Sociology 2228A/B Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Soil Fertility, Consumerism, Non-Aligned Movement
10 Apr 2020
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Document Summary
Development implies movement from one level to another. Development is usually thought of as a positive thing, however this book argues we should question the positivity of development. Development is increasingly about how we survive the future, doesn"t care about the past. Development originated in the colonial era when european"s compared their accomplishments to other societies thought all societies should be like them so they attempted to develop" the underdeveloped societies". Today development is understood as economic growth and rising consumption. The last half century of human action has had the most intensive and extensive negative impact on world ecosystems ever, and yet this has been accompanied by continuing global gains in human well-being. This is a paradox because it would make sense that the degradation of the earth would have a negative impact on human well-being, but well-being continues to increase despite the degradation of the earth. The environmentalist"s paradox when inverted is a development paradox.
