask, why these different labels? Do they
have different meanings and encompass different regions? What countries actually
constitute the global South? And why is this part of the world typically depicted as
underdeveloped in relationship to the global North? What does it lack? More importantly,
what social, economic, and cultural worlds do conventional “development” geographies
omit in their representations of the global South? Why do these omissions exist in our
maps and imaginings?
My objective in this class is to examine the origins of the global South, especially the
historical and contemporary processes that have created its distinctive geographies.
We will examine both material and discursive dimensions that will help us understand its
production and reproduction. Colonialism, for example, was an historical moment in
which both material (the development of export oriented agriculture in the colonies) and
discursive (the justification of colonial rule as a “civilizing mission”) practices combined
to create what is today the global South. We will also examine contemporary processes
(economic, political, cultural globalization) that are re-configuring the geography of the
global South. We will pay particular attention to “development” as a discourse and
practice that has played a major role in the (re)making of the global South and North.
If there is a relationship between development and underdevelopment, then we have to
consider how our lives and livelihoods are entangled with those of ordinary people living
in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Through readings, lectures, discussions, films, and
mapmaking, this course will introduce students to new ways of thinking and talking about
the “developing” world and the human geographical relationships that are shaping it.
Discussion Sections: Lab/Discussion sections are an integral part of this course. Students
make maps of geography of (under)development and economic globalization, and discuss
ideas and perspectives encountered in lectures, films, and course readings. Teaching
assistants will coordinate these discussions, as well as conduct in-class exercises, quizzes,
and exam review sessions.
Section times (all sections meet in Davenport Hall, Room 137-D)
Sec. A: TH 3:00 Sec. G: T 1:00 Sec. M: T 2:00
Sec. B: T 9:00 Sec. H: F 10:00 Sec. N: TH 2:00
Sec. C: TH 9:00 Sec. I: F 9:00 Sec. O: F 1:00
