Guía docente de Socio Economic Development (MQ1/56/1/22)

The imperative of this course is to equip emerging experts in European affairs with a broad understanding of socio-economic issues beyond Europe. To this end, the course aims to provide the theoretical underpinnings and some of the key tools for conducting effective socio-economic development analysis and diagnosis. Another aim of the course is to promote a critical understanding of contemporary socio-economic conflicts and to discuss the need to implement strategies to achieve sustainable development in line with the 2030 Agenda.

None

BASIC AND GENERAL COMPETENCES

• Has advanced knowledge and understanding of the complex processes of European integration, Europeanisation and globalization.
• Identifies the main lines of evolution of the aforementioned processes of European integration, Europeanisation and globalization.
• Explains how the concepts of Europeanisation and globalization have been and can be applied to various European regions and their relations both with other regions of the world and with international organizations.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing in the English language.
• Ability to manage information.
• Ability to solve problems and make decisions.
• Motivation for quality and rigour.
• Ability to learn and work independently.
• Critical thinking ability.
• Organization and planning capacity.
• Develops the social and communication skills necessary to work both independently and in collaboration with others in a deeply multidisciplinary and multicultural context.

SPECIFIC COMPETENCES

• Knowledge of geopolitical current affairs.
• Ability to manage news and scientific papers.
• Knowledge to use data.
• Knowledge and sensitivity towards human rights and the reduction of all kinds of inequality.
• Critically assesses the processes of European integration, Europeanisation and globalization.
• Conducts an independent academic analysis of the European institutions and their decision-making dynamics.
• Develops general and vocational skills relevant to a wide range of possible future employment in a global society.

CROSS-CURRICULAR COMPETENCES

• Applies different theories, perspectives and methods from a variety of analytical and theoretical approaches to the critical analysis of the European integration.
• Applies different theories, perspectives and methods from a variety of analytical and theoretical approaches to the critical analysis of the global role of the EU and its relations with other actors, while combining them in a holistic manner. Ability to work in an intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary team.
• Critically assesses the processes of European integration, Europeanisation and globalization.
• Carries out an independent academic analysis of the European institutions and their decision-making dynamics
• Communicates effectively, using the appropriate terminology to different audiences

OBJECTIVES OR LEARNING OUTCOMES (ACCORDING TO THE MASTER’S PROGRAMME VALIDATION REPORT)

The purpose is to explain the process by which social and economic factors interreact to bring about changes in Europe with the rest of the World. It encompasses a wide range of factors, including economic growth, income distribution, education, healthcare, social mobility, infrastructure development, and cultural aspects. Key components within socio-economic development are:

- Economic Growth: This is often seen as a fundamental aspect of socio-economic development. It involves an increase in the production of goods and services in a country over time. Economic growth provides the resources necessary for improving living standards, investing in infrastructure, and addressing social needs.

- Income Distribution: Socio-economic development aims for more equitable distribution of wealth and resources within a society. It seeks to reduce income inequality by ensuring that economic benefits are shared more fairly among different segments of the population.

- Education: Education plays a crucial role in socio-economic development by empowering individuals with knowledge and skills necessary for economic participation and social advancement. Access to quality education can lead to higher productivity, better employment opportunities, and improved social mobility.

- Healthcare: Good health is essential for socio-economic development as it directly affects productivity and overall well-being. Access to healthcare services, including preventive care, treatment of illnesses, and public health initiatives, is vital for maintaining a healthy workforce and reducing poverty.

- Infrastructure Development: Infrastructure such as transportation, communication networks, energy systems, and sanitation facilities are essential for economic activities and improving living conditions. Investment in infrastructure contributes to economic growth, enhances productivity, and promotes social development.

- Social Services: Provision of social services such as housing, social security, and welfare programs contributes to poverty reduction and improves the overall quality of life. These services ensure that basic needs are met and provide support to vulnerable populations.

- Environmental Sustainability: Sustainable development considers the long-term well-being of both current and future generations. It involves managing natural resources responsibly, mitigating environmental degradation, and addressing climate change to ensure that development efforts are sustainable over time.

- Cultural Factors: Socio-economic development also encompasses cultural aspects such as social norms, values, and traditions. These factors influence how resources are allocated, social relationships, and the overall development trajectory of a society.

THEORY SYLLABUS:

• Unit 1.  Introduction: Theory and history of socio-economic development.
• Unit 2. Indicators of socio-economic development.
• Unit 3. Conflicts beyond Europe.  
• Unit 4. Sustainable development.

PRACTICAL SYLLABUS

• Individual/group oral presentations (depending on class size) on an agreed socio-economic conflict.
• Debate seminars based on mandatory readings (scientific papers and press analyses).
• If possible, a field trip to a chosen research area.

Johnson, S., and Acemoglu, D.: Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, PublicAffairs, 2023.

RECOMMENDED READING:

• Baker, S. : Sustainable development (2nd Edition). Routledge. 2015.
• Brynjolfsson E. and A. McAfee: The Second Machine Age. Work, Progress and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technology, Norton, 2004.
• Deaton A., The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality, Princeton University Press, 2013.
• Diamandis P., Abundance: The Future is Better than You Think, Steven Kotler, 2012.
• Garcés-Mascareñas, B. & Penninx, R. (Eds): Integration processes and policies in Europe: Contexts, levels and actors. Springer Nature, 2016.
• Garnåsjordet, P. A., et al. : "Sustainable development indicators: From statistics to policy." Environmental Policy and Governance, 22.5: 322-336. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1597
• Kaplan J.: Humans Need Not to Apply. A guide to Wealth and Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Yale University Press, 2015.
• Lewis W. A.: Theory of Economic Growth, Routledge, 1955.
• Maddison A.: Contours of the World Economy 1-2030 AD: Essays in Macro-Economic History, Oxford University Press, 2007.
• Miladinov, G.: : "Socioeconomic development and life expectancy relationship: evidence from the EU accession candidate countries." Genus, 76.1: 2. 2020.
• Mokyr J, C.: Vickers and N. L. Ziebarth, “The History of Technological Anxiety and the Future of Economic Growth: Is This Time Different?”, Journal of Economic Perspectives 29(3): 31-50, 2015.
• Morris, I.: The measure of Civilization: How Social Development Decides the Fate of Nations, Princeton University Press, 2013.
• Niaz, M. U.: "Socio-Economic development and sustainable development goals: a roadmap from vulnerability to sustainability through financial inclusion." Economic research-Ekonomska istraživanja, 35.1: 3243-3275. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2021.1989319
• Polany K.: Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origin of Our Time, Beacon Press, 2001.
• Pomeranz K.: The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and making of the Modern World Economy, Princeton University Press, 2001.
• Rodrik D.: In Search of Prosperity: Analytic Narratives on Economic Growth, Princeton University Press, 2003.
• Rostow W. W.: The Stages of Economic Growth: a Non-communist Manifesto, Cambridge University Press, 1962.
• Schumpeter J. A.: Business Cycles: a theoretical, historical and statistical analysis of the capitalist process, Mc Graw Hill, 1939.
• Schwab K.: The Fourth Industrial Revolution, World Economic Forum Kindle Edition, 2016.
• Sen A.: Development as Freedom, Oxford University Press, 2001.
• Skvarciany, V.; Jurevičienė, D. & Volskytė, G.: "Assessment of sustainable socioeconomic development in European Union countries." Sustainability 12.5, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051986
• Steger, M. B.: et al. : Globalization. Past, Present, Future. University of California Press, 2023.
• Szirmai, A.: Socio-economic development. Cambridge University Press, 2015.

• United Nations Development Programme: https://www.undp.org/
• United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs: https://www.un.org/en/desa
• The World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/en/home
• The World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/
• Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): https://www.oecd.org/
• World Trade Organization: www.wto.org
• EU migration and asylum policy, European Council https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-migration-policy/
• The Economist: https://www.economist.com/
• Le Monde diplomatique (English edition): https://mondediplo.com/

EXTRAORDINARY ASSESSMENT SESSION

Article 19 of the UGR Assessment Policy and Regulations establishes that students who have not passed a course in the ordinary assessment session (convocatoria ordinaria) will have access to an extraordinary assessment session (convocatoria extraordinaria). All students may take part in this extraordinary assessment session, regardless of whether or not they have followed continuous assessment activities. In this way, students who have not carried out continuous assessment activities will have the opportunity to obtain 100% of their mark by means of an exam and/or assignment.

• The extraordinary assessment session if an exam that represents 100% of student’s mark. This exam is multiple choice, in which three incorrect answers subtract one correct answer, while blank answers neither add nor subtract points. The exam is going to be based on the theoretical and practical content that have been presented during the course.

Article 8 of the UGR Assessment Policy and Regulations establishes that students who are unable to follow continuous assessment methods due to justifiable reasons shall have recourse to a single final assessment (evaluación única final), which is an assessment method that only takes a final exam into account.

In order to opt for a single final assessment (evaluación única final), students must send a request, using the corresponding online procedure, to the coordinator of the master’s programme, in the first two weeks of the course or in the two weeks following their enrolment (if the enrolment has taken place after the classes have already begun). The coordinator will communicate this information to the relevant teaching staff members, citing and verifying the reasons why the student is unable to follow the continuous assessment system.

In this case, the assessment will comprise:

• Multiple choice final exam as described above.

• All the material associated with this subject (whose availability will be offered from the PRADO platform of the University of Granada), will be for the exclusive use of the students of this Master’s course. Therefore, its reproduction or dissemination, in whole or in part, regardless of the means or device used (including platforms and web pages such as Wuolah, Docsity, etc.) is prohibited. Any improper action will violate current regulations and relevant legal responsibilities may arise. In this sense, it will be understood as plagiarism or crime the dissemination of class materials (in whole or in part) in whose elaboration the teaching staff of the subject have participated. This includes maps, texts (including PowerPoint slide texts), presentations, graphics, diagrams, figures, etc. Misappropriation of copyright is a crime and will entail the corresponding penalties and measures.

• If any kind of plagiarism is detected during the evaluation of any of the assignments, the grade of the whole module will be 0.0, notwithstanding the possible higher academic consequences.

• Following the recommendations of the CRUE and the Secretariat of Inclusion and Diversity of the UGR, the systems of acquisition and evaluation of competencies compiled in this teaching guide will be used following the principle of design for all people, facilitating the learning and demonstration of knowledge according to the needs and functional diversity of the students.

• The evaluation systems will be adapted to the special needs of students with disabilities, guaranteeing, in any case, their rights and favouring their inclusion in university studies, as established in Article 11 of the regulations for the evaluation and qualification of students from the University of Granada. The evaluation tests will be adapted to their needs, according to the recommendations of the Inclusion Unit of the University of Granada.

• Communication with the professor will be through the institutional email (example@correo.ugr.es) including name and surname, as well as the name of the module.

Información de interés para estudiantado con discapacidad y/o Necesidades Específicas de Apoyo Educativo (NEAE): Gestión de servicios y apoyos (https://ve.ugr.es/servicios/atencion-social/estudiantes-con-discapacidad).

When using AI tools for the development of the course, students must adopt an ethical and responsible use of them. They must follow the recommendations contained in the document "Recommendations for the Use of Artificial Intelligence at the UGR," published at this location: https://ceprud.ugr.es/formacion-tic/inteligencia-artificial/recomendaciones-ia#contenido0