MSc Social Development Practice (2021-22)

Welcome to the Bartlett Development Planning Unit and the MSc in Social Development Practice. The programme is designed to equip students with the practical skills and theoretical foundations for addressing the challenges and complexities of the field of Social Development. It explores processes of social change, mobilisation and development that can generate greater equity and wellbeing for people with diverse identities living in cities of the Global South. Recognising that unequal social relations are a product of unequal power relations, this programme explores different approaches through which populations gain access to rights, resources, and recognition.This programme builds on the increasing prominence of ‘people-centred’ approaches to international development, reflected in the policy priorities of major development organisations such as the UN, World Bank, bilateral agencies, national and local governments, global NGOs and grassroots organisations. People-centred approaches have the potential to counter-balance market-led processes of development, on the basis that economic growth alone is insufficient to address social inequities and promote well-being in the context of rapid urbanisation, diversity, and globalisation. Nonetheless, the programme adopts a critical approach to the analysis of ‘people-centred’ approaches, highlighting the challenges of recognising and valuing diverse identities and aspirations while simultaneously working towards universal principles of equity.