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How Social Science Fiction Could Transform Development Research: Extending our Methodological Horizons

By Laura Camfield

In an era of increasing complexity and uncertainty, conventional methodological approaches to pressing development concerns such as extreme income inequality often fall short. In a new reflection paper, Andy Sumner and I propose a new approach, social science fiction (SSF), not merely as an opportunity to cultivate empathy, but also as a robust methodological tool for development research.

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Universalisms and their Discontents

By Brendan M. Howe

The contemporary inter-paradigm debate in Development Studies can be characterised as between advocates of a ‘universal’ global development experience (both positive and negative), and those advocating the centrality of discriminatory practices experienced by the Global South as obstacles to development. Aspirations for universality have faced the challenges and charges of neocolonialism, racism, cultural relativism, exceptionalism, Eurocentricism, and exclusion.

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Global AND International Development against all Inequalities

By Alessandra Mezzadri

Development: Contested Categories

Since its inception after World War II, Development Studies has been deeply intertwined with the socio-economic transformation of formerly colonized countries. Initially, the discipline was tasked with addressing the question of how these newly independent nations could be integrated into the world system. This integration was closely linked to the process of modernization, a goal shared by many of these nascent governments. However, the object and subjects of development have always been contested.

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What Challenges for Global Development Research are Posed by a More Decolonial Approach?

By Laura Camfield

The appetite for decolonial approaches within development research is growing, prompting a critical examination of the colonial origins of conventional methodologies such as surveys and ethnography. These methods, historically employed as tools of colonial governance, continue to shape development research and limit space for decolonial alternatives. In this blog post I explore colonial continuities in research methods and examine the potential of decolonial alternatives, acknowledging the challenges posed by existing power dynamics within the field).

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