Singapore University of Social Sciences

CSD503 analyses the impact of economic and political development on social well-being. Different economic models are compared – capitalism, socialism, mixed economies, welfare states, neo-liberalism and post-developmentalism. Students will gain understanding of how development processes at the macro level impact on local communities. These macro-level processes include core-periphery relations in the global economy, globalization, growth-distribution-consumption, industrialisation, trade, boom-bust cycles, migration, externalities and environmental sustainability. The course highlights the role of leadership in the implementation of institutional arrangements, including formal and informal economies. Social inequalities arising from income gaps will be studied, together with policy approaches and community initiatives for reducing such inequalities, including social capital formation. Issues of employment, labour, social stratification and social mobility will also be covered. In this context, the course will examine investments in and returns from social development. The course will analyse these issues in the context of the development experiences of Singapore, selected Asia-Pacific economies, as well as the wider world