Community Development Sociology 130, Spring 2006

Community Development

Sociology 130, Spring 2006

http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/logo.htm

Development Philosophy

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• Physical needs.• Physical and emotional security.• Social needs.• Status, respect, power.• Self-actualization.

History of Development Thought

Modernization Theory

• Western nations as “the example.”• Development = physical and economic growth.• The global society: physically and culturally.• Centralized planning coming from Western nations.• Capital intensive technology.• Individual blame approach to lack of modernization.


Dependency Theory

• Economic leakage.• Perpetual status.• Environmental degradation.• Social disruption.• Loss of economic, political, cultural autonomy.• Technological imperative.• Pessimism about the opportunities for growth.


Post-Modernism/Post Industrialism

• Rejection of the philosophy that people can have rational control over their natural and social surroundings.

• The emancipation of humanity is not achievable.• There is no single truth of development.• Universal values do not exist.• Development is in the eye of the beholder?


Neo-Liberalism

• Rise of globalization in the mid-1970’s.• Increased interest in comparative advantage.• Free-market ideology.• Lack of state interference.• “New modernity,” wherein the state assumes

responsibility for its citizens.• All ships rise with the tide, including those of the poor.


Neo-Liberalism Critiques

• See critiques of modernization theory.• The “new modernity” is simply neglecting

responsibility to the poor.• Neo-liberalism focuses on the needs of the power

elite, leading to the pauperization of most persons.


Summary

• Modernization: The poor should emulate us.• Dependency: The poor cannot emulate us.• Post-modernism: There is nothing to emulate!• Neo-liberalism: Globalization will cure all ills.

Current Trends in Development

Participatory, People-Centered Development

• Decisions about development goals, objectives, and the means to achieve these goals and objectives are decided by the people.

• Development must be sustainable (i.e., ecologically sound, cost-effective, local control).

• Modest and achievable goals. No utopias.• Feedback on goals, objectives, methods of

development.



• Appropriate technology.• Sustainable technology.• Informed technology.• Control over technology.• Place-based technology.• Adaptive technological change.



• Decentralized decision making.• Participatory decision making.• Iterative decision making.• People as the planned beneficiaries.• Informed experimentation and action.



• Women in development.• Gender in development.



• Interdisciplinary focus.• Integration of economic and social change.• Addresses problems rather than symptoms.• Goal of reduced welfare dependency.• Emphasis on volunteerism.• Emphasis on cultural diversity.



• Create awareness.• Focus on defined needs, goals, objectives.• Monitoring and evaluation.


Obstacles to Participatory Development

• Customs and traditions.• Lack of skills.• Apathy.• Depression.• Tensions among competing groups.• Macroeconomic and social forces.• Resources for a more labor-intensive approach.

Community Development Sociology 130, Spring 2006

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