Agency & Development - Do Individuals Matter?

Managerialist approaches have overt political objectives and impact on development processes. Highly technical project planning methodologies using rationalist, outcomes prediction techniques like logical framework analysis create external control of complex social situations.

It's tempting to see developmentalism as an ideology impsed by a select number of insitututions based in the North. However, development ideology is remarkable for the way in which it is transitted, reinforced and implemented in practice by thousands of development institutions around the globe.

The celebratory narrative of development's successes in the 1990s was characterised by an undercurrent of disquiet. In the face of increasing inequality and disempowerment of the supposed 'beneficiaries' of development, the very architecture came under sustained attack by 'post-development' theorists.

"Community Development" is a central trope of developmentalism. How does this relate to the individual, and can the individual only realise 'development' through the collective of 'community'? PlanetWorka explores how the notion of community development relates to the governmentality interests of the state and NGOs.

Whereas in previous development decades states were the focus of development effort, the emerging neoliberal ideology of the 1990s sought to 'depoliticise' development and constrain the power of the nation state in development. As an alternative, civil society in the form of NGOs and international organisations were conferred increasing status and power. Planteworka explores the impact of this shift on the state.

By the late 20th century development was experiencing a crisis. Although overall wellbeing of the world's population was improving, so too was inequality and poverty. A new approach was needed and powerful thinkers and institutions started to promote people centred development. Planetworka explores the tensions and dynamics of this shift.

The historical shifts in approaches to international in the 20th century are important for understanding contemporary development discourse, and the power of development institutions in the current landscape. Planetworka explores the key historical factors and the emergence of 'developmentalism' that have fundametally shaped how NGOs approach development in their work.

An introduction to the podcast series on human agency and international development practice. How important are words and concepts for understanding why development organisations and practitioners behave the way they do? Very important, it turns out. In this episode planetworka introduces some of the issues and language to be explored in this podcast series.