Development

Definitions and Interpretations

Development according to Michael Todaro

Development is not purely an economic phenomenon but rather a multi-dimensional process involving reorganization and reorientation of entire economic social system Development is process of improving the quality of all human lives by raising living levels, creating social political and economic systems and increasing peoples freedom to choose.

Development as defined by Amartya Sen

Development consists of the removal of various types of un-freedom that leave people with little opportunity of exercising their reasoned agency. Development can be seen as a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy the expansion of the capabilities of persons to lead the kind of lives they value and have reason to value

Development as Modernization
It is a process of social change which is required to produce economic advancement; examines changes in social, psychological and political processes; How to develop wealth oriented behavior and values in individuals; profit seeking rather than subsistence and self sufficiency Shift from commodity to human approach with investment in education and skill training

Development as distributive justice

Development improving needs and addressing issues such as1. Nature of goods and services provided by governments 2. Matter of access of these public goods to different social classes 3. How burden of development can be shared among these classes

Target groups include small farmers, landless, urban under-employed and unemployed

Development according to Marxist philosophy

Marxist notion of development emphasizes mode of production - elements and activities necessary to produce and reproduce real, material life. Capitalist (market economy) mode depends on wage labor whose labor power produces a surplus which is accumulated and appropriated by the employer-result is often class conflict in capitalist societies.

Neo-colonial view of Development

Outgrowth of Marxist thinking-Dos Santos Existence of underdevelopment due to historical evolution of an unequal international capitalist system of rich country-poor country relations Sets up center (developed countries) versus periphery (developing countries) contrast Moreover certain elites in the developing world (eg landlords, entrepreneurs, merchants) enjoy high incomes, social status and political power and thus perpetuate inequality and conformity and are rewarded They serve international power groups such as multinational firms, assistance agencies (World Bank) and other agents

Multiple interpretations of Development

Development as a long-term process of structural societal transformation

Development is viewed as structural transformation and long-term transformations of economies and societies It involves changes to socio-economic structures including ownership, organization of production, technology, the institutional structure and laws. This is by far, the most widely accepted conventional definition of development

Development as a dominant discourse of Western modernity

Development as a change and outcome of imposition of Western model of development on the Third World. This model is a top-down, ethnocentric technocratic approach, which treated people and cultures as abstract concept, statistical figures to be moved up and down in charts of progress. This is the recent Post-Modern notion of development, in which development does not exist in objective sense outside this discourse.

Development as a short- to medium-term outcome of desirable targets

Development is seen as occurring in terms of a set of short- to medium-term performance indicators goals or outcomes. This is focused more on outcomes of change than change itself with development seen as a short term quick fix solution to socio economic problems like poverty, hunger etc

Thank You