Development and Patronage

Some argue that the concept of development is far from a liberating process for all. It is contended that much of what has been done in the name of development has served to reinforce the intellectual, material and financial dependence of those on the receiving end. Some argue that the very concept of development is essentially a vehicle in which cultural values and social norms as well as resources are exported from one part of the world to another, along a one-way route from rich to poor. Aid thus becomes a means by which unequal relationships of power are maintained and patronage is fostered. This reader examines these issues, which are currently being debated in development circles, through a selection of articles by contributors from North and South.