why development theory is important
As an International Development major and aspiring development practitioner, I get my fair share of skepticism when I tell people about my field of study.
Sigh. People can be harsh.
Let's unpack this a bit. Why exactly should someone study international development?
I think people have a tendency to think international development is about "making the world better." Heck, if that was it, I could watch a convicting documentary and be all set for a lifetime of charitable work in the developing world. This is not the case. The key for effective global human and economic development is an understanding of the needs of marginalized people and of ethical and comprehensive practices to address them.
Development theory is important. Good development theory is important. A holistic approach to international development leads to the creation of sustainable programs and policies that not only have long-lasting, meaningful impacts on communities but ALSO that engage and respect the dignity of the people who will be affected by these programs.
Holistic development is not linear, being overly focused on getting a community from point Y to point Z. I would consider this view as a "one size fits all" model of development, which entirely ignores that every community has its own specific needs. This involves seeing people as more than physical beings (more on that here)- but individuals with emotional, communal, psychological, spiritual AND physical/ financial needs.
The global fight against poverty and injustice needs practitioners who are committed to the self-sufficiency of communities. What it does NOT need are practices that are done "in the name of charity" but that ultimately cause dependency of the Global South ("third world") to the Global North ("first world"). Studying development theory has taught me the value of collaboration. Effective programs do not adopt a top-down approach, with Westerners "taking over" to "help poor communities." The heart of aid and relief is dialogue and partnership. This requires organizations to give communities the opportunity to decide what their greatest needs are rather than deciding for them.
Good development theory is primarily focused on the dignity of people. We have become accustomed to practices that foster immediate, feel-good results- but fail to consider how they often conceptualize local communities as helpless. When a well-intended church in North America sends a team to build a well in a Sub-Saharan village, the dignity of local workers is threatened because the process inadvertently communicates a dismissal of their capabilities. Same goes for a person deciding to cover a child's health care or tuition fees rather than donating to an NGO that will give that child's parents the tools to pay for these services themselves. The latter option does not rob the parents of their dignity but empowers them.
Do not hear me wrong. Development theory is not incompatible with generosity or charity. In fact, I think they go hand and hand. The real issue is a need for WELL-INFORMED generosity and charity.
This article sums it up perfectly:
Development efforts and charitable acts will not preserve the dignity of individuals they serve if they do not allow those individuals the opportunity to become the fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, or community members they dream of being.
And that, my friends, is why development theory is important.
"What are you going to do with that?"
"So you'll eventually go to law school?"
"Can't you work in missions, humanitarian aid or with an NGO
without studying anything at all?"
Sigh. People can be harsh.
Let's unpack this a bit. Why exactly should someone study international development?
I think people have a tendency to think international development is about "making the world better." Heck, if that was it, I could watch a convicting documentary and be all set for a lifetime of charitable work in the developing world. This is not the case. The key for effective global human and economic development is an understanding of the needs of marginalized people and of ethical and comprehensive practices to address them.
Development theory is important. Good development theory is important. A holistic approach to international development leads to the creation of sustainable programs and policies that not only have long-lasting, meaningful impacts on communities but ALSO that engage and respect the dignity of the people who will be affected by these programs.
Holistic development is not linear, being overly focused on getting a community from point Y to point Z. I would consider this view as a "one size fits all" model of development, which entirely ignores that every community has its own specific needs. This involves seeing people as more than physical beings (more on that here)- but individuals with emotional, communal, psychological, spiritual AND physical/ financial needs.
The global fight against poverty and injustice needs practitioners who are committed to the self-sufficiency of communities. What it does NOT need are practices that are done "in the name of charity" but that ultimately cause dependency of the Global South ("third world") to the Global North ("first world"). Studying development theory has taught me the value of collaboration. Effective programs do not adopt a top-down approach, with Westerners "taking over" to "help poor communities." The heart of aid and relief is dialogue and partnership. This requires organizations to give communities the opportunity to decide what their greatest needs are rather than deciding for them.
Good development theory is primarily focused on the dignity of people. We have become accustomed to practices that foster immediate, feel-good results- but fail to consider how they often conceptualize local communities as helpless. When a well-intended church in North America sends a team to build a well in a Sub-Saharan village, the dignity of local workers is threatened because the process inadvertently communicates a dismissal of their capabilities. Same goes for a person deciding to cover a child's health care or tuition fees rather than donating to an NGO that will give that child's parents the tools to pay for these services themselves. The latter option does not rob the parents of their dignity but empowers them.
Do not hear me wrong. Development theory is not incompatible with generosity or charity. In fact, I think they go hand and hand. The real issue is a need for WELL-INFORMED generosity and charity.
This article sums it up perfectly:
Development efforts and charitable acts will not preserve the dignity of individuals they serve if they do not allow those individuals the opportunity to become the fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, or community members they dream of being.
And that, my friends, is why development theory is important.
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