The Development Project in Theory and Practice: A Review of its Shifting Dynamics

Amplifying voices of development: Insights from Indigenous Maya leaders of El Quiche, Guatemala.

“…This specific point in history is also responsible for the great divisions that now define the "rest of the world." The West and the East, the Global North and Global South, and the First World, Second World and the Third World were all labels given to regions of the earth in an attempt to distinguish between the advanced capitalist economies, and those considered 'backwards' or 'underdeveloped' (Dodds, 2002;Escobar, 1988;Escobar, 1995;Esteva, 1992;Parpart & Veltmeyer, 2004;Petras & Veltmeyer, 2001;Rapley, 2002). As Vandana Desai and Robert Potter (2002, p. 1) explain, "early views of development within the field of development studies, undoubtedly stressed catching up with, and generally imitating, the 'West'."…”

“…It was made clear through this policy that development could best be achieved if nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America followed blueprints of economic development and market enhancement designed by the North. 1 ' As a result, the preliminary post-war period was defined by active and aggressive economic 'development' from the Global North, which was applied to the Global South (Dodds, 2002;Escobar, 1988;Escobar, 1995;Hettne, 2002;Parpart & Veltmeyer, 2004;Petras & Veltmeyer, 2001;Rapley, 2002) Developing countries were expected to industrialize by adopting Western/First…”

“…World cultural and institutional practices in order to "modernize" (Hettne, 2002;Parpart & Veltmeyer, 2004;Rapley, 2002). Some nations were open to the ideas as it "sought to deepen their victory over colonial rule by embracing development as a national 10 The 'Golden Yeais' lasted fiom 1950 through the 1960s and weie sctn by the Global South as being prosperous for the United States, Western Europe and Japan (Hewitt, 2000) Thus, while the teim may imply a positive era of 'development' for all, it was in fact not univeisal 11 The distinction between the two spheies of the world, the Global North and the Global South, is a contemporary contiast of old compaiative legions like the East and the West Practitioneis divide the woild by ideologies, development and later geogiaphical location The Global Noith is lationalized as being 'developed' while the Global South is 'undcideveloped ' As Maicus Powci (2003) aigues, it is again a division of the world into positive and negative spheies of identity framework for building upon independence" (Power, 2003, p. 11).…”

“…5 Practice based on Modernization theory emphasized capital accumulation and Gross National Product (GNP) as development indicators, but the optimism for its success weakened by the late 1960s when capital did not increase through the IMF and World Bank strategies (Esteva, 1992;Hewitt, 2000). Eventually, Modernization theory was contested by an alternative Accoiding to Alan Thomas (2000a, p 31) the process of industrialization meant the piomotion of the industrial sector while the agncultuial sector would become increasingly less impoitant Industualization leads to economic growth and therefore economic development that would "transform many aspects of life" and push the Global South towaids 'development'approach that attempted to explain the underdevelopment of the Global South (Escobar, 1995;Parpart & Veltmeyer, 2004;Rapley, 2002).…”

“…The West divided the world into areas deemed 'underdeveloped,' 'traditional' and 'backwards' to separate countries that are successful economically from states that are considered unsuccessful (Dodds 2002;Escobar, 1988Escobar, , 1995Esteva , 1992;Parpart & Veltmeyer, 2004;Petras & Veltmeyer, 2001;Rapley, 2002). Thus, countries of the Global South are denied the ability to define their own standards of development and ways of living.…”