Aims

This seminar will enable students to check their personal re-appropriation of course followed at the DES, and to demonstrate their ability to understand a specific theme relating to development studies.

Main themes

The theme of the seminar will be chosen on the basis of the research being conducted by the teachers running the seminar (see proposal at the beginning of the academic year).
Since 1998-99, this seminar has opted for an analysis of the dynamic of popular actors in management and local development; special attention will be drawn to various experiences of "municipal" innovation observed in some Latin American countries.
The following issues will be addressed:
I. the setting of the study of local governments in Latin America;
II. the development and local construction of territory: local society, actors and local initiatives;
III. actors, local authorities and local management;
IV. the experience of local management (e.g. in Mexico, Peru and Bolivia).

Content and teaching methods

Content
The general theme and a shared analytical grid will be put forward by the teacher at the beginning of the course. Students will then break up into groups of 3-5 members from different subjects and cultural backgrounds, and research a Latin American country using the analytical grid.
Methodology
Attendance at the seminar is compulsory.
The seminar will combine plenary sessions (for the presentation of a global issue, discussion of a text, or the exchange of work results in groups) and group work. Both of the final sessions will be given over to a presentation of, and debate on, students' research work.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Assessment: Work during the seminar will include a monograph of 25-40 pages produced by the group. It will attract 70% of the final mark.
The remaining 30% will be awarded for each student's contribution to the dynamic of the seminar and final work (each group member's contribution the monographs must be specified).
Support: Students will be provided with a series of documents, together with Internet sources with different websites in Latin America.

Other credits in programs