Development In Theory And Practice

As wealthy countries focus more attention on the ravages of poverty and maldistribution of the world's resources, the rationales for what is or is not done in the name of ?development? have become more elaborate and abstract. And as the literature has proliferated, communication among those who approach development from different perspectives, disciplines, and professions has become more strained. In this innovative text, Jan Black argues that what is missing is ?appropriate theory? that can help place the findings of social scientists and seasoned development practitioners at the service of those who would promote a more equitable and empowering approach to development.In the first section, the author presents the differing and even contradictory definitions of development and the various explanatory models and means of measurement associated with them. This is followed by an analysis of the evolution of development strategies and programs both of the First World?donor countries and organizations?and of Third World leaders, movements, and regional organizations. The author highlights key issues in the development debate of the 1990s, including ecology, refugees, debt, the informal sector, and gender roles. In a final section, she addresses the process of development and illustrates, through a number of vignettes and case studies, the sometimes illusory links between motives and consequences. The second edition includes more paradoxes and case studies and increased coverage of refugees and indigenous peoples. More information on the new states in post-Soviet East and Central Europe is also incorporated.At a time when theoreticians and practitioners appear to occupy different worlds and speak different languages, and when a large number of developing countries seem to be falling into an irreversible cycle of debt and dependency, this book is particularly welcome and compelling.

Jan Knippers Black

* Introduction: In Pursuit of Appropriate Theory Development In Theory: Meanings And Models * Defining Development and Its Nemesis * Explaining Development: Theories and Models * Measurements and Findings Development In Practice: Actors and Strategies * Donor Strategies and Programs * Third World Strategies * Political Counterparts and Consequences Development in Focus: Contemporary Issues and Themes * Development and the Gender Gap * The Fragile Economy of Mother Earth * Food Insecurity: Cocaine and Other Cash Crops * The Homeless, the Stateless, and the Indigenous * Macrodebt and Microcredit The Process and the Protagonists: Paradoxes of Development * The Process: Games Developers Play * The Protagonists: Donors, Clients, and Field Agents * On Motives and Consequences * Conclusion: Leaning on the Limits