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Evaluate The Claim That Development Is An Invention

Development is an invention that originated during the Enlightenment era when humans began viewing social change as something intentional that they could pursue. It later evolved into a political and economic tool used by powerful Western nations to intervene in and enact change upon less developed countries after World War II. While development may have roots in natural human progress, the modern conception and systematic implementation of development as a process is very much a human invention with origins in specific historical contexts.

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93 views

Evaluate The Claim That Development Is An Invention

Development is an invention that originated during the Enlightenment era when humans began viewing social change as something intentional that they could pursue. It later evolved into a political and economic tool used by powerful Western nations to intervene in and enact change upon less developed countries after World War II. While development may have roots in natural human progress, the modern conception and systematic implementation of development as a process is very much a human invention with origins in specific historical contexts.

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Katie Oliver
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Evaluate

the
claim
development is an invention.

Exam Number: B104254


992

that

Evaluate the claim that development is an invention.

Development is a process of social change, which has led to the


transformations of national economies across the globe. More recently it
has been used as a form of intervention in Third World economies that
are seen as under-developed (Chari, 2009). Some academics such as
Escobar and Ferguson have explored the concept of development as a
discourse. Development in this sense is actively pursued; being used as
a political tool to enact power over certain nation states (Potter et al.,
2008). Invention can be defined as the: original [...] production of a new
method or means of doing something (Anon, Invention, 2016). Thus it is
clear to see that development in the modern sense is an invention, it is
not natural, and we, as humans have sought to advance the devlopment
process.

However, there is also an argument to be made that

development is a natural human instinct, that progress will always be


achieved in some form as we evolve. Therefore, in this sense development
is enacted by individuals, rather than states, and it is not actively
pursued. Thus it more a natural process than an invention.
To examine the notion of development as a process and how we have
acted upon this, we must first explore the concept of a process; defined
as a continious action, or series of actions (Anon, Process, 2007), that in
this context humans have carried out. Unlike a process in Physical
Geography, development has actively been carried out by humans to
progress the social landscape and plan for the future. Therefore,
development can be seen as a tool used by developed nations, to carve
out supposed progress in Third World countries. However, this tool is
often tainted with self interest, which means that the nation-states that
2

Evaluate the claim that development is an invention.

carry out this development often benefit in some ways more than the
countries experiencing the development. The origins of the use of
development as tool can be seen in the Enlightenment era; which allowed
humans to understand for the first time development as intentional,
something that they should strive for. This allows us to see the history of
human society in terms of linear progress and improvement. (Schech &
Haggis, 2000).
Although, the Enlightment was the first time development was viewed as
purposeful and intentional. Some have argued that the first significant use
of development as a tool was in the immediate aftermath of the Second
World War (Schech & Haggis, 2000). This is evident in the inaugural
speech of

President Truman, where he spoke of his: program of

development and argued that the West posses the: technical knowledge
in order to help them [Third World countries] realise their aspirations for
a better life (Truman as cited by Escobar, 2011[1995]). This is a key
example of western countries exercising their power through resources
such as military action and wealth over under-developed countries. In turn
creating an economic environment that is preferable for those in the west;
whereby they are able to exploit the natural resources and the labour
power of less-developed countries. It is possible that development is just a
preface to a much more immoral way of conducting business between
countries. The impacts of which are often unequitable, leading to greater
poverty and inequality in developing countries (Willis, 2013).

Evaluate the claim that development is an invention.

Central to development being understood as an invention, is the concept


of development as a discourse. Ferguson (2002[1994]) talks about
development being a highly standardized operation, with development
agencies in the business to sell [...] packages of development. The
problem for these agenices is to find the right kind of problem: the kind
of problem that requires the solution that they are there to provide.
This demonstatrets the narrow-minded thinking of development providers
and shows a need for alternative ways of enacting development. Ferguson
(2002[1994]) goes on to speak of the foundations on which countries need
to be built upon in order to begin the transformation of development,
under the direction of those in the west. This signifies the methodical
approach that is now taken in development. Showing how development
has become something you can buy, which allows for anyone to take part
in. The process of development, the very invention of it, has been refined
into a more efficient tool, with prespecified steps and a how-to guide.
However, it is important to note that there is never an end to the
development process; with a constant

juxtaposition of developed

countries versus under-developed countires. This makes it impossible for


under-developed countries to catch-up to the ever moving goal of the
developed state. This is further complicated as there is no clear definiton
of what classifies as developed.

Contrary to development as a discourse and as an invention is the


possibility that development is an innate human behaviour. As humans
have evolved they have gained new knowledge due to experience. For
4

Evaluate the claim that development is an invention.

example farming practices will have improved as farmers learnt about the
best conditions for crop growth, such as manure as a natural fertiliser. This
understanding argues that development isnt being consciously sought
after. However, after the emergence of capitalism the motives for
development became much stronger than the current lifestyle provided by
subsistence agriculture; with the possibilities of profits and improvement
in standards of living. Thus such development itself developed into a tool
of advancement.

In conclusion, it is only recently that there has been a substantiated claim


that development is an invention. This has been supported by recent
historical records of humans manipulating development to shape the
world with an agenda to reflect certain figures or ideologies (Potter et al.,
2008). As demonstrated by the present ideology of Neo-Liberalism
spreading into developing countries. Therefore, development discourse in
this modern sense is an invention with its roots in the Enlightenment
period (Schech & Haggis, 2000). Thus, development can be seen as the
invention of a: political, economic and social tool that enacts change on a
global scale, generally benefitting those who enact it over than those who
experience the change.

Evaluate the claim that development is an invention.

Bibliography
Anon. (2016). Development. Retrieved 12 06, 2016, from Oxford English
Dictionary: http://www.oed.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/view/Entry/51434?
redirectedFrom=Development#eid
Anon. (2016). Invention. Retrieved 12 06, 2016, from Oxford English
Dictionary: http://www.oed.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/view/Entry/98969?
redirectedFrom=invention#eid
Anon. (2007). Process. Retrieved 12 06, 2016, from Oxford English
Dictionary: http://www.oed.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/view/Entry/151794?
rskey=hRjMwb&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid
Chari, S. (2009). Development. In J. Gregory, R. Johnston, G. Pratt, M.
Watts, & S. Whatmore (eds.) The Dictionary of Human Geography (pp.
155-156). Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.
Escobar, A. (2011[1995]). Encountering Development: The Making and
Unmaking of the Third World. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
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Evaluate the claim that development is an invention.

Ferguson, J. (2002[1994]). The Constitution of the Object of


"Development": Lesotho as a "Less Developed Country". In S. Schech, & J.
Haggis, Development: A Cultural Studies Reader (pp. 93-102). Oxford:
Blackwell.
Potter, R., Binns, T., Elliot, J., & Smith, D. (2008). Questioning
Development. In R. B. Potter, Geographies of Development: An
Introduction to Development Studies (3rd Edition) pp. 3-47. Essex:
Pearson Education Limited.
Schech, S., & Haggis, J. (2000). Culture and Development: A Critical
Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.
Willis, K. (2013). Theories of Development. In P. Cloke, P. Crang, & M.
Goodwin (eds.) Introducing Human Geographies (3rd Edition) pp. 297-311.
London: Routledge.

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