Mirages of Development: Science and Technology for the Third Worlds

This work looks at the issues of development in terms that attack both the earlier idealism and the current mood of cynicism about the Third World. Salomon and Lebeau consider why the great majority of Third World countries have failed to solve the problems of underdevelopment by relying on science and technology, while a very few of them - the newly industrialised countries - have at least partially succeeded. Opposed to the smug optimism of scientific enthusiasts (though equally opposed to the dismal prophecies of others), the authors argue that, while technological advances may speed the process of modernisation in isolated instances, they cannot induce the social transformations that are a prerequisite of development.
Scientific research and technological innovation can be effective, they conclude, only where social structures, institutions and habits have first eliminated the "blocking factors" that are characteristic of traditional societies. It is also essential to recognise that less advanced technologies still have much to contribute to improving productivity and living standards and should not be neglected in the search for solutions.

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French