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The Fiction of Development: Literary Representation as a Source of Authoritative Knowledge

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  • David Lewis
  • Dennis Rodgers
  • Michael Woolcock

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • David Lewis & Dennis Rodgers & Michael Woolcock, 2008. "The Fiction of Development: Literary Representation as a Source of Authoritative Knowledge," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(2), pages 198-216.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:44:y:2008:i:2:p:198-216
    DOI: 10.1080/00220380701789828
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Deepa Narayan & Patti Petesch, 2002. "Voices of the Poor : From Many Lands," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 14053, December.
    2. World Bank, 2000. "Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 22962, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Polly Stupples, 2014. "Creative contributions: The role of the arts and the cultural sector in development," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 14(2), pages 115-130, April.
    2. Deval Desai & Mareike Schomerus, 2018. "‘There Was A Third Man…’: Tales from a Global Policy Consultation on Indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 49(1), pages 89-115, January.
    3. David Beer, 2014. "Hip-Hop as Urban and Regional Research: Encountering an Insider's Ethnography of City Life," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(2), pages 677-685, March.
    4. David Lewis & Dennis Rodgers & Michael Woolcock, 2013. "The Projection of Development: Cinematic Representation as A(nother) Source of Authoritative Knowledge?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(3), pages 383-397, March.
    5. David Lempert, 2014. "Popular Fiction and Development Studies," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 30(4), pages 389-414, December.
    6. Alfred Ndi, 2011. "Why Liberal Capitalism Has Failed to Stimulate a Democratic Culture in Africa," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 27(2), pages 177-200, June.
    7. Martine Buser & Christian Koch, 2014. "Tales of the Suburbs?—The Social Sustainability Agenda in Sweden through Literary Accounts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-22, February.
    8. Amrita Chhachhi & Alaka M. Basu, 2014. "Demography for the Public: Literary Representations of Population Research and Policy," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 45(5), pages 813-837, September.
    9. Lucy Hewitt & Stephen Graham, 2015. "Vertical cities: Representations of urban verticality in 20th-century science fiction literature," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(5), pages 923-937, April.

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