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The fiction of development: knowledge, authority and representation

Author

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  • Lewis, David
  • Rodgers, Dennis
  • Woolcock, Michael

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 analyse 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, based on the fact that certain works of fiction are better than academic or policy research in representing central issues relating to development, that they also frequently reach a wider audience and are therefore more influential, and finally because the line between fact and fiction is a very fine one. The article finally provides a list of relevant works of fiction that we hope academics and practitioners will find both useful and enjoyable.

Suggested Citation

  • Lewis, David & Rodgers, Dennis & Woolcock, Michael, 2005. "The fiction of development: knowledge, authority and representation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 379, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:379
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/379/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Anthony Bebbington & Scott Guggenheim & Elizabeth Olson & Michael Woolcock, 2004. "Exploring Social Capital Debates at the World Bank," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 33-64.
    4. Pritchett, Lant & Woolcock, Michael, 2004. "Solutions When the Solution is the Problem: Arraying the Disarray in Development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 191-212, February.
    5. Roe, Emery M., 1991. "Development narratives, or making the best of blueprint development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 287-300, April.
    6. Deepa Narayan & Robert Chambers & Meera K. Shah & Patti Petesch, 2000. "Voices of the Poor : Crying Out for Change," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13848, December.
    7. Booth, David, 1985. "Marxism and development sociology: Interpreting the impasse," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 13(7), pages 761-787, July.
    8. Deepa Narayan & Patti Petesch, 2002. "Voices of the Poor : From Many Lands," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 14053, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Lewis & Paul Opoku-Mensah, 2006. "Moving forward research agendas on international NGOs: theory, agency and context," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(5), pages 665-675.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Development knowledge; representation; narrative authority; fiction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N0 - Economic History - - General

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