Heloise Weber - Böcker

This is an innovative and insightful approach to the global politics of development. The authors challenge conventional perspectives of, and approaches to, development and offer alternative accounts of the politics of development from the perspective of non-state centred and non-state centric approaches. The authors offer critical reinterpretations of historical experiences of development processes and together with insightful analysis of contemporary development strategies this is a genuinely new perspective on the global politics of development. Moreover, in moving beyond more ‘economistic’ approaches to development this book seeks to uncover the complexity of development in ways that account for social relations of power and identity. The authors successfully demonstrate the transdisciplinary nature of the politics of development in their respective engagement with political theory, anthropological and sociological perspectives in ways that provide an overall integrated approach to the politics of recognition and redistribution in development. In contrast to globalisation calling into question the idea and practices of international development, this study situates the question of the politics of the ‘international’ within a broader historical context of global social relations of power and dispossession, and their impact on states, regions and cultures. In framing the project as whole through the concepts of recognition and redistribution, this is a genuine effort to ‘rethink development’. It is timely in an era of global politics and globalisation wherein both issues of identity and struggles over development challenge us to re-rethink disciplinary boundaries.

The history of development is one marked by insecurities, violence, and persistent conflict. It is not surprising, therefore, that development is now thought of as one of the central challenges of world politics. However, its complexities are often overlooked in scholarly analysis and among policy practitioners, who tend to adopt a technocratic approach to the crisis of development and violence.This book brings together a wide range of contributions aimed at investigating different aspects of the history of development and violence, and its implications for contemporary efforts to consolidate the development-security nexus. From environmental concerns, through vigilante citizenship, to the legacies of armed conflicts during and after decolonization, the different chapters reconstruct the contradictory history of development and critically engage contemporary responses and their implications for social and political analyses.In examining violence and insecurity in relation to core organising principles of world politics the contributors engage the problems associated with the nation state and the inter-state system and underlying assumptions of the promises of progress. The book offers a range of perspectives on the contradictions of development, and on how domination, violence and resistance have been conceived. At the same time it exemplifies the relevance of alternative methodological and conceptual approaches to contemporary challenges of development.This book was published as a special issue of Third World Quarterly.

The history of development is one marked by insecurities, violence, and persistent conflict. It is not surprising, therefore, that development is now thought of as one of the central challenges of world politics. However, its complexities are often overlooked in scholarly analysis and among policy practitioners, who tend to adopt a technocratic approach to the crisis of development and violence.This book brings together a wide range of contributions aimed at investigating different aspects of the history of development and violence, and its implications for contemporary efforts to consolidate the development-security nexus. From environmental concerns, through vigilante citizenship, to the legacies of armed conflicts during and after decolonization, the different chapters reconstruct the contradictory history of development and critically engage contemporary responses and their implications for social and political analyses.In examining violence and insecurity in relation to core organising principles of world politics the contributors engage the problems associated with the nation state and the inter-state system and underlying assumptions of the promises of progress. The book offers a range of perspectives on the contradictions of development, and on how domination, violence and resistance have been conceived. At the same time it exemplifies the relevance of alternative methodological and conceptual approaches to contemporary challenges of development.This book was published as a special issue of Third World Quarterly.

This is an innovative and insightful approach to the global politics of development. The authors challenge conventional perspectives of, and approaches to, development and offer alternative accounts of the politics of development from the perspective of non-state centred and non-state centric approaches. The authors offer critical reinterpretations of historical experiences of development processes and together with insightful analysis of contemporary development strategies this is a genuinely new perspective on the global politics of development. Moreover, in moving beyond more ‘economistic’ approaches to development this book seeks to uncover the complexity of development in ways that account for social relations of power and identity. The authors successfully demonstrate the transdisciplinary nature of the politics of development in their respective engagement with political theory, anthropological and sociological perspectives in ways that provide an overall integrated approach to the politics of recognition and redistribution in development. In contrast to globalisation calling into question the idea and practices of international development, this study situates the question of the politics of the ‘international’ within a broader historical context of global social relations of power and dispossession, and their impact on states, regions and cultures. In framing the project as whole through the concepts of recognition and redistribution, this is a genuine effort to ‘rethink development’. It is timely in an era of global politics and globalisation wherein both issues of identity and struggles over development challenge us to re-rethink disciplinary boundaries.

A systematic reassessment, by two leading figures in the field, of the paradigm of international development in both theory and practice. It offers an overview and critique of development theory and strategy, and a new framework for the analysis of global inequality, poverty and development in an era of globalization.