Bachelor of Arts (BA) - The University of Hong Kong

296POLI0011.Development and underdevelopment (6 credits)This course will survey the prevailing theories in social science related to the issue of how countriesachieve 'development' in the contemporary world. The emphasis will be on the countries of the South.Topics will expand upon variegated versions of: Modernization Theory, Dependency, Imperialism andthe World Economy, World-Systems Analysis, the State, and Development Strategies.POLI0012.East Asian political economy (6 credits)This course aims to examine the political processes that underlie the rapid economic transformation ofEast Asian countries. We will mainly cover Japan and the newly industrializing economies, namelySingapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, but comparisons with China and other emergingeconomies such as Malaysia and Thailand will also be made. We will first introduce the salient featuresof the East Asian model of development and we will then analyze the pattern of political development,the relations between the state and other political actors, the development of administrative system, aswell as the impact of international relations and strategic factors on the domestic political and economicprocesses of these cases.POLI0013.Elections and representative democracy (6 credits)This course examines the relationship between various aspects of elections and representative democracy.Electoral systems, the electoral process, and the role of political parties, among other topics, will be studiedin relation to democratic principles and theories of representation. Examples will be drawn from both HongKong and other political systems.POLI0014.European politics (6 credits)This unit seeks to examine specific aspects of the remarkable changes taking place in both Eastern andWestern Europe. Students should consult the Department for further information on the unit since thecontent may vary from year to year.POLI0015.Ethics and public affairs (6 credits)This unit explores the relationship between moral philosophy and public administration. Three centralquestions are examined: (1) On what basis should limited resources in society be distributed? (2) Whatconstitutes moral conduct on the part of public officials? and (3) What is the proper balance betweengovernment's coercive authority and individual liberty?POLI0016.Gender and development (6 credits)This course introduces a gender dimension to the study of Third World politics. It traces thedevelopment of gender concerns in western development theory and practice in the past three decades,and explores in greater depth some of the key themes which arise from the situation of the developingworld today. These themes include colonialism and decolonization; nationalism; democratization;globalization and economic restructuring; as well as Hong Kong and international women’smovements.