SOLUS is Queen’s Student On-Line University System. You’ll have access to a SOLUS account once you become a Queen’s student. You’ll use SOLUS to register for courses, add and drop courses, update your contact information, view financial and academic information, and pay your tuition.
Culture & Development
DEVS 240/3.0
Provides students with a broad overview of debates relating to development and culture, including issues of religion, music, sport, art and literature, and how these interact with economic policy and political change.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
After completing DEVS 240, students will be better equipped to:
- Identify, employ and analyze core analytic concepts pertaining to “culture” and “global development”
- Recall and describe how and why development is contested idea and how cultural dimensions are tied to its deployment for political and economic purposes.
- Identify and breakdown cultural biases within global development discourses
- Demonstrate through examinations, discussion forms and written work, the relationship between material and representational inequalities that shape “development”
- Analyze how culture is implicated in development policy and local political organizing
- Communicate effectively about issues related to culture and global development through discussion, multimedia, and in academic writing
Topics
Module | Week | Topic |
| 1. Introduction | 1 | What is Culture? What is Development? How do they matter together? |
| 2. Culture and Development: Ideas and Practice | 2 | Colonialism, Culture, Orientalism, and "The West" |
| 3 | Modernization Theory and the Invention of Poverty | |
| 4 | Globalization, Disjuncture, and Difference | |
| 5 | Hegemony and Cultural Policy | |
| 6 | Counter-Hegemony and Alternative Development | |
| 3. Culture and Development in Practice | 7 | Human Rights and Gender |
| 8 | Working in Development | |
| 4. Topics in Culture and Development | 9 | Food |
| 10 | Sport | |
| 11 | Religion and the Arts | |
| 12 | Course Summary and Exam Review |
Description
This course explores the relationship between “culture” and “development” as concepts and practices and where they intersect. We examine how meanings of ‘the West,’ ‘civilized,’ ‘development,’ ‘modernization,’ ‘progress,’ ‘poverty,’ ‘tradition,’ ‘First World’ and ‘Third World’ are constructed and contested concepts. The course will exam how culture has been thought of historically within development ideas and practice as well as its contemporary manifestations. Moreover we examine how colonial perceptions and practices still imbue much development discourse today and how might they be more effectively challenged.
The course focuses on key sites where culture has been deployed to promote development and how these interact with economic policy and political change. Topics include human rights, tourism, religion, food, music and sports. Students will be able to research a wide range of other cultural phenomena as it relates to development for their major research project.
Terms
To be determined
Evaluation
| Assessment | Components | Weight |
| Critical Reflection Exercise | Post (2) | 2x5% |
| Reflect (2) | 2x5% | |
| Search-and-Share | Post and Comment (3) | 3x5% |
| Research Term Paper | Outline | 5% |
| Paper | 25% | |
| Infographic | 5% | |
| Proctored Final Exam | Identification Questions, Short Essays, and Long Essay | 30% |
**Evaluation Subject to Change**
Live Sessions
This course has optional live sessions (e.g. webinars, synchronous activities).
Final Examination
Students must write their exam on the day and time scheduled by the University. The start time may vary slightly depending on the off-campus exam centre. Do not schedule vacations, appointments, etc., during the exam period.
Instructor
Professor Scott Rutherford (ruthers@queensu.ca)
Textbooks and Materials
ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at http://www.campusbookstore.com/Textbooks/Search-Engine to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.
There are no required texts for the course. All texts will be available online through the e-reserve system.
**Subject to change**
Time Commitment
Students can expect to spend, on average, about 9 hours per week completing relevant readings, assignments, and course activities.
Course Resources
About SOLUS
About OnQ
onQ is Queen's online learning platform. You'll log into onQ to access your course. All materials related to your course—notes, readings, videos, recordings, discussion forums, assignments, quizzes, groupwork, tutorials, and help—will be on the onQ site.
About Credit Units
Queen’s courses are weighted in credit units. A typical one-term course is worth 3.0 units, and a typical two-term course is worth 6.0 units. You combine these units to create your degree. A general (three-year) BA or BSc requires a total of 90 credit units.
Computer Requirements
To take an online course, you’ll need a high speed internet connection as well as a microphone and speakers to be able to watch videos, hear sounds, and participate in interactive online activities. A webcam is recommended but not necessary.
System Requirements:
Computer Specifications
- Windows 8.1 or newer
- OSX 10.13 (High Sierra) or newer
- Dual Core 2 GHz processor
- 4 GB RAM
- Soundcard
- USB Headset
- Webcam
Supported Browsers
- Chrome (preferred - latest version)
- Firefox (latest version)
- Safari is not recommended as it causes several known issues in onQ
- Edge is not recommended as it causes several known issues in onQ
Internet Connection
- Wired high speed access: Cable or better
- Wifi is not recommended
Java
- Latest version
Media Player
- Flash (latest version)
Adobe Reader
- Latest Version
Dates/Deadlines
The deadlines for new applications to Queen’s Arts and Science Online courses are in our Upcoming Application Dates section.
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees vary depending when you start, your year, faculty, and program. Fees for Summer Term 2018 first-year Distance Career Arts & Science Domestic students are as follows: for a 3.0-unit course, $685.90; for a 6.0-unit course, $1371.80 See also Tuition and Fees.
Grading Scheme
The information below is intended for undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Academic Regulations in other Faculties may differ.
| Letter Grade | Grade Point |
| A+ | 4.30 |
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 |
| B+ | 3.30 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 |
| C+ | 2.30 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 |
| D+ | 1.30 |
| D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.70 |
| F | 0.00 |
GPA Calculators
Have your SOLUS grade report handy and then follow the link to the Arts and Science GPA calculators.
How does this affect my academics?
See the GPA and Academic Standing page.
Follow the link above for an explanation of how the GPA system affects such things as the Dean’s Honour List, requirements to graduate, and academic progression.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Grading Scheme
Please follow this link to the FAQ's
Campus Bookstore
All textbooks can be purchased at Queen’s Campus Bookstore.
Non-Queen’s Students
All Queen’s Arts and Science Online courses are open to students at other universities. Before applying as a visiting student, request a Letter of Permission from your home university that states that you have permission to take the course and apply it to your degree. See also Apply.
Academic Integrity
Please see Queen’s policy statement on academic integrity for information on how to complete an online course honestly.
