Peet and Hartwick- Theories of Development: Chapter 6: Post-structuralism, Post-colonialism

and Post-developmentalism Structuralism

o Position every historical event and place every social characteristic as a part of some overarching system

o Explaining something – putting it in its structureo Aim: systematic theory of social totalities, parts and

developmental dynamicso Baudrillard: Structural shift from mode of production to “code

of production” – signs and cultural codeso Human experience: simulated reality rather than reality itself

Structuralism Post-StructuralismTranscendent systems giving significance to the individual

Return of significance to the singular – something important not because of its role in grand schemes but for in and of itself

Uses Economic language to criticise capitalism (class system)

Cultural language to criticise modernity

Potential for human emancipation in development

Development: strategy of modern power and social control

Postmodern era: characterised by disillusionment in metanarratives (truth, emancipation, democracy, etc.)

Post-structural and postmodern theories try to look at the flaws in the modernist, rational thought.

Reason by post-Structuralists is viewed as:o Social control that acts through institutionso Rationalised socialisation (“responsible” behaviour)o Rational self-discipline (limiting one’s thoughts through self-

reflection) Systems of symbols cannot accurately reflect the real and separate

structures of truth Post-Structuralist thinking: Provide perspective of prejudiced thinker Derrida’s DECONSTRUCTION: reading a text in such a way that its

inconsistencies and weaknesses are revealed. Post-structuralism attacks reason, truth and accuracy Fragmented subject who is linguistically decentred.

Post-Enlightenment Critics Giovanni Battista Vico (1668–1744), who defended the irrational forces that

he thought created human nature and who favoured a more “common” sense rather than a thoughtfully rational sense.

Nietzsche believed that the modern world brought an impoverishment of experience to the degree that people no longer could find meaning or truth (Clark 1990: 1–3). Truth in the way it had come to be thought deprived life of meaning.

Empirical science’s inability to provide answers for normative evaluative (meaningful) questions, Husserl maintained, created a cultural crisis in modern life. For Husserl science as knowledge of the objectively real relegated what he called the “life-world” (the world as experienced in everyday prescientific activities) to the inferior status of a subjective appearance—less important than the “real” world.