A Radical History of Development Studies: Individuals, Institutions and Ideologies

In this thought-provoking collection, some of the leading thinkers in Development Studies come together to examine the history of their multi-disciplinary subject from its emergence during the era of decolonization half a century ago to its contemporary emphasis on poverty reduction. They combine personal and institutional reflections with an examination of key themes, including the intrusion into a subject traditionally dominated by Economics of social development considerations, gender awareness, and environmental concerns. They draw attention to those ongoing critiques of development studies, including Marxism and post-development discourse which have been so often marginalized in representations of the mainstream development discourse.

Uma Kothari is at the Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester.