Specialisation: Sociology of Development
In the specialisation Sociology of Development, you examine social transformation processes from sociological and anthropological perspectives, paying special attention to differential responses to change and the shifting dynamics of power relations at different socio-spatial levels. You focus on the life worlds, ideologies and organizational strategies of a variety of social actors. You explore themes such as social unrest, the way people cope with conflicts and disasters, migration, refugees, poverty, food security and sovereignty, property rights, and access to social and natural resources crucial to livelihoods in rural and urban settings.
Specialisation courses
In the first year, you follow two common courses, and a selection of profiling courses, and if necessary, supporting courses. You follow three specialisation courses within Sociology of Development.
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| RSO-34306 | Theorizing Development: Implications for Research |
| SDC-32806 | Sociology in Development: Towards a Critical Perspective |
| Choose one of the following for the third specialisation course: | |
| SDC-32306 | Anthropology and Development |
| RSO-31806 | Sociology of Food and Place |
| ENP-32806 | Sociological Perspectives on Environmental Change |
| SDC-34306 | Studying Crisis: Conflict, Disaster and the Social |
For more information about the courses and course content of the specialisation, as well as the compulsory parts of the master's programme, please refer to the Study Handbook.
Depending on your educational background, the study advisor may determine that you need to follow some supporting courses, which will be compulsory for you (for example the courses SDC-30306 Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives on Development and SDC-33306 Methodology for Field Research in the Social Sciences).
Student experience
"I always had a huge interest in development studies, especially for coastal communities and marine issues. The human-nature relationship is one of the main things I have been able to explore here. I enjoy the interdisciplinary approach here, and appreciate learning about different views. Besides, this programme has helped me to tailor my interest the way I want." - Rizkyana from Indonesia
MSc thesis
In the second year, you demonstrate your ability to design and conduct research by collecting and analysing information on a thesis topic of your choice. Your thesis will be based on the domain within your specialisation, and the specialisation courses will outline the context of your research. To get an impression of the kind of research done by students, these are a few thesis examples:
- Syrian refugee mobility as a meaningful process: a field study on Syrian refugee journeys from Syria to Jordan [Student report] Ravenhorst, Esther van
- Politics of victimhood: an analysis of LGBT activism and peacebuilding in Colombia, 2011-2016 [Student report] Kijk in de Vegte, Merel-Anne
- Tracing a trajectory of transparency: a case study of governing traceability in an Indonesian Tuna Supply Chain [Student report] Djelantik, A.A.A. Sita Katrein
Many more examples are to be found in the thesis library.
Teachers in the spotlight
Staff from the contributing chair-groups will be telling you about their own research experiences during the courses. Different teachers have different areas of thematic interest, and focus on different regions in the world. To get an impression of the specialisation, these are a few examples of staff members who will be teaching you: