Palgrave Advances In Development Studies

Palgrave Advances in Development Studies aims to provide readers with an understanding of the disparate theories concerning development, their assumptions and the intellectual forces underpinning them. In thirteen specially commissioned essays, leading contributors from the field of Development Studies present the relevant material to analyze and evaluate current debates about development, together with the intellectual tools to judge contemporary arguments concerning development across the world and the ability to relate theories of development to contemporary policy issues.

′A sure-footed and self-confident book, ambitious in scope, authoritative in execution and practical in its implications′ - Simon Maxwell, Director, Overseas Development Institute, London ′At last, a development studies text that encourages self-reflection from within the discipline. Highly recommended′ - Professor Ray Kiely, Chair in International Politics, Queen Mary University of London ′This is the book that academics, development researchers and practitioners have been seeking for a long time. [It] addresses the most important issues which development researchers and practitioners cope with each and every day′ - Dr Tran Tuan, Director, Research and Training Centre for Community Development, Hanoi, Vietnam. ′An insightful book for both development practitioners and researchers alike′ - Professor K.N. Nair, Director Centre for Development Studies, Kerala, India This book is about working professionally in Development Studies as a student, researcher or practitioner. It introduces and addresses the fundamental questions that everyone engaged with development must ask: " What is ′development′ and why do we wish to study it? " How do the many theoretical, methodological and espistemological approaches relate to research and practical studies in development? " How are development research and practice linked? Accessibly written, with extensive use of case study material, this book is an essential primer for students of development studies who require a concise, penetrating overview of its foundations. It is also core reading for students and practitioners concerned with the design of studies in the course of policy analysis, sector reviews, or project formulation, management and evaluation.

This book brings together multiple critical assessments of the current state and future visions of global development studies. It examines how the field engages with new paradigms and narratives, methodologies and scientific impact, and perspectives from the Global South. The authors focus on social and democratic transformation, inclusive development and global environmental issues, and implications for research practices. Leading academics provide an excellent overview of recent insights for post-graduate students and scholars in these research areas.

The Companion to Development Studies contains over a hundred chapters written by leading international experts within the field to provide a concise and authoritative overview of the key theoretical and practical issues dominating contemporary development studies. Covering a wide range of disciplines the book is divided into ten sections, each prefaced by a section introduction written by the editors. The sections cover: the nature of development, theories and strategies of development, globalization and development, rural development, urbanization and development, environment and development, gender, health and education, the political economy of violence and insecurity, and governance and development. This third edition has been extensively updated and contains 45 new contributions from leading authorities, dealing with pressing contemporary issues such as race and development, ethics and development, BRICs and development, global financial crisis, the knowledge based economy and digital divide, food security, GM crops, comparative urbanism, cities and crime, energy, water hydropolitics, climate change, disability, fragile states, global war on terror, ethnic conflict, legal rights to development, ecosystems services for development, just to name a few. Existing chapters have been thoroughly revised to include cutting-edge developments, and to present updated further reading and websites. The Companion to Development Studies presents concise overviews providing a gateway to further reading and a flexible resource for teaching and learning. It has established a role as essential reading for all students of development studies, as well as those in cognate areas of geography, international relations, politics, sociology, anthropology and economics.

International development is a dynamic, vibrant and complex field – both in terms of practices and in relation to framing and concepts. This collection draws together leading experts from a range of disciplines, including development economics, geography, sociology, political science and international relations, to explore persistent problems and emergent trends in international development. Building from an introduction to key development theories, this Handbook proceeds to examine key development questions relating to the changing donor and aid landscape, the changing role of citizens and the state in development, the role of new finance flows and privatization in development, the challenges and opportunities of migration and mobility, emerging issues of insecurity and concerns with people trafficking, the drugs trade and gang violence, the role of rights and activism in promoting democracy and development, the threats posed by and responses to global environmental change, and the role of technology and innovation in promoting development.

Jeffrey Haynes adopts a chronological and conceptual approach to introduce students to the central themes and theoretical perspectives in the study of religion and development in the developing world, focusing on key themes including environmental sustainability, health and education.

In recent years, much mainstream development discourse has sought to co-opt and neutralize key concepts relating to empowerment, participation, gender, sustainability and inclusivity in order to serve a market-driven, neoliberal agenda. Critical development studies now play a crucial role in combatting this by analyzing the systemic changes needed to transform the current world to one where economic and social justice and environmental integrity prevail. The Essential Guide to Critical Development Studies takes as its starting point the multiple crises – economic, political, social and environmental – of the dominant current global capitalist system. The chapters collectively document and analyze these crises and the need to find alternatives to the system(s) that generate them. To do so, analyses of class, gender and empire are placed at the centre of discussion, in contrast to markets, liberalization and convergence, which characterize mainstream development discourse. Each contributor supplements their overview with a guide to the critical development studies literature on the topic, thereby providing scholars and students not only with a precis of the key issues, but also a signpost to further readings. This is an important resource for academics, researchers, policymakers and professionals in the areas of development studies, political science, sociology, economics, gender studies, history, anthropology, agrarian studies, international relations and international political economy.