CPDS 5331: Development Studies
3rd Seminar
(November 24, 2013)
Post Development and Critical
Modernism
Post Development
 A radical reaction to the existing notion of development
 Post-development theories argue that existing Western
model of development, instead of bringing about positive
change, has exacerbated poverty and thus has widened the
gap between the so-called first and third-world countries.
 In reference to the failure of development policies and
practices and also based on the criticism offered by the Poststructural theorists, Post-colonialists, Dependency theorists
and Feminists, Post-Development seeks for alternative to
development.
Practical Observation:
In 1960 the 20% of the world’s
people living in the richest
countries had 30 times the
income of the of the world’s
Growing Inequality between people living in the poorest
the Global North and the countries; in 1973 the figure was
Global South.
44 to 1; and in 1997 the ratio
was 74 to 1 (UNDP, 1999:36-38).
Theoretical Underpinnings
Post Development
Critical Modernism
Post-Structuralism Post-Colonialism Dependency
Deconstruction
(Derrida)
Discourse
(Foucault)
Phenomenology/ontology
(Husserl/Heidegger)
Feminist Theory
Post-structuralism Vs Structuralism
Structuralism
Transcendent systems
governs individual life or
events (Transcendental I
governing to empirical i)
Development as a means of
emancipation
Development as a universal
quest for modern science
and technology
Post-structuralism
Individual life or event has its
own intrinsic value and
therefore it is important in its
own rights
Development as a strategy of
modern power and social
control
Development agenda are
specific to local needs and
therefore they vary.
Post-structuralism Vs Structuralism
 Structuralism
is developed by the
linguists
 Language – a set of signs organized
in a definite structure; therefore
language can be objectively examined
 Like
language society also can be
objectively examined in terms of its
structure
 Patriarchy,
caste-system, religion,
monarchy… etc. the foundation of
social structure
Structuralism
Development is therefore
restructuring of society !!!
Post-Structuralism
 Post-modernism attacks the
central tenets of modernism:
accuracy, reason and truth
 There is no direct linkage
between particular words or
sign and the meaning that it
supposedly holds on.
 Meaning is not governed
by the structure of language
but the context.
Post-Structuralism
Reality as such could be but an illusion. We are leaving with
hyper-reality mediated by mass-media.
- Jean Baudrillard
Notions of objectivity, rationality, truth or reality are inherently
wrong. There is no direct link between reality and mind; so
things as they are and the things that we perceive are totally
different
- Jacques Derrida
Post-Structuralism
Human as a being is not purely an objective entity; s/he has a
great subjective part as well which needs to be taken into
account. The existing notion of rationality, despite its claim as
a scientific idea cannot observe the subjective part of human
being and human society. Each individual and events are
unique, they can be understood only through abstract
theorizing in terms of culture and surrounding environment.
- Husserl and Heidegger
Post-Structuralism
There is no universal truth as such; it
is the construction of power. Truth,
knowledge
and
power
are
interrelated to each other. It is
through the discourse that every
society can generate knowledge and
consequently gain power which can
further establish a new sort of truth.
Every society has its truth; that
should be observed in terms of
spatial-temporal dimension.
- Michel Foucault
Post-Structuralism
Each individual is unique; society is plural; there is no rational or
irrational as such. Therefore the idea of modernism and its
development notion is wrong. Instead, it is a strategy of the West
to normalize the rest of the world and maintain control over it.
Post-colonialism
 A radical rethinking of knowledge and social identities
authored and authorized by colonialism and Western
domination
Gyan Prakash (1984)
 It deals with how the West produced and defined the realities
about the colonized countries
Post-colonialism
 The European culture produced the ‘orient’ via ‘mode of
discourse with supporting institutions, vocabulary, scholarship,
imaginary, doctrines, even colonial bureaucracies and colonial
styles
Edward Said (1979)
Imperial notion of western development ignores the
substantive economy of the native people and tries to
problematize poverty of so-called Third-World for its own
benefits. Poverty rather lies in the eyes of beholder
Shiva (1988)
Feminists
Rationality is defined in terms of maleness. Whenever the
Westerners talked about ‘human ideals’ they were actually
talking about the ideals of manhood’. They interpret male as
rational and female as emotional and thus push female out of
the development discourse.
Dependency Theory:
Contact with Europe may indeed bring modernization to
some people in the societies in the third world, but that
modernity arrives bearing the price of exploitation
The Western notion of development, instead of
enhancing economic growth pushed the so-called third
world countries into the periphery and created
underdevelopment.
Unequal relationship between the third world and the first
world is like that of metropolis and its satellite
Detachment from the first world –only the solution for
development
Post-development
Based on these criticism, post-development therefore
argues to reject the notion of development because :
it is destructive rather than generative; it is precisely the
problem rather than the solution (Pett and Hartweek 2009).
It is based on the Western notion of rationality and thus
treats rest of the people as irrational and savage. WEST VS THE
REST OR EUROPEANS VS THE NONSENSE.
It is a hegemonic global imagination of the West.
It does not work – it is guided by the top-down, ethnocentric
and technocratic approach which treats people and cultures as
abstract concept (Escobar 1995).
It is outdated
It “stinks” (Esteva 1985)
It is ‘like a ruin’ that causes corruption, disappointment and
crime (Sach 1992b: 2)
How do you respond to the postdevelopment in the context of Nepal?
Do you think that the notion of
development should be rejected?
Critical Modernism says:
NO!
We should leave with MODERNISM
constantly challenging and changing it.
Critical Modernism
A proposition that bridges uncritical modernism and
highly critical postmodernism
Instead of abandoning the concept of development,
critical modernism seeks to transform development.
Development should focus on social use of economic
progress (Peet &Hartwick 2009)
It borrows ideas from Post-structuralism, Feminism,
Marxism and even Modernism however it tries to
maintain balance by ignoring the extremes
Critical Modernism
Theories/approach
Accepts
Ignores
From Poststructuralism
Concept of
decentralization
and social
movement
- Society can be
represented in
terms of text/word:
“you change the
word and the world
will change itself”
From Modernism
Science and
technology
Profit oriented
capitalism
From Marxism
State should take
a lead
Authoritarian state
Critical Modernism
 Democracy and development are inter-related to
each other
 “Development as a social transformation on behalf
of the world’s poor people is democratic in intent and
effect... development is equality and only equality will
allow democracy to occur” (Peet and Hartwick, 2009:
282).
 Democracy not in a traditional sense of limited
electoral system; but it should be radical in a sense that
people particularly from the margin of social structure
must have the opportunity to actively take part in a
decision making process
Radical Democracy
For this to happen
focus should be shifted from economic growth to equal
income distribution. Social model of economy would be the
better alternatives.
social welfare, not the profit making, should be the focus
of development.
combating poverty should be the core ethics of
development
production should meet the need of the poor; therefore
a careful consideration should be given during the planning
process before any action are taken
Radical Democracy
For this to happen
people should be able to manage the institution
themselves.
economic growth should enhance the productive
capacity of people
means of production have to be collectively owned as in
cooperatives to overcome inequality of income and power.
Social Movement
 democracy, to be a successful political system, requires
active participation from people.
 Horizontal Participation vs Vertical Participation:
Linkage between likeminded people at local, national and
international level Vs participation in the state-created
spaces (Thompson & Tapscott: 2010).
 A functional civil society can bridge the state and
people by bringing their issues to the fore via social
movement
Social Movement
 Social Movement : “a network of informal interactions
between a plurality of individuals, groups and /or
organizations engaged in political or cultural conflict on
the basis of shared collective identity” (Diani 2002:165).
 Issue based movement where people voluntarily take
part: Exclusion, marginalization and human rights have
been the major issues raised by social movement.
Old Social Movement Vs New Social Movement: Citizen
rights movement Vs ensuring rights as provisioned by
constitutions.
Social Movement
According to Peet and Hartwick (2009), people involve in
social movement at least in five ways:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
perceiving the gravity of issue;
some sort of affinity to the issue;
issue relating to their own lives;
social, cultural and spatial issue and;
political solidarity.
Social Movement
Issues can be:
-
As local as against witchery/sorcery practices in a
remote part of Nepal
-
National : educating girls
-
International/global: climate change; terror of small
weapons and WMD (weapons of mass destruction)
Social Movement
New Social Movement Vs Old Social Movement
-
Old social Movement: waged by the political left;
trade union organization
-
New: Civil society/NGOs :Beyond party politics
-
NSM assumes that the real power is vested not in the
governmental authority but in the ability of people;
therefore people should be empowered to succeed
democracy and achieve development goals in a real
sense.
-
Anything you would like to add?
-
Any concern, clarification or comments????
Thank you very much for
bearing with me!!!!