Post Development and Critical Modernism

CPDS 5331: Development Studies3rd Seminar(November 24, 2013)

A radical reaction to the existing notion of development

Post 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 Post-structural theorists, Post-colonialists, Dependency theorists and Feminists, Post-Development seeks for alternative to development.

Practical Observation:

Growing Inequality between the Global North and the Global South.

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 people living in the poorest countries; in 1973 the figure was 44 to 1; and in 1997 the ratio was 74 to 1 (UNDP, 1999:36-38).

Deconstruction DiscoursePhenomenology/ontology(Derrida) (Foucault) (Husserl/Heidegger)

Post-Structuralism Post-Colonialism Dependency Feminist Theory

Post Development Critical Modernism

Theoretical Underpinnings

Post-structuralism Vs Structuralism

Structuralism Post-structuralismTranscendent systems governs individual life or events (Transcendental I governing to empirical i)

Individual life or event has its own intrinsic value and therefore it is important in its own rights

Development as a means of emancipation

Development as a strategy of modern power and social control

Development as a universal quest for modern science and technology

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

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-modernism attacks the central tenets of modernism: accuracy, reason and truth

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-StructuralismThere 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

Knowledge Power

Truth

Discourse

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:

Unequal relationship between the third world and the first world is like that of metropolis and its satellite

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.

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 is outdated

It “stinks” (Esteva 1985)

It is ‘like a ruin’ that causes corruption, disappointment and crime (Sach 1992b: 2)

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).

How do you respond to the post-development 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 IgnoresFrom Post-structuralism

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.

A functional civil society can bridge the state and people by bringing their issues to the fore via social movement

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).

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) perceiving the gravity of issue;2) some sort of affinity to the issue; 3) issue relating to their own lives;4) social, cultural and spatial issue and; 5) 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!!!!