Abstract
In opening his book by proclaiming that ‘modernization is no longer an obvious ambition’ (p. 1), Jan Nederveen Pieterse, in his second edition of Development Theory: Deconstructions/Reconstructions, hits home the message that development is a constantly changing struggle and a dynamic practice without a single solution or approach. The strength of the book is the vast array of disciplines, theories, approaches and thinkers that are drawn upon to create an eclectic overview of development, considered as both a process and an intervention. Nederveen Pieterse documents the evolution of mainstream and heterodox development thinking and new ideas such as neo-modernization theory, ‘which involves a revaluation of “tradition,” no longer as an obstacle but as a resource’ (p. 183), and his intriguing (though somewhat mystifying) notion of ‘the Tao of development’. The author also provides insightful analyses of convergences and co-optation in development thinking (Chapter 6).
Nederveen Pieterse’s work fosters critical thinking, though also invites criticism. His overpowering deconstruction of several approaches overshadows his relatively weak reconstruction, thereby impeding a key objective (and indeed the subtitle) of the book. It thus reads more like a compilation of distinct papers by the author than as a cohesive volume. We were also put off by Nederveen Pieterse’s tendency to either wholly reject or accept particular development approaches. For instance, in his critique of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development (Chapter 10), he argues that the digital divide and cyber apartheid serve as new mechanisms to reinforce dependency and widen the gap between north and south. However, he fails to acknowledge the capacity that ICTs have to stimulate synergies and catalyze processes that positively affect development in the south, especially bottom-of-the-pyramid strategies such as the Grameen Phone, which he assesses as having ‘limited purpose and reach’ (p. 178). In addition, he failed to mention the role of the Internet and social media, advancements in literacy and the relationship between youth and ICTs.
Nederveen Pieterse rejects both post-development (Chapter 6) and delinking (Chapter 4) in their entirety. His critiques of the early post-development literature have some validity, but he fails to engage with the more progressive and nuanced thinking that has since succeeded this work. He would have only had to look to more recent discussions of post-development, such as McGregor (2007, 2009), McKinnon (2008), Matthews (2004) and Gibson-Graham (2005, 2008) – works which have taken post-development theory to the field, engaged in mobilizing constructive social movements and accepted that development must be reimagined rather than rejected – to find that most of his critiques have been rendered null. In his critique of delinking, consideration is only given to the national level rather than exploring sub-national scales in delinking experiences. Moreover, he fails to acknowledge current struggles for protectionism, national autonomy or food sovereignty.
In a more constructive vein, Nederveen Pieterse does propose some innovative and challenging ideas regarding the potential renewal of development thinking. These include critical globalism, the cultural turn in development and critical holism. The notion of selective engagement with global forces, as critical globalism (Chapter 3) refers to, is intriguing in its repositioning of decision-making power into the hands of developing countries. Nederveen Pieterse acknowledges the lack of comprehensiveness of development thinking: ‘market-oriented globalism (neoliberalism, monetarism, structural adjustment, transnational capitalist class, export-led growth) clashes with state-oriented endogenism or indigenization (delinking, import substitution), leaving social forces (grassroots, NGOs, informal sector) in no man’s land’ (p. 48). However, the practical implementation of critical globalism is unclear, especially when one considers the limited resources of many developing countries.
Through his examination of culture as an arena of struggle (Chapter 5), Nederveen Pieterse problematizes how culture and power are conceptualized in discourses of national and local culture. He reveals the dark side of nationalism in the way that cultural identity is too often subsumed under national identity. Moreover, he rightly acknowledges that globalization is not a homogenizing process but rather takes on the characterization of the local culture context. Finally, he offers insightful commentary on culture and development approaches that ‘may offer relief from development steeped in Eurocentrism, occidental narcissism or trilateralist arrogance, [whilst warning that] the remedy against the chauvinism of “great traditions” is not to adopt the inverse missionary position and the chauvinism of “little traditions”’ (p. 77).
Nederveen Pieterse argues for the Tao of development as a means for ‘acknowledging paradox as part of development realities’ (p. 161). He advocates critical holism (Chapter 9) as a remedy for problems of development theories through ‘macroeconomic management, global democratization and planetary ethics’ (p. 164) and through reconstructing development knowledge as a collective learning process. The author calls for a revisioning and integration of disciplines within a broader framework: ‘critical holism involves balancing epistemological and practical considerations, including multidimensional and multifaceted approaches, objective and subjective dimensions, multi-sectoral partnerships among diverse actors, and multiple time frames’ (p. 162). However, how to practically achieve this ambitious holistic goal is still obscure. It is perhaps telling that since the publication of this chapter in its original form as a journal article in 1999, there has been little academic engagement with these ideas by other scholars.
Nederveen Pieterse’s concluding two chapters offer reflections on futures of development (Chapter 11) and twenty-first century globalization and development (Chapter 12), including a global reform agenda. He posits that neoliberal development has been rejected and a new wave of Keynesian-based development has emerged. On the theme of ‘reconstructions’, it would have been useful to include more analysis of how neo-structuralism in Latin America informs a rethinking of development. The author attributes the neo-Keynesian shift to the recent financial crisis, linked in turn to the decline of American economic prowess and the phenomenon of ‘emerging economies’. In the final chapters, the tone is optimistic, but he may be over-exaggerating the triumphs of these countries.
Two chapters were added in this second edition of the book: the final chapter and one on ICTs for development (the latter was originally published in 2005). Although this second edition of the text was published in 2010, many sections were not noticeably updated from the 2001 original edition. In his chapter on human and social development (Chapter 8), for instance, the most recent reference in the discussion about equity and growth in East Asia (pp. 131–33) was from 1996 – before the Asian financial crisis, which in turn provoked a rethinking of the East Asian development model.
We read this text for a graduate-level international development class and collectively compiled this book review. The class concurred that given the wide-ranging concepts and disciplines that the author draws upon, the text demands a substantial background in development studies literature and as such is appropriate for scholars and graduate students already well versed in this field. While several chapters were very dense, we were also impressed with the author’s ability to distil complex and competing ideas about development thinking and actors into succinct tables throughout the text. Our overall assessment of Nederveen Pieterse’s text is that his far-reaching examination of development theory evokes critical thought and discussion.