1. SSR2014: Basic concepts and issues in development
LECTURE 1: INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENT

2. Objectives To discuss the meaning and nature of development.
To explain development from the historical perspectives.
To discuss how to measure development.
To highlight the recent critics of development

3. What is meant by development?
Elements of development:
Focus
Levels
Objectives
Consequences
Development process :
– affected by many factors
Economic
Politic
Social
Cultural
Various definition of development – coined by economic philosophers, and used to explain market regulation, well-being and/or welfare of a country.

4. Think…
What is development?

5. The nature of development
Development as fundamental or structural change (e.g. increase in income).
Development as intervention and action – aimed at improvement.
Development as the platform for improvement (inc changes that will facilitate future development)

6. Appropriate Development?
Concept of “being appropriate” – concerned with ensuring that a development project/ program is of the correct scale & technical level, and culturally & socially suitable for its beneficiaries.
Doesn’t mean it has to be low-tech, cheap or basic!
Is appropriate if it’s acceptable to recipients, economically affordable & sustainable in the context in which it is executed.

7. Alternative interpretations of development
Positive (Good)
Brings economic growth & national progress
Provisions of basic needs (education, housing, healthcare)
Better form of governance (inclusive, transparent, bottom up
Sustainable development
Negative (Bad)
Occurrence of inequalities between regions, countries & people (relative poverty)
Associated with dependency of poor countries on richer nations – in terms of economic, social, political and cultural subordination

8. Development??
Dependent on government policies, and/or implementing agencies.
Was seen to be based on Western mould
Then: because of colonialism and imperialism - land, resources etc
Now: indirect in nature - natural resources, thinking (understanding about development), social manipulation
Based on different ideologies – Capitalist, Communism, Liberalism and Democracy.

9. Commonly used terms associated with development:
Economy
Poverty
Justice/ fairness
Bottom up approach
Trickle down development
Free market
Sustainable development
Human rights/ rights of individuals

10. History of development
The second half of 20th Century is often called the “era of development”. The reasons are:
The need for reconstruction in the immediate aftermath of the WW2;
Evolution of colonialism or colonialization into globalization & the establishment of new free trade policies between so- called “developed” and “underdeveloped” nations;
The start of the Cold War and the US and its allies desire to prevent the Third World Countries drifting towards communism.
Neo-Colonialism - President Truman, 1949 – duty of the west to bring development

11. Spatializing Development
What’s in a name?
First World Countries
Second World Countries (now known as Post Communist Bloc)
Third World Countries (TWCs)?

12. Third World Countries (TWCs)
Asia, Africa, Middle Eastern, Latin America.
Regardless of their political and socio-economic differences.
Controversial terms – a political term, used to label a group of nations with colonial heritage from which they had recently escaped – and to which they have no desire to return (Worsley, 1964).
i.e. a new form of colonialism (neo-colonialism)
Other terms: LDCs, developing countries, developing world.

13. Fastest Growing Economic Countries in Asia
YouTube short clip
Fastest Growing Economic Countries in Asia
(Duration: 4.45 minutes)

14. In pairs, discuss … (5 minutes)
How do we measure development?

15. Measuring development: GNP
Gross National Product (GNP) per capita
Measuring income per head of the population.
But gives no indication of the distribution of national wealth between different groups in the population

16. Measuring development: Critics
The judging of how “developed” a country is highly subjective – often controversial – and very important in judging what further development is necessary or desirable.
Appropriate development – in what context?

17. Measuring development: Human Development Index (HDI)
Measures the overall achievements in a country in 3 basic dimensions of human development:
Life expectancy (Longevity)
Educational attainment (Knowledge)
Income per capita (Standard of living)

18. Critics of development
Human development is much more than the rise and fall of national incomes (UNDP, 2001: 9 in Potter, 2008).
Trickle down effect economics had not worked (call for a more diversified and broader interpretation of development).
Dependency of LDCs – “westernized” development not working for most of the LDCs.

19. What have you learnt today?

20. Key Points Development – frequently used term in a number of context
Meaning and nature of development
History of development
Spatializing development