COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT/ THEOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT
PRTH 310
SEMESTER ONE
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Development is a highly contested phenomena that has been tackled several times over decades of years and it exist in a controversial context as there are many definitions and meanings associated to development that often creates ambiguity on whether it is a positive or a negative thing that has come to humanity as their interact with the environment. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the history and the concept of development, its theories, and debates and how it relates to communities. The module will explore how development intersect with religion in the public domain.
There are two parts to the module, in the first half of the course, the nature of development practice will be discussed as well as specific issues such as unemployment, poverty, health, the impact of climate change on the environment and scaling SGBVF as it impacts on gender issues in communities. The second half of the course will allow students to engage theologically on the intersectionality between theology and development and how this intersection finds expression in people’s lives as they face multilayered challenges brought about by ever-changing socio-economic, religio-cultural, and unpredictable political context. Furthermore, how these are impacted by church, ecumenical and faith-based movements, and the community at large.
This module is designed for students with a passion to make a difference within their spaces immersed with diversity and disempowerment. They will critically engage and reflect on deeper understanding the knowledge and skills necessary ‘to break the silence’ by undertaking Theology and Community Development through working effectively with disenfranchised communities. Using Theological lenses and Biblical resources to further equip students with different ways of engaging communities with development and in action for Social Justice - an integral part of the macro practice in context.
COURSE OUTCOMES
1. The student will be introduced to different types of development that would enable them to understand and articulate the meaning of development practice, methodologies, theories, and debates.
2. The student will deepen their awareness of key issues in development from the global and national contexts, namely, Covid-19, HIV/AIDS, unemployment, inequalities, poverty, gender, the environment, and economic globalization.
3. The student will be able to envision and facilitates development in the church and community using the ABCD development methodology.
4. The student will develop their reading skills of Biblical resources and Theologically appropriating them in context to facilitate needed activism for Social Transformation.
5. Entrepreneurship skills as facilitating agents of change directed towards economic empowerment.
6. Enable students to critically review the relevance and meaning of MDG’s in the present context.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
1. Attendance and participation in two lectures per week.
2. Read the prescribed texts before coming to lectures each week.
3. Completion of formative assessments (40%).
4. Write one final exam (60%).
COURSE ASSESSMENTS
· Formative [40%] –
o Individual Reading Assignment [15%] Due Date: 5 April 2024
o Group Case Study Assignment [25%] Due Date: 26 April 2024
· Summative [60%] – comprises of one examination at the end of the semester.
LECTURER
Dr B. ZENGELE Zengeleb@ukzn.ac.za and Rev Sithembiso Zwane, zwane@ukzn.ac.za 0332605191, Room 207C, New Arts Building (NAB), School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics (SRPC).
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is a serious offence in the academia and the University will punish students who fail to properly acknowledge work used in their assignments. If found guilty of such offence you can be suspended from studying at any University in the country or abroad.
COURSE SESSION OUTLINE
Month | Date | Week No. | Lect. No. | LEARNING AREAS to be covered |
Feb | | | 1 | Introduction – lecture outline FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |
| | | 2 | Community Development and Economic Development |
| | | 3 | SEVEN THEORIES FOR SEVEN COMMUNITY DEVELOPERS – Why Theory? |
| | | 4 | Asset-based community development |
|
March | | | 5 | What is Development? |
| | 6 | Community development practice |
| | 7 | Theory of Development |
| | 8 | Comparative Development Problems |
|
April | | | 9 | Gender, Poverty, HIV/AIDS, Covid-19, Food Security, Migration and Policies |
| | 10 | SGBVF challenges to development |
| | 11 | Community Participation |
| | 12 | Theology of development: Land, Leadership, Political economy and Governance |
|
| | | 13 | Community development and local theology: - Human agency and the prophetic role of the church - the church in community development |
May | | | 14 | § Unemployment, Poverty, and Inequality § Theology and Climate Justice |
| | 15 | Theology and Governance |
| | 16 | Theology and Gender |
| | | | Theology and Land |
| | | | |
| | | | |
June | | | | Examination |
READING ASSESSMENT
• The reading assessment is a critical reflection on the readings provided each week for class
• You will be expected to know the readings and you will be asked to share in class the arguments in the readings to demonstrate comprehending the material (you do need to read the readings many times carefully).
• You will submit both formative (preparation compulsory reading and assessment) and summative (class compulsory reading and assessment)
NOTE: Please note that even when there are not formal reading assessments you will be expected to come to the lecture with a one-page summary of the key points arising out of the set reading for the class. This will be for your Duly Performed (DP) section of the Module CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
Please note the following clear rules with regards to assignments:
1. Assignments are to be handed in during class.
2. Assignments should be 2500 words long. (The computer can work this out for you: <tools/word count>). It must be 12point line and 1.5 spacing.
3. The submission dates for the assignments need to be adhered to. Late submissions will have 2% deducted for every day late, and will not be marked if submitted after 14 days.
4. Please note that copying from fellow students or plagiarising from written or internet sources will lead to a mark of 0 and disciplinary procedures being taken against you by the University.
5. Every assignment is to be completed with the following six-part declaration (which is not part of the length of the assignment). Failure to add this will lead to the assignment not being marked.
Declaration by the Student (attached to assignment):
Before Submission
1. I have proof-read this assignment and checked for spelling, grammatical and typographical errors.
2. I have not copied from any other student.
3. I have not plagiarised from any source that I have not quoted or referenced.
4. I have provided complete footnotes and a complete bibliography according to the Harvard system.
5. This assignment is XXX words long.
6. This assignment was due on ________, and I am submitting it on ________
Prescribed Texts
De Gruchy, S., 2007. An olive agenda: First thoughts on a metaphorical theology of development. Ecumenical Review, 59(2/3), p.333.
Haddad, B., 2016. Curriculum design in theology and development: Human agency and the prophetic role of the church. HTS: Theological Studies, 72(4), pp.1-8.
Hinsdale, M.A., Lewis, H.M. and Waller, S.M., 1995. It comes from the people: Community development and local theology. Temple University Press.
Phillips, R. and Pittman, R. eds., 2008. An introduction to community development. Routledge.
Other Recommended Readings for Sessions
Bowers du Toit, Nadine. 2017. Meeting the challenge Poverty and Inequality? ‘Hindrances and Helps’ with regard to congregational mobilization in South Africa. 1-6
Bowers du Toit, Nadine. 2016. The elephant in the room: the need to re-discover the intersection between poverty, powerlessness and power in ‘Theology and Development’ Praxis. 1-9
Conradie, Ernst, 2010. “Confessing Guilt in the Context of Climate Change”: Some South African Perspective: 134-152
Cornwall, Andrea. 2004. “Introduction: New Democratic Spaces? The Politics and Dynamics of Institutionalized Participation.” IDS Bulletin 35, no. 2: 1–10.
De Gruchy Steve. 2007. Re-learning our Mother Tongue? Theology in Dialogue with Public health. 47-67.
De Gruchy Steve. 2009. Dealing with our own Sewage: Spirituality and Ethics in the Sustainable Agenda. 53-65.
Haddad, Beverley, 2008. “Surviving the HIV and AIDS Epidemic in South Africa: Women Living and Dying, Theologizing and Being Theologised”. 47-57.
Haddad, Beverley, 2006. “We Pray but We cannot Heal”: Theological Challenges Posed by the HIV/AIDS Crisis. 80-90.
Haddad, Beverley. 2014. “Service or Subservience? Diakonia in our Globalized, Gendered World”. World Council of Churches (WCC): 274-288.
Korten David, 1987. “Third Generation NGO Strategies: A Key to People-Centred Development”: Pergamon Journal Ltd: 145-159
Kumalo Raymond Simangaliso. 2015. “Christianity and Political Engagement in Post Apartheid South Africa”: 220-230
Martinussen John. 1997. Modernization and Globalization. “Structural Theories and Industrial Development”. 73-84
McKnight John and Kretzmann John. 1996. “Mapping the Community Capacity”. Asset Based Community Development (ABCD): Institute for Policy Research.
Pieterse Jan Nederveen, 2010, “Development Theory: Deconstruction and Reconstruction”, (SAGE Press): 115.
Rist, Gilbert. 2014, “The history of development: From western origins to global faith”, 4th ed.
London: Zed,
West Gerald O, 2007a. “The ANC deployment of Religion in Nation-Building: from Thabo Mbeki, to the ‘RDP of the Soul’ to Jacob Zuma”: 1-31
West Gerald O, and Beverley Haddad, 2006, “Boaz as ‘Sugar Daddy’: Re-reading Ruth in the context of HIV”, Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, Special Issue: 137-156
West Gerald O, and Zwane Sithembiso S, 2020. “Re-Reading 1 Kings 21:1–16 Between Community-based Activism and University-based Pedagogy”, Journal for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies, 2, 1, 179-207.
