As the first post on discussion my idea is to challenge the concept of development itself. Express your ideas , arguments and opinions wih your comments.
To analyze anything, we must examine the 4Ws. It included: What, When, Where, Why? I have been thinking of the 4Ws with respect to development. I am posting my ideas with respect to the same and invite you to comment with whatever ideas you think are relevant with respect to the same.
What? What is development? It is more income and wealth or better education and health. Those are the broad parameters, in my understanding often talked about as the indicators of development. It relates to standard of living. But I have a fundamental issue – what is the end result of development? Do better standards of living lead to a better life? Is a globalizing economic system becoming unsustainable better than a self sustained small village? Is urban better than rural?
When? This is the temporal dimension of development. It is a question of when did the concept of development really came into existence. In academic world it might be referred to as question of epistemology! But indeed it’s an important question. When the idea of development did come into existence? It is of importance to understand if there is more than what meets the eye – if development isn’t just social but more political and economic matter.
Where? The spatial dimension of development will help to determine and define the space where the idea evolved. This will also help us examine the politics behind the idea.
Why? I guess the above questions will direct us towards the why of the concept. The reason for examine the idea of development itself is to really look into not what development is but what it does as an end result and if it doesn’t do much then are being regressive rather than progressive in our understanding of development, as we see it.
The environmental changes, the social divides, the economic busts, the political chaos – there is surely something that is amiss. Is it the concept of development?
