LectureLecture

GEOG 335GEOG 335

Fall 2007Fall 2007

Dec. 6, 2007Dec. 6, 2007

GEOG 335GEOG 335

Geographies of Geographies of International International DevelopmentDevelopment

““You’ve come a long way, You’ve come a long way, baby!”baby!”

Course Subtext: DilemmasCourse Subtext: Dilemmas

Amidst critiques of development,Amidst critiques of development,

in the face of “anti-development” in the face of “anti-development” arguments,arguments,

what is our response?what is our response?

How dare we assume we should intervene?How dare we assume we should intervene?

How dare we assume we shouldn’t?How dare we assume we shouldn’t?

Background to the Background to the Development ProjectDevelopment Project

““What is Development” What is Development” RevisitedRevisited

►The The Third WorldThird World is hard to is hard to define in a manner that all define in a manner that all can agree upon.can agree upon.

►DevelopmentDevelopment is also difficult, is also difficult, if not impossible, to define if not impossible, to define satisfactorilysatisfactorily

DDevelopment/evelopment/ddevelopmentevelopment

►“…‘“…‘big D’ Development [can be] big D’ Development [can be] defined as a post-second world war defined as a post-second world war project of intervention in the ‘third world’ project of intervention in the ‘third world’ that emerged in the context of that emerged in the context of decolonization and the cold war, anddecolonization and the cold war, and

►‘‘little d’ development [as] the little d’ development [as] the development of capitalism as a development of capitalism as a geographically uneven, profoundly geographically uneven, profoundly contradictory set of historical processes.”contradictory set of historical processes.”

(Hart, 2001: 650, quoted in Lawson 2006: 3)(Hart, 2001: 650, quoted in Lawson 2006: 3)

What is Development?What is Development?

We know it has to do with change, with We know it has to do with change, with improving people’s lives.improving people’s lives.

Development actors/subjectsDevelopment actors/subjects

► Who has Development Who has Development “done” to them? “done” to them? (Development Subjects)(Development Subjects)

► Who “does” Development? Who “does” Development? (Development Actors)(Development Actors)

Colonial ImperialismColonial Imperialism

• Slave trade

• Resource extraction

• Destruction of nations & communities

•Political chaos

• Impoverishment

Emergence of the Modern Emergence of the Modern Development ProjectDevelopment Project

Truman’s 1949 Inaugural Truman’s 1949 Inaugural AddressAddress

Theoretical UnderpinningsTheoretical Underpinnings

► Modernization TheoryModernization Theory► Dependency TheoryDependency Theory► Neo-liberalismNeo-liberalism► KeynesianismKeynesianism► Anti-development (Escobar)Anti-development (Escobar)► DiscourseDiscourse

Other IssuesOther Issues

► Measurements of DevelopmentMeasurements of Development MDGs, MDGs, GDP, GDP, Inequality, Inequality, HappinessHappiness

►Debt Crisis, Debt ReliefDebt Crisis, Debt Relief

Interventions, Scales, Interventions, Scales, ApproachesApproaches

► Participatory DevelopmentParticipatory Development► WID/WAD/GADWID/WAD/GAD► Governance and LawGovernance and Law► Single intervention (e.g., safe Single intervention (e.g., safe

water)water)► EducationEducation► “ “Radical Politics” Radical Politics” (Hickey & Mohan)(Hickey & Mohan)

Social change, equity, empowerment, political Social change, equity, empowerment, political participation for the marginalizedparticipation for the marginalized

Guest SpeakersGuest Speakers

Dr. Steve ArnoldAmerican University (retired)Evans School – UW (retired)

Dr. Craig JeffreyDepartment of Geography (UW)

Ms. Shana GreeneExec. Director, Village Volunteers

(Seattle)

Mr. Daniel RatengMama na Dada Africa(Guest of Village Volunteers)

Mr. David Bledsoe, J.D., LL.M.Senior Attorney, Rural Development Institute (Seattle)

Ms. Maureen HickeyDepartment of Geography, UW

Mr. Robert CathermanCo-founder, Director of Safe Water

Program, MEDRIX (Seattle)

Your Response to the Guest Your Response to the Guest Speakers?Speakers?

► Effectiveness of his/her work or Effectiveness of his/her work or scholarship?scholarship?

► Usefulness of his/her approach?Usefulness of his/her approach? How many people can they reach? Can they How many people can they reach? Can they

scale up? Is their effect positive or negative?scale up? Is their effect positive or negative?

► Can you identify a theoretical position?Can you identify a theoretical position?► What are the major problems in their work? What are the major problems in their work?

Are these outweighed by the benefits?Are these outweighed by the benefits?► Would you a) donate to, or b) work for Would you a) donate to, or b) work for

them?them?

Mirror, mirror…Mirror, mirror…

What do your responses to each What do your responses to each guest speaker say about guest speaker say about youyou??

There is much to be done…There is much to be done…

A balance-sheet of development and human well-being shows achievements and deficits. Power

and poverty are polarized at the extremes, with a global overclass and a global underclass…

…opportunities exist to make a difference for the better. The challenge is personal, professional and institutional, to frame a practical paradigm for knowing and acting, and changing how we

know and act, in a flux of uncertainty and change.

Chambers, Whose Reality Counts?, p.1.

Power of a Personal Power of a Personal ResponseResponse

► It starts with your values, your It starts with your values, your approaches to approaches to lifelife and to the and to the world.world. What will you do with your life? Will the What will you do with your life? Will the

world be a better place for your having world be a better place for your having been here?been here?

What is your sense of the What is your sense of the interconnectedness of things in the world?interconnectedness of things in the world?

Where does your responsibility lie?Where does your responsibility lie?

My challenge to you:My challenge to you:

What will you do What will you do next?next?

(I mean, (I mean, afterafter finals.) finals.)