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The end of the line for Development Studies?

The end of the line for Development Studies?. David Marsden DSA Conference 5 November 2010. Drawing old threads together to weave a new text. Drawing lines under, around and through dominant perspectives. Tracing lines back Distinctions between the natural & the moral sciences.

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The end of the line for Development Studies?

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  1. The end of the line for Development Studies? David Marsden DSA Conference 5 November 2010

  2. Drawing old threads together to weave a new text • Drawing lines under, around and through dominant perspectives. • Tracing lines back • Distinctions between the natural & the moral sciences. • Anthropology and the study of the ‘other’ • Pathways thro’ an evolving landscape

  3. Room for ‘engaged learning’? • In an era of targets and audits • With monopolies over funding • Place of craftsmanship? • Building trust an empathy • Moving beyond gifts as poisonous • Negotiating values in a complex world • “I participate therefore I am”

  4. Beyond narrow disciplinary boundaries • The promise of Development Studies • Building an inclusive, multi-cultural and more equitable world • Countering the hegemony of top-down instrumental rationalists • A burgeoning Environmental agenda • A focus on ‘the poor’ & disadvantaged

  5. Questioning established explanations • Processes –v- Products • Reading between the lines • Measurement of outputs –v- reflexive evaluation of outcomes • Developing new perspectives • Anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist

  6. The late ‘70s, early ‘80s • Incorporating ITK • Challenging elitist interventions • ‘bottom up’, self reliance • Participatory • Sustainable • Gender aware • NGOs - challenging bureaucracies

  7. Social Development ? • Separate from social welfare/protection ? • Different from economic ? • Qualitative not quantitative ? • ‘Field’ rather than ‘library’ ? • Projects with people not for them ? • ‘Applied’ rather than ‘pure’ ? • ‘Generalists’ not ‘specialists’ ?

  8. Early (and continuing) concerns • Quality/ Quantity • Outputs/ Outcomes • Measurement/ Evaluation • Subjective / Objective • Risk Assessment False dichotomies ?

  9. Some illustrations • Chilean refugees • Reaching out to local education institutions • Development of ‘World Development’ • Building the Sustainable Development Agenda • Working with NGOs • The continual negotiation of value

  10. Countering the audit culture • Struggling for autonomy, universalism and progress • Negotiating ‘value for money’ • Engaging in different ways • Developing new perspectives • Organisational change management • Complex adaptive systems thinking

  11. Preparing for uncertainty

  12. The Unknown “As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, The ones we don't know we don't know. “ Feb. 12, 2002, Rumsfeld, Dept. of Defense news briefing

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