Lecture 1: What is Development?
What is the purpose of this course [3]
1. Explain why some places are more developed than others;
2. Diagnose why development initiatives frequently fail;
3. Propose solutions that have proven evidence of success in boosting
development.
To figure out the answers to these questions we must look at politics
Define Politics
1. How public decisions are made
2. Who gets what, when, and how
What is Development?
Is there an agreed definition of development
Who are we developing - terminology [7]
o The Third World
o Underdeveloped
o Less-developed
o Developing
o Low and Middle Income
o The Global South?
What are we developing [4] - we want a bit of everything
o Economic development - eg. GDP per capita
o Political development - eg. Democracy
o Social development - eg. Improving healthcare, education
o Subjective development - eg. Personal well-being, Happiness
,What is Modernisation Theory
It is a conceptualization of development
Modernization theorists believe that societies progress through a series of stages from
traditional to modern. These stages often involve changes in economic structure,
technology, social institutions, and values.
However, there is criticism that this theory makes it seem that development follows
one linear path for all. Development can happen in different ways for different
countries etc.
Subjective Development: Voices of the Poor (Narayan et al 2000)
They went to developing countries to see what they think development is
Different countries had different responses
Does this show that Modernisation theory is wrong - yes
Development as Freedom (Sen 1992) - This is the contemporary goal of development
The Freedom to do what [5]
1. Participate in politics
2. Engage in economic transactions
3. Social opportunities through education and healthcare
4. Transparency during interactions
5. Security of life
What limits Freedom [5]
o Poverty
o Violence/Repression
o Poor public services
o State restrictions on activities
o Lack of opportunities
Why does Freedom Matter [2]
1. Intrinsic reason: Freedom matters in itself
2. Instrumental reason: Freedoms promote other freedoms
, o Eg. Democracy prevents famine but also matters for political freedom in itself
o Eg. Markets promote wealth but also represent economic freedom itself
o Development is about complementarities, not trade-offs
What is the relationship between freedom and capabilities
o Freedom = Capabilities
Eg. the capability to live a long life
Eg. the capability to become a teacher
o Capabilities depend on resources and commodities and needs
How are resources turned into capabilities
What is not Freedom [3]
o Freedom vs Income
Income is not enough as not all ends can be bought
o Freedom vs Utility/Happiness
People who are easily pleased do not deserve less
o Freedom vs Libertarianism
Freedom 'from' does not guarantee freedom 'to'
How do we choose which capabilities/freedoms matter
o To Sen, this is what democracy is for
o How can developed countries help developing authoritarian countries them -
do they value health, education and etc.
o There are competing views of freedom and development - it is not just a
philosophical or pure terminological question
Why is the question above not just a normative question
Politics is the conflict between people with interests in different dimensions of
development
Sustainable Development
Define Sustainable Development
o "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Bruntland Commission
1987)
In what ways can we achieve sustainable development [2]
, o Sustainability means renewable resources - like fishing - are consumed slower
than replacement rate
o Sustainability means non-renewable resources - like oil - are consumed slow
enough so we can discover alternatives (Daly 1990)
Define Strong Sustainability
o Strong Sustainability: Natural capital does not fall
Define Weak Sustainability
o Weak Sustainability: The sum of natural and physical capital does not fall
Are continued economic growth and environmental sustainability compatible - 2
arguments
o We can use development to help solve environment problems [Kuznet’s
curve]
o Sustainability leads to development
o What should we do sustainability first or development first - this is an unclear
answer blurred - The Sardar Sarovar Dam in India - does the dam represent
sustainable development - there are advantages and disadvantages.
Natural gas terminal - Norway and Mozambique
o Mozambique is a country very vulnerable to climate change - yet they also
want to build a natural gas terminal
o Norway not so vulnerable to Climate Change also - Norway is trying to stop
building natural gas terminals in places like Mozambique - What Conflicts in
Freedoms lie behind the debate on financing new natural gas projects in
developing countries
Post-Development Critiques
1. The language of development makes people think of themselves as underdeveloped. -
they start asking people for help - modernisation theory is not per se wrong - we don’t
all use the same means to reach the same ends - but we also should not
2. Development is an imposition of power and hierarchy - colonial powers - [3]
3. Development has failed on its own terms 1975 to 2015 change
4. Development is an industry - plenty of companies and organisations rely on poverty
for status and their careers - Companies got rich because they assume poverty will be
here for a while
What is the purpose of this course [3]
1. Explain why some places are more developed than others;
2. Diagnose why development initiatives frequently fail;
3. Propose solutions that have proven evidence of success in boosting
development.
To figure out the answers to these questions we must look at politics
Define Politics
1. How public decisions are made
2. Who gets what, when, and how
What is Development?
Is there an agreed definition of development
Who are we developing - terminology [7]
o The Third World
o Underdeveloped
o Less-developed
o Developing
o Low and Middle Income
o The Global South?
What are we developing [4] - we want a bit of everything
o Economic development - eg. GDP per capita
o Political development - eg. Democracy
o Social development - eg. Improving healthcare, education
o Subjective development - eg. Personal well-being, Happiness
,What is Modernisation Theory
It is a conceptualization of development
Modernization theorists believe that societies progress through a series of stages from
traditional to modern. These stages often involve changes in economic structure,
technology, social institutions, and values.
However, there is criticism that this theory makes it seem that development follows
one linear path for all. Development can happen in different ways for different
countries etc.
Subjective Development: Voices of the Poor (Narayan et al 2000)
They went to developing countries to see what they think development is
Different countries had different responses
Does this show that Modernisation theory is wrong - yes
Development as Freedom (Sen 1992) - This is the contemporary goal of development
The Freedom to do what [5]
1. Participate in politics
2. Engage in economic transactions
3. Social opportunities through education and healthcare
4. Transparency during interactions
5. Security of life
What limits Freedom [5]
o Poverty
o Violence/Repression
o Poor public services
o State restrictions on activities
o Lack of opportunities
Why does Freedom Matter [2]
1. Intrinsic reason: Freedom matters in itself
2. Instrumental reason: Freedoms promote other freedoms
, o Eg. Democracy prevents famine but also matters for political freedom in itself
o Eg. Markets promote wealth but also represent economic freedom itself
o Development is about complementarities, not trade-offs
What is the relationship between freedom and capabilities
o Freedom = Capabilities
Eg. the capability to live a long life
Eg. the capability to become a teacher
o Capabilities depend on resources and commodities and needs
How are resources turned into capabilities
What is not Freedom [3]
o Freedom vs Income
Income is not enough as not all ends can be bought
o Freedom vs Utility/Happiness
People who are easily pleased do not deserve less
o Freedom vs Libertarianism
Freedom 'from' does not guarantee freedom 'to'
How do we choose which capabilities/freedoms matter
o To Sen, this is what democracy is for
o How can developed countries help developing authoritarian countries them -
do they value health, education and etc.
o There are competing views of freedom and development - it is not just a
philosophical or pure terminological question
Why is the question above not just a normative question
Politics is the conflict between people with interests in different dimensions of
development
Sustainable Development
Define Sustainable Development
o "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Bruntland Commission
1987)
In what ways can we achieve sustainable development [2]
, o Sustainability means renewable resources - like fishing - are consumed slower
than replacement rate
o Sustainability means non-renewable resources - like oil - are consumed slow
enough so we can discover alternatives (Daly 1990)
Define Strong Sustainability
o Strong Sustainability: Natural capital does not fall
Define Weak Sustainability
o Weak Sustainability: The sum of natural and physical capital does not fall
Are continued economic growth and environmental sustainability compatible - 2
arguments
o We can use development to help solve environment problems [Kuznet’s
curve]
o Sustainability leads to development
o What should we do sustainability first or development first - this is an unclear
answer blurred - The Sardar Sarovar Dam in India - does the dam represent
sustainable development - there are advantages and disadvantages.
Natural gas terminal - Norway and Mozambique
o Mozambique is a country very vulnerable to climate change - yet they also
want to build a natural gas terminal
o Norway not so vulnerable to Climate Change also - Norway is trying to stop
building natural gas terminals in places like Mozambique - What Conflicts in
Freedoms lie behind the debate on financing new natural gas projects in
developing countries
Post-Development Critiques
1. The language of development makes people think of themselves as underdeveloped. -
they start asking people for help - modernisation theory is not per se wrong - we don’t
all use the same means to reach the same ends - but we also should not
2. Development is an imposition of power and hierarchy - colonial powers - [3]
3. Development has failed on its own terms 1975 to 2015 change
4. Development is an industry - plenty of companies and organisations rely on poverty
for status and their careers - Companies got rich because they assume poverty will be
here for a while
