Global Development? Monitored Object(ive)s, Omitted Subject(ivitie)s

Abstract

In this article I critically reflect on the hegemonic modernist framework of development by focusing on its reflection and application in the United Nations’ (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and practices. Not only do I find it falling short of explaining, understanding or bringing about global development, but quite the opposite, since it feeds into and reproduces the status quo. While I plead for serious (re)definitions, and genuine global commitment towards the (re)solution, of the current micro/macro social problems, which are interdependent and need to be treated in connection and at once, I pick four urgent areas of transformation as sub-topics for the present discussion. They include the (meta)theoretical framework and discourse of development, historical and contextual analyses of diverse human socio-cultural conditions, political will and agency and psychology's contributions within a transdisciplinary participation paradigm. I also briefly hint at various issues from the ‘developing’ context of Turkish society in order to illustrate some of the arguments. It is hoped that the complexity of these issues and widespread inequity problems will no longer be ignored in favour of conventional policies and programmes that are based on the reductionist framework and that truly trans(/post)disciplinary and trans(/post)cultural dialogues will enable new connections, meanings and actions towards desired global transformations.