Geog 270

1
Geog 270

• Craig Jeffrey
• Tuesday 28th November 2006

2
Back to Fundamentals

• We started with development theories
  modernization, dependency, New Right, People and
  Devt and SD
• THEN
• Case study of GM crops
• Case study of agrarian change in India

3
What do the two case studies tell us?

• 1. About modernization theory?
• a) Dangers of unfettered modernization and
  associated teleological models of Devt.
• b) But possibilities of modernization eg GM in
  India
• c) People continue to think about modernity and
  aspire to be modern

4
What do the two case studies tell us?

• 2. About dependency theory?
• a) Remains an important idea
• b) But need to think about dependency at multiple
  scales eg GM and pollution
• c) Need to consider new and sometimes
  unexpected relationships of dependency

5
What do the two case studies tell us?

• 3. About New Right thinking?
• a) Also remains a very powerful idea
• b) But New Right policies have endangered the
  lives of the poor in places like Uttar Pradesh
• C) Even so, people in the global south are
  talking of New Right as a basis for devt

6
What do the two case studies tell us?

• 4. About people and development?
• Our focus on technology exposes fractured
  politics of devt (eg GR)
• India Sense of people being increasingly
  fragmented in pursuit of devt
• C) But Kacys Brazil example social movements
  still very important

7
What do the two case studies tell us?

• 5. About sustainable development?
• Multiple ways in which SD is discussed and used
  eg GM debate
• New sense of global risks unsettling SD eg GM
• C) Even so, sustainable development remains a key
  issue

8
What do the two case studies tell us?

• 6. About development theories in general?
• a) No single theory is right
• b) Theories tend to break down in the face of
  local complexity
• c) All theories retain some relevance
• d) The theories are produced at multiple scales
• e) People use the theories for political purposes

9
What do the two case studies tell us?

• 7. About our role in development?
• a) Intractability of problems
• b) Our actions affect others
• c) New interconnectedness
• d) Potential of youth to remake the world