Deconstruction and development: from progress to pause

Abstract

A number of issues arising from deconstructionist critiques within the social sciences are examined for their relevance to developmental theorising. Criticisms from other cultural perspectives are described as often incompatible with views of Western writers. As an example of the sort of rethinking called for by these critiques, differing perspectives on the idea of an individual “self” are discussed. These views have varied across historical times, genders and cultures, as can be seen in writings on Maori culture in New Zealand/Aotearoa. This paper considers the possibility of using a politically sensitive analysis informed by feminist critique as a way of dealing with the problems of relativism exposed by deconstruction. The purpose of this paper is to consider some implications of deconstructionist thought for work in the field of human development. Recent critical work could have wide‐ranging effects for most areas of developmental research and theorising for decades to come. The first section below o...