POLB91H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Edward Said, Essentialism, Neoliberalism
POLB91 – Lecture 10
Post development
Learning objective
• Explain post development theories + main critique
• Explain orientalism (Edward Said)
• Explain the anti-politics machine (Fegruson)
Post development turn
• Post development theory = destruct the notion of development. Refeers to trends of
theorising about development and deconstruct a critique the very notion of
development
• “tarted i 99s, ferguso’s ati deelopet ahie ook + others ooks
• Response to crisis in development theory
o Ascendency of neo-liberalism privatisation and approach to development
▪ The WB, ad stuff that eed to e applied
▪ To develop they need to limit international free trade, and privatise
▪ + follow a modernisation approach + embrace free markets
o Critique of Marxist development theory-
▪ Some countries were continuously underdeveloped by central global
north countries bc of resources
▪ Bc of this underdevelopment the countries are backwards and poor by
the rich states, not on their own
o Critique essentialist and critique of dependency theory – underdevelopment of
poor states
Post development theories
• Deostrutio of the atio deelopet
o When we think of development we think of schools, hospitals, public goods
o This is bc the IMF and WB have done so this way
o But we need to set a clear def of development + what it is and see who gets to
set this def. Not just western institutions doing it
o WB said $1.90 a day or below = poor + poverty
▪ Who can define what makes one poor
o This created projects of western notions on how to not be poor
• Question power relations in the framing of development discourse
o b/w those who do development and get developed
o power is inherent in the way language is exercised
o language changes reality
o so they get to decide what development is on paper
• Development as a neo-colonial project
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Learning objective: explain post development theories + main critique, explain orientalism (edward said, explain the anti-politics machine (fegruson) Post development turn: post development theory = destruct the notion of development. Peasants, poor edu, etc): who gets to defi(cid:374)e (cid:862)poor(cid:863) Its often the rich countries: creates neo-colonialist definitions, even def of first world and third world, first world = free industrialised global north, third world = illiberal unindustrialised global south. Internalisation of constructions by third world ppl: theyre powerful not bc of wb, but the third world countries now even see themselves as poor compared to usa and stuff, they begin to see themselves as inferior and poor. James scott weapons of the weak would disagree with this and the fact there is no false consciousness. Example at how language is at stake in international relations today. Israel/palestine: they used the language of the fence saying its there bc of security giving example ppl were bombed there.
