PLCP 2120

Overall, interesting and not-too-challenging class. There are a lot of readings which end up being redundant and sometimes miss the point, so these can be accomplished by skimming. Lectures are consistently relevant and interesting, but each can be summed up in a sentence or two. Grade is made up of a midterm (2 essay questions), a 10-page research paper (on any topic you choose), and a final (2 essay questions).

This class is so beyond boring due to the combination of the material, lectures, and being at 9 am. Prof. Fatton doesn't use a powerpoint so taking notes is a little difficult but if you can get good notes, you'll be fine

This class came highly recommended to me and I found it to be extraordinarily boring. Fatton is a brilliant and very insightful person, but I was almost always nodding off in class due to his presentation methods. There was no visual to follow as he lectured to a class of 300+ students, and I as hard as I tried to pay attention, I tended to lose track of what he was saying and had difficulty picking back up again. The midterm and final were essay questions, and there is a ten-page research paper on a topic of your choice.

This is a very interesting class and teaches a valuable perspective on global development and poverty. Fatton is a good lecturer with a few exceptions - he doesn't use a powerpoint and if you zone out for a bit it's hard to catch up. You will get used to his accent very quickly. He doesn't allow laptops so be prepared to take handwritten notes for 45 minutes straight. The class is largely based on the seven or so books he makes you buy, so it's expensive, but you can get away with skimming/not reading most of the assigned readings by taking good notes and participating in discussion. Theo Yakah was a great TA, but an A+ for him is a 93. Discussions are pretty much mandatory. Midterm and final are both two essays based on lectures and reading, and they weren't too bad. Research paper is worth 40% of grade and it can be easy and interesting or stressful depending on how much you put it off. Overall I'm very glad I took this class, even though it's not in a subject I'm super interested in.

This class is great. Lecture is completely useless (seriously, don't go), and the discussions tell you all you need to know. Paromita Sen is a good TA, pretty easy grader. The midterm and final are 4 questions to write on and you just pick 2, so focus on a couple of the readings, know them well, and the tests are easy. The paper kinda sucks but you can crank it out. I did basically no work all semester and made out with a B+.

Fatton is a slightly boring lecturer, but the course is easy. The readings are redundant and if you pay attention in lecture and discussion you can get a good grade in the class without reading. The 10 page paper is graded rather easily. The TA you have for this class is very important as well. Anand is awesome if you have a chance to take his discussion section.

Amazing professor, brilliant class that made me change the way I view the world. A must take for any major!!

Shit ton of assigned reading and books you are "required" to buy, but I did absolutely none of it. If you go to lecture that's good enough (which is pretty hard because its a 9 am). Fatton is a pretty cool guy and opens your eyes to a different perspective on developing nations, not the typical western view that most of us have. Class is not too difficult, but there is a huge research paper (well only 10 pages) on the topic of your choosing.

I really really enjoyed this course. Professor Fatton is extremely interesting and super knowledgable about the subject. This course introduced me to so many new concepts and ideas and was overall really great. The exams were not too challenging, and the majority of your grade comes from a research paper. Even if you're not particularly interested in global politics you should definitely take this class as a broad overview of the state of our world today.

Prof. Fatton is a great thinker of our time. Take his class if just for the unit on Haiti, where he grew up. This is a great class for anyone interested in development, politics, economics, and globalization. The grades consist of a midterm (graded really easily, I made a SIGNIFICANT factual error in one essay that was pointed out by my TA but still managed to get an A- on it, go figure), a final, and a 10 page paper on the topic of your choice (so it can be interesting if you make it so... just sucks a little if you take it in the fall because you need to write it - or at least start it - over Thanksgiving Break). The midterm and final are formatted like "here are 5 questions, answer 2" or something along those lines. Great Class! Anand was a good TA, recommended. Also, I never read anything.