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Development as practice in a liberal capitalist world

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  • Alan Thomas

    (Development Policy and Practice, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK)

Abstract

As we enter the 21st century, a dominant trend in development thinking makes it refer specifically to the practice of development agencies. However, to accept this as the main meaning of development would carry the dangers of losing the complexity and ambiguity of development, of underplaying the importance of vision and of historical process, and of limiting development to actions and policies aimed at reducing poverty in poor countries. It is important to challenge this restricted view of what development is. At the same time, the current prime importance of practice within the development field should be recognized and development practice should be taken more seriously from the point of view of theory building. Focused work on notions such as accountability, trusteeship and public action would help here, as would work on building up a tradition of critical practice analogous that in Organization Development. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Alan Thomas, 2000. "Development as practice in a liberal capitalist world," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(6), pages 773-787.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:12:y:2000:i:6:p:773-787
    DOI: 10.1002/1099-1328(200008)12:6<773::AID-JID716>3.0.CO;2-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Adrian Leftwich, 1994. "Governance, the State and the Politics of Development," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 25(2), pages 363-386, April.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Berger, Ida E. & O'Reilly, Norman & Parent, Milena M. & Séguin, Benoit & Hernandez, Tony, 2008. "Determinants of Sport Participation Among Canadian Adolescents," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 277-307, November.
    3. Dina Abbott & Suzanne Brown & Gordon Wilson, 2007. "Development management as reflective practice," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(2), pages 187-203.
    4. Peter T. Robbins & Ben Crow, 2007. "Engineering and development: interrogating concepts and practices," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(1), pages 75-82.
    5. Fenella Porter, 2012. "Negotiating gender equality in development organizations:The role of agency in the institutionalization of new norms and practices," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 12(4), pages 301-314, October.
    6. Mitlin, Diana & Hickey, Sam & Bebbington, Anthony, 2007. "Reclaiming Development? NGOs and the Challenge of Alternatives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1699-1720, October.

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