Development studies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Development studies is a multidisciplinary branch of social science.

Development studies is offered as a specialised Master's degree in a number of universities,
and, less commonly, as an undergraduate degree. It has grown in popularity as a subject of
study since the early 1990s, and has been most widely taught and researched in the third
world and in countries with a colonial history, such as the UK, where development studies
originated.[1]
Students of development studies often choose careers in international organisations such as
the United Nations or the World Bank, non-governmental organisations, private sector
development consultancy firms, and research centres.
Contents
[hide]

1 Professional Bodies

2 Disciplines of development studies

3 History

4 Debates

5 See also

6 References

7 External links

Professional Bodies[edit]
Throughout the world, a number of professional bodies for Development Studies have been
founded:[2]

Europe: European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI)

Latin America: Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO)

Asia: Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA)

Africa: Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)
and Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA)

Arabic world: Arab Institutes and Centres for Economic and Social Development
Research (AICARDES)

India: Centre For Social Entrepreneurship & Corporate Social Responsibility

at Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India [3]

The common umbrella organisation of these association is the Inter-regional Coordinating

Committee of Development Associations (ICCDA).

In the UK and Ireland, the Development Studies Association is a major source of information for
research on and studying in development studies. Its mission is to connect and promote those
working on development research.

Disciplines of development studies[edit]

Development issues include:

Area studies

Community development

Demography

Demographics

Development communication

Development theory

Ecology

Economic development

Engineering

Environmental studies

Geography

Human rights

Human security

Industrialization

International development

Migration studies

Pedagogy

Public health

Social policy

Social development

Social work

Urbanization

Women's studies

History[edit]
The emergence of development studies as an academic discipline in the second half of the
twentieth century is in large part due to increasing concern about economic prospects for
the third world afterdecolonisation. In the immediate post-war period, development economics, a
branch of economics, arose out of previous studies in colonial economics. By the 1960s, an
increasing number of development economists felt that economics alone could not fully address
issues such as political effectiveness and educational provision.[4] Development studies arose as
a result of this, initially aiming to integrate ideas of politics and economics. Since then, it has
become an increasingly inter- and multi-disciplinary subject, encompassing a variety of social
scientific fields.[5] In recent years the use of political economy analysis- the application of the
analytical techniques of economics- to try and assess and explain political and social factors that
either enhance or limit development has become increasingly widespread as a way of explaining
the success or failure of reform processes. The era of modern development is commonly
deemed to have commenced with the inauguration speech ofHarry S. Truman in 1949. In Point
Four of his speech, with reference to Latin America and other poor nations, he said that "for the
first time in history, humanity possess[ed] the knowledge and skill to relieve the suffering of these
people.".[6] But development studies has since also taken an interest in lessons of past
development experiences of Western countries.
More recently, the emergence of human security a new, people-oriented approach to
understanding and addressing global security threats has led to a growing recognition of a
relationship between security and development. Human security argues that inequalities and
insecurity in one state or region have consequences for global security and that it is thus in the
interest of all states to address underlying development issues. This relationship with studies of
human security is but one example of the interdisciplinary nature of development studies.

Debates[edit]
Main article: Development criticism

See also[edit]
Sustainable development portal

Global South Development Magazine

Colonization

Community development

Development (disambiguation)

Development Cooperation Issues

Development Cooperation Stories

Development Cooperation Testimonials

Economic development

Human rights

Human security

Industrialization

International development

Social development

Social work

World-systems theory

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Kothari, U. (ed), A Radical History of Development Studies: Individuals, Institutions and
Ideologies but see The Journal of Peasant Studies 34/1 (2007) for an alternative view.
2. Jump up^ About ICCDA
3. Jump up^ [1]
4. Jump up^ Kothari, U. (ed), A Radical History of Development Studies: Individuals, Institutions and
Ideologies
5. Jump up^ Abbott, Lewis F. (2003) Theories of Industrial Modernization and Enterprise
Development: A Review. ISR/Google Books, Second revised edition ISBN 978-0-906321-26-3
6. Jump up^ Rist, G., The History of Development: From Western Origins to Global Faith

External links[edit]

Global South Development Magazine

Development Studies Internet Resources

Studying Development International Development Studies course directory

The Vrinda Project Channel - videos on the work in progress for the achievement of the
MDGs connected to the Wikibook
Development Cooperation Handbook

Post Graduate Diploma in Management in Development Studies at Entrepreneurship

Development Institute of India

Institute of Development Studies

Women In Development Network (WIDNET) - Gender and Development Resources