Under Development. Future Uncertain

This article introduces and explores issues regarding the question of what constitute valid forms of development knowledge, focusing in particular on the relationship between fictional writing on development and more formal academic and policy-oriented representations of development issues. We challenge certain conventional notions about the nature of knowledge, narrative authority and representational form, and explore these by comparing and contrasting selected works of recent literary fiction that touch on development issues with academic and policy-related representations of the development process, thereby demonstrating the value of taking literary perspectives on development seriously. We find that not only are certain works of fiction ‘better’ than academic or policy research in representing central issues relating to development but they also frequently reach a wider audience and are therefore more influential. Moreover, the line between fact and fiction is a very fine one, and there can be significant advantages to fictional writing over non-fiction. The article also provides an Appendix of relevant works of fiction that we hope academics and practitioners will find both useful and enjoyable.

2013

Description: vii, 129 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. Notes: University of Otago department: Geography Thesis (Postgraduate Diploma in Arts)--University of Otago, 2003. Includes bibliographical references.Introduction: This dissertation is concerned with investigating how development in the South(*) is being represented by New Zealand Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The term 'development' is a complex word with a long history. Development first came into the English language in the eighteenth century with a root sense of unfolding or growth (Watts, 2000). Since then it has become closely associated with Eurocentric ideas of progress, evolution and science (Bell, 1994, Watts, 2000). Although these ideas of progress, evolution and science are important this dissertation is more concerned with the idea of 'developing the South' which has more recent origins. Escobar (1995) traces its origins to the end of the Second World War when development theories and practices as bot...

This article refers to those processes of development that take place in concrete projects and programs. I understand these realms as a particular sphere of action that establishes ideologies and practices, which differ from the official development discourse. Here, development experts are not architects or masters of change protected by a secure and powerful institutional framework. To the contrary they are thrown into a stormy sea of cultural norms and identity constructions in flux, dynamical societies and even more so into polycentric currents of social, political and economical interests and power relations. Thus they become actors in a dynamic and controversial process we call development.

2010

This paper explores the implications of recent development trends and thinking, particularly related to complexity and ‘wicked’ problems, as well as the importance of local politics and equality in driving development processes. This includes asking some basic questions about what ‘external’ actors can really deliver and where their attentions might best be focused. We will argue that current approaches to aid and development need to fundamentally change if these issues are to be seriously addressed. This will require new ways of thinking about politics, and institutions as well as education and life-long learning. Drawing upon Oxfam’s experience and research we attempt to not only map out what some of this reconceptualisation might look like, but offer some practical examples of where, arguably, it is already happening.

Abstract: What is development? This question comes to the fore at the present age where continued calls for development and progress abound everywhere from the least developed countries to the more developed countries. However, the calls for development have been met with resistance as authors such as Escobar (1994) and Mehmet (1999) criticize the development apparatus as the harbinger of underdevelopment to the third world because of its status as a Western, Euro-American-centric, hegemonic construct that is dominating the third world. This article examines the notion of development as an ideology and the methods in which the development discourse has propagated itself to attain the hegemonic status that it now occupies in the social imaginary. This examination is part of the process of laying down the foundations of a philosophy of development akin to Schumacher’s (1975) meta-economics that seeks to purify development of its violent, ideological character in order to allow it to be the creative process that leads to true human flourishing. By starting from the premises of the development discourse itself and purifying it of its ideological character, this work hopes to lay out the possibility of re-encountering development in its true nature as a humanizing and creative process of society’s self-actualization. Key Words: Philosophy of Development, Discourse, Development

IDS Bulletin, 2011

The major global crises of the past four years-financial, fuel, food, climate-have collectively had a dramatic impact on people's lives and livelihoods. Have they also had a large impact on core ideas underlying mainstream development? Drawing on a number of Reimagining Development case studies and on a much wider literature, this article examines the impacts of the crises on lives and livelihoods and also on core development ideas. First the article sets out why the current time is a good one for reimagining. Then it highlights some of the new ideas that are emerging and some of the older ones that are making a reappearance. Finally, the article reflects on the challenges of reimagining development and processes that are important if new ideas are to make a difference.

Annals of the Association of American …, 2007