Deconstructing Development

93 Pages Posted: 16 Jun 2004

See all articles by Ruth E. Gordon

Ruth E. Gordon

Villanova University - Charles Widger School of Law

Jon H. Sylvester

Golden Gate University - School of Law

Abstract

Whether it is being praised or excoriated, defended or condemned, the concept of development shapes and dominates our thinking about the Third World. Indeed development has evolved into an essentially incontestable paradigm with such a hold on our collective imaginations, that it is almost impossible to think around or beyond it. This article, however, interrogates development to its very core, demonstrating that although it is presented as something that is universal, natural and inevitable, in truth it is part of the Western political and cultural imagination. Moreover, the interlocking ideological assumptions that support this paradigm are inherently hierarchical and by definition privilege certain societies, cultures and institutions while disparaging others. This critique traces how development began, how it has evolved and expanded in theory and practice over the last fifty years, and the evolution and influence of the institutions that determine its content. It also considers the implicit ideology that underpins development, as well as how and why it has come to feel almost inevitable and natural despite its short and disappointing history. While no new meta-narrative is posed, we nonetheless turn to imagining a world that does not demand that people 'develop' into something other than what they are.

Keywords: postmodernism, development, third world, developing countries, third world poverty, international financial institutions, world bank, IMF

Suggested Citation

Gordon, Ruth E. and Sylvester, Jon H., Deconstructing Development. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=555402

Ruth E. Gordon (Contact Author)

Villanova University - Charles Widger School of Law ( email )

299 N. Spring Mill Road
Villanova, PA 19085
United States

Jon H. Sylvester

Golden Gate University - School of Law ( email )

536 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States

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