Digital technologies and online social networks play an increasingly important role in the political, social and economic development of all societies. In the Global North and South, it is largely the young generation of men and women (30 years old and under) who experiment with and embrace these technologies in creative, innovative and unanticipated ways. This course focuses on the creative energies of youth and the enabling powers of digital/ networked technologies to solve some of the enduring development challenges. We will explore how a) youth’s access to information technologies help reduce poverty, inequality and deprivation; b) youth benefit from and use digital technologies to develop marketable skills, create and sustain income-generating activities and end cycles of unemployment; and how technologies can/do empower young citizens to end corruption, denounce human rights violations and contribute to ending gender-based violence. These will be among the key questions that students will be encouraged to think about, examine and reflect on critically while discussing both the contributions and limitations of digital technologies in the field of youth and international development.
Draft Syllabus