Development Studies: Nature and Scope Overview
This content delves into the origins and scope of development studies, covering key topics like the varied meanings of development and the humanist view thereof. It offers insights into the evolution of development science and its distinction from development economics, along with a recommended reading list for further exploration.
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UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENT: MEANINGS AND SCOPE Lecturer: Dr. Maame Adwoa A. Gyekye-Jandoh Contact Information: mgyekyej@yahoo.com College of Education School of Continuing and Distance Education 2014/2015 2016/2017
Session Overview Overview This introductory session is very important because it provides the foundation for the study of the other sessions. In this session, you will become familiar with the varied meanings of development, the broad scope of the discipline of development studies, and the problems associated with defining development and actually trying to achieve development. It is important in this session to understand that different scholars and different schools of thought offer different meanings or definitions of development. Slide 2
Session Outline The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows: Topic One: The Nature of Development Studies Topic Two: The Varied Meanings of Development Topic Three: The Humanist View of Development Slide 3
Reading List Chapter 1 of Recommended Text Todaro and Smith (2012), Economic Development Denis Goulet (1992), Development: Creator and Destroyer of Values Coralie Bryant and Louise White (1982), Redefining Development Slide 4
Topic One THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES Slide 5
The Nature of Development Studies Development Studies is about the study of change in developing countries. It is said to be a discipline that has its origins in Great Britain, and is a leftover from the old field of colonial economics, which focused on how to run a colony There are competing arguments about when development studies began. Interestingly, military historians, for example, tend to think that it all started with the Marshall Plan in 1947 when the United States led the way for the postwar recovery of Europe. Other historians sometimes put the date at 1961, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy started the Alliance for Progress and the Peace Corps. Slide 6
Sample Questions Despite the above competing arguments about when development studies began, most scholars admit that development science as a science only emerged in the mid-1990s What is the difference between development economics and development science? Development economics is mostly a hard- core, quantitative (mostly based on statistical data) discipline, whereas development studies is mostly a theoretical, soul-searching endeavor with real life implications or results. What are two key words that capture what development studies is mainly about? Slide 7
The Nature of Development Studies continued Since the 1950s two major paradigms emerged first within the field of development studies, and they have continued to dominate the field. The first was modernization theory, supported by many scholars, such as Parsons (1951); Rostow (1952); Almond (1970); Bernstein (1971); Higgot (1980); and Charlton and Andras (2003). This simply promoted the idea that lesser developed countries should follow the models of developed countries in terms of their politics, economics, and values. Slide 8
The Nature of Development Studies (contd.) The second major paradigm was the dependency theory, which challenged the modernization theory Supported by scholars such as Prebisch (1959);Frank (1966); Galtung (1971); Wallerstein (1974); Duvall (1978); and Ritzer (2007). It expressed the idea that the global spread of capitalism worsens the unequal and ongoing pattern of dependency by third world nations on useless commodities, technology, and media control from the first world. Slide 9
The field of Development Studies Note The field of development studies still has to achieve two important tasks. First, an adequate conceptualization of (defining, clarifying) the development process, and Second, completely develop the tools which can be practically used for realizing development in real life countries. State the the arguments of the two major paradigms that have dominated the field of development studies for many decades in your own words. Slide 10
Topic Two THE VARIED MEANINGS OF DEVELOPMENT Slide 11
The Varied Meanings of Development Definitions of Development Development defined as equal to modernization (Parsons 1951; Rostow 1952), where a country experiences high rates of economic growth and industrialization. Coralie Bryant and Louise White (1982) assert that development implies the need to make choices about goals for achieving what Mahatma Ghandi called the realization of the human potential. Development is about action, creating and implementing projects and programs to bring about visible and significant change in people s lives. Development means increasing the capacity of people to influence their future Coralie Bryant and Louise White (1982). Development as a multi-dimensional process that involves major changes in social structures, popular attitudes, and national institutions, as well as economic growth, reduction of inequality, and eradication of absolute poverty Todaro (2000); Todaro and Smith (2012). Q: Mention and explain three major elements of Bryant and White s definition of development. Slide 12
The Varied Meanings of Development Since the 1980s, there has been a significant move in the field of Development Studies, from a narrow conception of development to a more broadened conception of development. The increasingly more popular conception of development is one which encompasses not only economic growth, but also capacity, equity, and empowerment Bryant and White (1982). The broadened meaning of development also means that sustainable development is to be desired. Sustainable Development simply means a long-range concern for the future or the survival of people worldwide, not just seeking to achieve change for the betterment of people s lives but maintaining this change. Slide 13
Topic Three THE HUMANIST PERSPECTIVE OF DEVELOPMENT Slide 14
The Humanist View of Development Michael Todaro (2000) 3 core values of development: life- sustenance has to do with people s ability to come by the basic necessities of life; self-esteem has to do with the ability to be a person; while freedom from servitude is the ability to choose a better life, securing the freedom of a better material life and freedom from social servitude. Note further that under this view, development is essentially regarded as liberation from poverty and from a stunted view of self. Goulet (1992) defines development as a qualitative improvement in any society s provision of life-sustaining goods, esteem, and freedom to all its citizens. Slide 15
The Humanist View of Development Dennis Goulet has two main arguments that fall within the humanist perspective. 1.There are social, cultural, ecological, and human costs of development. 2. Development is like a two-edged sword which brings advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: material and technological gains and new freedoms. Disadvantages: injustices, destroys cultures and the environment, and brings generalized frustrations to some people. Growth is often irresponsible, destructive, inequitable in its distribution, and often makes the lot of the poor worse. Slide 16
The Humanist View of Development Goulet argues that economic development is valuable only to the extent that it creates possibilities for human development. In other words, Goulet summarizes what the humanist view of development is essentially about: the development of the human being and his or her potential. Slide 17
Topic Four CONCLUSION OF SESSION ONE Slide 18
Conclusion of Session One In this session, you have been introduced to the meaning and scope of development and to the different meanings of development. You also learned about the more recent humanist view of development. The next session will introduce you to the Development Debate and the Relevance of Development Studies. Slide 19
References Todaro, Michael. 2000. Economic Development. England: Pearson Education Limited. Todaro, Michael and Stephen Smith. 2012. What Do We Mean by Development? in Economic Development. (11h edition). P. 14-25. England: Pearson Education Limited. Bryant, Coralie and Louise White. 1982. Redefining Development. In Managing Development in the Third World. Boulder, CO: Westview. Goulet, Denis. 1992. Development: Creator and Destroyer of Values. World Development. Vol. 20, No. 3, p. 467-475. Slide 20
