Using the Concept "Development" to Teach Contemporary Issues

Abstract

Why don't political science teachers teach their students about many of the important policy issues that political systems face today? Why is it uncommon in undergraduate political science classes to find discussions of the population explosion and famine in the Third World, and of acid rain and toxic wastes in the First and Second worlds? Why aren't our students knowledgeable about the arguments for and against nuclear power and acquainted with the problems the world faces as it moves from a reliance on oil to a reliance on renewable fuels? And why do we often ignore such awesome issues as those connected with the greenhouse effect and nuclear war? I believe that the answer to these questions is that political science teachers often don't know how to deal with these subjects in a respected, scholarly way — in a manner that will prevent the class from just becoming a forum for the discussion of current events. I believe also that we have a concept — development — which can serve as the necessary tool we need to allow us to approach these issues in a responsible manner.