APG5628 Understanding development: Discourse, practice and power
Faculty of Arts
APG5628 Understanding development: Discourse, practice and power is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before APG5628
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After APG5628
No unit lists APG5628 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prohibition: APG4628
Overview
This unit unpacks the meaning of development as a discourse that conceptualises system of power, resources and social transformation across the globe. It questions development in practice, how it is understood in different cultural contexts, as well as analyses the effects of programs designed according to contemporary institutional ideas of development. .This unit unravels the conceptual and practical pillars of development, and interrogates interrelated concepts such as economic growth, progress, and modernisation. It tracks development discourse through early theorisations, to examine the current institutionalised set of practices that perpetuate unequal nature of contemporary development
As an important aspect of this conversation, the unit explores the diverse in-practice development alternatives; the ways that social groups reclaim ‘development’ to attain more autonomous pathways to well-being. Finally, this unit asks whether development theories corelate with development-in-practice and whether the current development institution should be deconstructed and reimagined.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Critical reflectionWritten35%
- Presentation15%
- EssayWritten50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
critically assess contributions to the academic field of development, exploring and analysing the history of development thinking and the spatial patterns of development in practice;
- 2
articulate different approaches to and practices of development with reference to in-practice examples, and to evaluate various alternatives in light of the most recent scholarly work on contemporary uneven development;
- 3
argue for or against the contemporary development paradigm as we know it particularly in the context of in-practice development alternatives, with an appropriate degree of personal and socio-political reflection.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Where it fits
APG5628 is part of 1 area of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Colette Mortreux
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Colette Mortreux
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for APG5628?
APG5628 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is APG5628 offered?
In 2026, APG5628 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is APG5628?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does APG5628 have an exam?
No. APG5628 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include APG5628?
APG5628 is part of International development and environment.