Social transformation, development and globalization (original) (raw)
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All the conceptualizations regarding to societies inevitably have been determined, or at least motivated by ideological processes, through the apparatus professionalized on the ideological reproduction of the social structure (Althusser). The core question of this paper is scrutinizing the particular ideological contexts under which the "social transformation" concept has grown. The critical conceptual archeology on social transformation will seaway to a discussion of two other related concepts: development and globalization. It is still ambiguous whether social transformation discussions will take the ex-position of the developmental approach, or instead be a critical alternative to the neo-liberal ideas in social sciences of the 21 st century. If the concept is taken literally, we can possibly never see a society which does not experience a "transformation" in "social" terms at all. Societies have always been transformed through social processes. However, as an independent concept it appeared in a particular contextual basis. This same multi-dimensional context was the driving force behind UNESCO's organization of the MOST (Management of Social Transformations) Program. This paper can be considered a theoretical framework focusing on social transformation as defined through the examination of its principal ideologies and the study of the concept's reproduction through international institutions.
Sociology of development: sociology, development studies or already dead?
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The term 'sociology of development' refers to the existence of a more or less clearly defined sociological sub-discipline which emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. The sociology of development increasingly became a part of the interdisciplinary field of development studies, which for a long time was caught up in the debate on the 'grand theories' of modernisation and dependency. Exhausted by this theoretical debate which did not reach a conclusion, sociologists working on the Global South re-invented the sociology of development in the 1980s with an 'empirical turn'. However, the discussion on postdevelopment started at the same time, and this critical view was later supported by postcolonialism. Sociologists working on the Global South participated in all these debates and quite a few became outspoken critics of the development concept, while others still carry the flag of sociology of development against all odds. This leads to the question whether the sociology of development still exists as a sub-discipline, or whether there are just a few institutional artefacts left, such as sections in sociological associations, which provide a playground for elderly scholars who still live and work in yesterday's world.
This article presents the various theoretical approaches to the study of social transformation and sociology of development since the emergence of this sub-field in sociology. In discussing various paradigms of social change and social transformation, the article questions the Eurocentric assumptions of a seemingly linear trajectory. In summarizing the developments in the field of sociology of development, this article synthesizes various theoretical strands such as modernization theories, dependency and worldsystems theories, and globalization and multiple modernity theories.
A Perspective on the Sociology of Development*
Sociologia Ruralis, 1984
The paper argues chat we have reached an impasse in theorizing about agrarian social change due to the deterministic and centralistic assumptions of existing sociological theories of development, whether they adopt a modernization, dependency or political economy framework. What is needed, it is suggested, is a more serious attempt to analyse the dynamic processes by which individuals and social groups ‐ peasants, workers, entrepreneurs, bureaucrats, politicians and others ‐ interact and develop strategies for dealing with changing circumstances. Space must be found for an actor‐oriented analysis of social process which identifies how ‘ordinary people’ rather than simply abstract ‘social forces’ actively shape the outcomes of development.The argument, which draws upon the author's field research in Zambia and Peru, is developed by considering three analytical issues: a) the significance of differential responses to similar social conditions, b) the problem of relating interactio...
Ethnography of Development Sociology
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Development sociology as a distinct area of study gained prominence in the post-world war era with the evolving interest in political and economic progression of the post-colonial world. The emerging discipline from the mainstream sociology have been particularly interested in development paths and strategies adopted in nations in the various regions of the world with greater emphasis in development trends among the third world nations. This paper chronicled strides in the sub discipline since inception and contributions by scholars towards the growth of the discipline as well as development descriptions, explanation and predictions with the relationship of the western rich nations and third world nations in mind. This paper, hold that the postulations of development sociology as regards global development trends, citizen's capacity building and citizen's freedom/access be encouraged by all stakeholders; as well as consciously addressing the issue of income inequality which currently is criminally wide.
Social Evolution & History
The post-development theorists argue that certain characteristics of the 'Western' ways of talking about and representing the non-West should be understood as ideological projections rather than as scientific knowledge about people and places elsewhere. To these theorists, the ways of conceiving and representing development that are closely bound to the North's development agencies and programs reveal more about the selfaffirming ideologies of the Global North than insights into the peoples of the rest of the world. In addition, the post-development scholars take up the position that development has less to do with human improvement and more to do with human control and domination. This theory suggests that societies at the local level should be allowed to pursue their own development path as they perceive it without the influences of global capital and other modern choices, and thus a rejection of the entire paradigm from Eurocentric model and the advocation of new ways of thinking about the non-Western societies. However, this developmental model for the societies of the Global South, especially Africa, is inefficient because it is a kind of cultural relativism, which is capable of veering into fundamentalism and does not allow for mutual borrowing. The thrust of this study lies basically in presenting that a combination of cultural knowledge and Western development theories through an adaptation of post-development model is needed for development and social order in Africa. This means that an all-inclusive model encapsulating life promotion and centred on human should be adopted as a development model for Africa.