Discussion Of Development Research Articles

Sociological discourse of technological development: global challenges and ukrainian realities

Methods. The methodological basis of the study was such scientific methods as analytical – when summarizing the results of scientific research of domestic and foreign scientists regarding the essence, significance and factors of influence on scientific and technological activity in the country; abstract-logical – when formulating a hypothesis regarding the relationship between social relations of taxation and the economic results of management of innovative and technological development; economic and statistical – during the study of the social characteristics of taxation in Ukraine. Results. Based on the analysis of the scientific works of domestic and foreign scientists, it has been confirmed that technologies promote innovation, create jobs and contribute to long-term economic growth. It was established that such generally recognized factors of influence on scientific and technological activity in the country as industrial, monetary and tax policy, as well as financial encouragement of business to introduce innovations and advanced technologies in combination with organizational changes, require a systematic approach to the introduction and addition of additional regulators depending on the situation. Attention is focused on the need to expand the list of factors influencing social changes, in particular, at the expense of tax sociology. Novelty. It has been established that the field of tax sociology can supplement traditional ideas about the economic model of behavior by determining the fundamental dynamics, the long-term ability to invest in research and technology. Practical value. The results of the research are of an applied nature as such that, based on the analysis of tax statistics, it is possible to predict the far-reaching consequences of the impact of tax sociology on socio-economic changes in general, and scientific and technological development, in particular.

Re-conceptualizing Development Terminology from a Relational Approach: Perspectives from Two Case Studies in South Africa

This article uses a relational approach to re-conceptualize development concepts, measures, and practices. It explores how participants in the development sector construct and make sense of their lived realities and how they perceive and act on development initiatives as part of a social process. This is a qualitative study that uses a case study of two organizations in the development sector of South Africa working with individuals and households in communities that are in precarious circumstances. The organizations are small but rich in understanding what it means to be present, to learn, to negotiate, to allow for choices, and to do so within a sustainable view of development relationships. The insights from these contexts and the ethos from which they derive provide us with an opportunity to rethink the ethos that guides the broader development discourse.

Critiques of Development using Foucault’s Discourse and Power Theory

Analyzing the modern development program through Michel Foucault's theory of discourse and power provides insights into its origins and shortcomings. This research aims to critique modern development theory in terms of Foucault’s theory of discourse and power. Development, and modern development theory as well as Escobar’s articles about the implementation of Foucault’s theory were studied. The research found that the discourse surrounding development serves as a means of exerting power and control, often driven by the interests of dominant nations. However, despite ambitious promises, development programs frequently fail to achieve meaningful progress due to the power dynamics and inequalities embedded in the modern development discourse which excludes local discourse. Applying Foucault's framework challenges universal claims and grand narratives, opening avenues for critical analysis and a post-modern understanding of development. This approach prompts a reevaluation of power dynamics, knowledge production, and discursive practices, aiming for context-specific approaches that address the diverse needs of underdeveloped nations.

Evaluating end‐users' digital competencies and ethical perceptions of AI systems in the context of sustainable digital banking

AbstractIn the pursuit of fostering sustainable digital banking (SDB), this study investigates the nexus between end‐users' digital competencies, perceptions of artificially intelligent systems, and sustainable practices. With a focus on addressing inclusivity barriers and promoting ethical considerations, expert interviews were employed to provide nuanced insights. The study's foundation rests on the significance of sustainable development goals, digital competencies, and artificial intelligence (AI) ethics in shaping the future of digital banking. An interview schedule was developed and distributed online to IT experts and researchers in the field of AI. The instrument examined the major challenges faced by customers in accessing digital banking, the expected timeline for the complete digitalization of the South African banking sector, customers' anticipated competency, and comfort levels with a 100% digital banking interface, and their perspectives on the overall impact of such a transition on humanity. The interview gathered participants' views on AI‐based banking systems that determine credit scores and creditworthiness. The study also included questions to obtain expert opinions on customers' digital capabilities, access to resources, and the impact of AI trust issues on financial service customers. The findings of this study provided valuable insights for stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and financial institutions. Implications derived from expert perspectives illuminate strategies for enhancing digital competencies, addressing inclusivity hurdles, and ensuring ethical AI integration. This study contributes to the sustainable development discourse by offering actionable recommendations for stakeholders in the pursuit of a more inclusive, digitally competent, and ethically responsible digital banking landscape.

Financial Empowerment of Tribal Women: An Inquiry into Sustainable Economic Justice Initiatives and Pathways towards Inclusive Development

The current discussion on development emphasises the importance of empowering marginalised people in order to alleviate socioeconomic inequities and promote inclusive growth. This study aims to explore the financial empowerment of indigenous women, evaluating the complex relationship between economic justice programmes and sustainable approaches to achieve inclusive development. In this context, the research aims to explore the many aspects of financial empowerment programmes specifically designed for tribal women. Its goal is to contribute to the continuing discussion on promoting economic equality and long-term social change. This inquiry aims to examine the complex processes of financial inclusion and highlight the possibility for enabling indigenous women to achieve economic justice. By doing so, it envisions a future that is more egalitarian and resilient for these communities. In the backdrop of India's developmental discourse, this study delves into the imperative realm of financial empowerment for tribal women. Focused on unravelling the intricate relationship between economic justice initiatives and sustainable pathways toward inclusive development, our research aims to shed light on the challenges hindering the financial autonomy of indigenous women. Our investigation centers on the nuanced landscape of financial empowerment programs tailored specifically for tribal women, seeking to contribute substantively to the ongoing dialogue on economic equality and enduring societal transformation. By navigating the complexities of financial inclusion processes, our inquiry envisions a future where indigenous women not only achieve economic justice but also actively participate in reshaping a more equitable and resilient society. It is identified that to demolish patriarchal systems, there are need to expand educational possibilities, close income gaps, promote financial literacy, and combat prejudiced cultural viewpoints. Further, targeted interventions include microfinance programs, village savings and loans, direct cash transfers, and government schemes. Collective efforts from governmental, non-governmental, and community stakeholders are needed to create a more egalitarian society that empowers tribal women economically, socially, psychologically, and politically

Re-Imagining Alternative Futures through Empowerment

The physical conquest of European powers on the rest of the world for the imposition of an accumulation of wealth monopoly and the destruction of native societies remains the foundation of the current global economy. Despite concepts of human flourishing, a term connected to empowerment that acts as an architectural structure within the development and sustainability discourse, the destruction of our planet and collective human wellbeing is not at the forefront of international political agendas. Scholars argue that the development agenda is maldevelopment due to the unrequested interventions delivered to communities, mainly in the Global South. Thus, despite the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the implementation of inner dimensions that facilitate empowerment and are an integral part of development is missing from these sophisticated global frameworks. This research article repositions empowerment and compassion at the centre of the sustainable development discourse by drawing on the Inner Development Framework, particularly goal one—Being—‘Relationship to Self’ and goal three—Relating—‘Caring for others and the World’ and the Capabilities Theory as a guiding theoretical underpinning. On this basis, this article presents a qualitative interpretative study that examines the lived experience of women and their journeys to empowerment. The key findings indicate an intricate relationship between wellbeing and empowerment and the realisation of inner development as a tool to re-imagine alternative futures. In addition, industries are profiteering from a sustainability and development agenda that is failing to address the disablement of communities by a paternalistic approach to empowerment.

‘Like aid given by a mother to her young’: The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and the marketing of economic development 1948–1965

This paper locates Britain’s nationalised airline, the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), in the political discourse of colonial development. Between 1939 and 1974 BOAC connected Britain to destinations across the globe for business and leisure. However, the vast majority of people in Britain could scarcely afford the luxury of flight: BOAC had the task of convincing its shareholders, of whom were paying for a product they did not use, that it served an important national purpose. This paper explores BOAC not as an airline, but as a marketer: at the heart of BOAC’s communications was a vision of Britain and its place in the world. It sought to promote its services by using the language of economic development to encourage and justify increased business abroad. In so doing, it shows how BOAC used marketing to justify its operations using political, rather than economic, messages.

Development cooperation and Neo-Pentecostal churches – A decolonial perspective

Religion and development are a subject that has stimulated researchers in the recent past. Most of the religious role players in development within sub-Saharan Africa have been the historic missional churches, also known as the mainline churches – mostly founded by Euro-Western missionaries. Development with Neo-Pentecostal Churches (NPCs), who are part of Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, is fairly a new area of research. The purpose of this article is to position NPCs as potential development partners that can work in cooperation with other stakeholders in advancing development in the South African context from a decolonial perspective. A literary review on Neo-Pentecostals as development actors, is the focus of this article, positioning them as ideal development partners that contribute towards social and economic capital of communities within the context of education. The article starts by defining a working definition of development, followed by a conceptual framework of Pentecostal tenets where Christ is saviour, healer, baptiser and soon coming king, together with the holistic African worldview which does not demarcate between the sacred and the secular. The outcome is that development in NPCs is spiritual development which starts from individual development that is accompanied by entrepreneurial skills and that Neo-Pentecostals have a contribution towards sustainable development as expressed in their practice of faith and theology which naturally gravitates towards development.Contribution: Education, economics, and Pentecostalism highlight the importance of flexibility and versatility of Neo-Pentecostals in the discourse of sustainable development.

What Do So‐Called Critical Race Theory Bans Mean for Elementary Literacy Instruction?

AbstractIn recent years, a number of states in the United States have enacted educational policies, often referred to as “critical race theory” bans, that aim to restrict teaching about race and racism in schools. This study examines how current and future elementary literacy educators interpreted and intended to respond to one such law in Tennessee. Drawing theoretically on policy sociology and critical race theory policy analysis, we qualitatively analyzed data generated in focus groups with 18 prospective and practicing teachers. Our findings illustrate the restrictive effects of the policy on elementary literacy instruction, caused partially by teachers interpreting the policy as substantially impeding their ability to engage students in critically reading, writing, and talking about race and racism. Further, findings demonstrate how this new policy intersected with and exacerbated existing curricular constraints in elementary literacy classrooms, including developmental discourses and neoliberal standardization, reinforcing normative whiteness by producing further impediments to elementary literacy instruction as a space to develop critical consciousness about race. This study contributes to emerging literature on the effects of divisive concepts legislation, as well as situating this current legislative wave within existing policy contexts of restriction.

Does climate variability matter in achieving food security in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Food security in developing regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa is a top priority in global development discourse, as evidenced in Sustainable Development Goal 2. Yet, high climate vulnerability poses serious challenges to food security in Africa even though the literature is inconclusive. Using data from 40 selected Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 2000 to 2021, this paper investigates the extent to which climate variability affects food security in SSA. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to construct a food security index derived from its four dimensions (availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability). The proxies for climate variability included precipitation, temperature, and CO2 emissions. The Panel Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) technique, which takes into account the cross-sectional dependency, serial correlation, and heteroscedasticity, was employed. The empirical results show that precipitation and CO2 emissions influence food security positively, while the association between temperature and food security is negative. Indeed, achieving food security in Africa requires robust and feasible policies capable of mitigating climate vulnerability and impacts on the continent.

Going the distance: endurance philanthropy, spectacle, and development in Central America

The increasing popularity of fusing adventure, humanitarianism, and travel has received attention from scholars within the fields of leisure and tourism studies, particularly regarding widespread activities such as volunteer tourism. Fewer have examined the phenomenon that we refer to as endurance philanthropy, in which participants journey long distances under challenging conditions to increase awareness and raise funds for specific causes. As more and more people become attuned to the idea, it is essential to interrogate the power dynamics and development discourses that frame such campaigns. To begin this necessary conversation, this paper investigates one subset of the endurance philanthropy movement: participants who have journeyed from North America to Central America to raise money and awareness for causes situated within the destination region. Using the lenses of spectacle and critical development, we analyze online media produced both by and about these journeyers. Our findings highlight key themes that weave across and through these events: actions not words, expedition completed, grit and determination, and donor commitment. We argue that these events – while emphasizing solidarity and advocating for social change – ultimately undermine the potential for such transformation due to the spectacular, individualizing, and apolitical characteristics of the campaigns. This results in the reproduction of neoliberal self-help models of progress, which reinforce the status quo and downplay larger structural issues that keep poverty and inequality in place.

Children’s participation matters: a step towards institutional and legal innovation in Spain

Abstract Since its adoption in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has had a significant impact on multilevel legislation regarding children’s rights. This research aims to examine the Spanish legislation on childhood and adolescence in four autonomous communities and in the central state. To achieve this objective, a sociological neoinstitutionalist approach and qualitative methodology based on content analysis and coding using MAXQDA software in its 2022 version were employed. The study focused on the language of the rules, objectives, system of governance, and participation as the main variables. The analysis allowed for an understanding of the discourse and degree of development of these variables. The results of this research reveal the importance of CRC and its influence on national legislation. Additionally, the emphasis on protection policies for the creation of a sphere for children and adolescents is noteworthy. Lastly, the instruments of participation vary but tend to take institutionalized forms. This research contributes to our understanding of the impact of CRC and its influence on childhood and adolescence legislation in Spain.

The Duty of Water: Land, Labour, and the Racialisation of Waste in Colonial and Contemporary Punjab

AbstractIn our present changing climate, water governance is fast becoming a matter of concern everywhere, but especially in the Global South, which has long been the object of (mis)understandings of state failure and dysfunction. A common characterisation of “bad” water governance calls attention to the waste of water. In this article I show how contemporary development discourse and practice around the waste of water articulate conceptions of bureaucratic labour, farmer capability, and the suitability of irrigation practices, recalling a prior moment in colonial water governance. Examining the development of the “duty of water” in the context of canal irrigation infrastructure in colonial Punjab, I argue that seemingly “technical” measures and metrics of water governance are rooted in a colonial grammar, and show how the duty of water articulated racialised classifications of natives as wasteful, their places as waste, and of their labour, both agricultural and bureaucratic. While the tendency has been to view colonial irrigation as a battle with nature, I emphasise it instead as a battle of British with native labour to contribute to conceptualisations of environment and bureaucracy inseparable from, and incomplete without, an understanding of racialised labour. Today, figurations of labour have changed, but the underlying view of labour impeding, not enabling, governance, continues.

English and ‘personality development’: the hyper-individualization and de-politicization of social mobility in India

Abstract In the last two decades, English learning in India has undergone noticeable and subtle transformations. Alongside the massive increase in coaching centres to cater for widespread demand, there has also emerged a tacit understanding that it is no longer enough to speak English to be socially mobile: students must also engage in a range of self-work, or ‘personality development’. In this article, I draw on ethnographic data from an NGO in Delhi that seeks to alleviate poverty through English and personality development training for disadvantaged youth. I show how discourses of personality development (re)produce and juxtapose particular understandings of the self that work to hyper-individualize and depoliticize the project of social mobility. Situating these discourses within the context of shifting political economic configurations in India, this paper demonstrates how these notions of ‘personality development’ both emerge from and obscure long-standing and newly-developing colonial, caste and class histories, and how they work to produce depoliticised subjectivities.

Fostering Inclusive Development: The Government's Role in Integrating a Gender Perspective

This research employs a descriptive qualitative method to analyze the government's role in promoting gender perspective in development within Sidoarjo Regency, Indonesia. Utilizing purposive sampling, the study draws upon role theory by Soerjono Soekanto, focusing on active, participatory, and passive roles. Findings reveal that the Sidoarjo Regency Government effectively advocates and socializes gender mainstreaming, demonstrating an active role. The government engages in education and motivation, encouraging broad societal participation, exemplifying a participatory role. However, a passive role is observed in limited active involvement in socialization activities. This research underscores the importance of government initiatives in fostering gender equality, offering insights applicable to global development discourse Highlight : Government Advocacy and Socialization: The study reveals the Sidoarjo Regency Government's effective advocacy and socialization efforts in promoting gender mainstreaming, reflecting an active role. Participatory Engagement: Through education and motivation, the government actively involves diverse societal levels, fostering a participatory role in advancing gender equality within development initiatives. Passive Role Observation: The research identifies areas where the government maintains a passive role, primarily limited to socialization activities, shedding light on potential areas for increased active involvement in gender-responsive development efforts Keywords: Gender-Responsive Development, Government Role, Sidoarjo Regency, Role Theory, Gender Mainstreaming

Here to stay? Challenges to liberal environmentalism in regional climate governance

AbstractWhile regionalism is highly relevant in many policy fields today, regional idiosyncrasies have been poorly understood in the literature on multilateral climate governance. This article explores regional ideas in climate governance by comparing the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS). As international climate governance has institutionalised a normative compromise of liberal environmentalism since the 1990s, the article further assesses ideational challenges to this compromise. It examines how these ideas have evolved over time and explains variation between the organisations through the advent of new knowledge. Relying on qualitative content analysis, the article finds that both CARICOM and CBSS have supported and reproduced liberal environmentalism in the past. More recently, CARICOM has started to connect climate change with notions of survival and justice, implicitly challenging liberal environmentalism, while CBSS remains situated within established discourses of sustainable development. The article then argues that the availability of new knowledge from both scientific as well as experiential sources explains the evolution of ideas in regional organisations. Problem definitions of climate change evolve within regional organisations when officials gain access to new scientific data and are able to combine or confirm them with experience from their day‐to‐day work.

In the name of development? The moral economy of a private sector–NGO partnership in Ethiopia

Private actors have, over the past decade, entered the field of development operating in new forms of partnerships with established aid actors. Private actors now constitute a central means and objective of publicly funded development aid, causing a growth in actors operating in the name of development but without being compelled to follow established development discourses or principles. This article explores the formation of one such ‘strategic partnership’ in northern Ethiopia, between a small publicly funded Norwegian NGO and a multinational corporation. The research draws on several fieldworks in Ethiopia, stakeholder interviews, and project observations in 2018 and 2019, complemented with grey literature review. Using the concept of ‘interface’, the article explores the various encounters between actors with different rationales and mandates that prove hard to reconcile in practice; the seemingly altruistic development aid drawing on participatory approaches to target beneficiaries’ needs is at odds with the corporate logic and accountabilities to shareholders and investors. The partnership and project formations are undermined by the practical encounter of these distinct logics, as the private actor gradually withdraws from joint project operations to maintain its corporate reputation. Any notion of participatory planning and local knowledge – here conceived of in terms of moral economy – are omitted from the project formation process, thus, not only undermining a central principle of aid programming, but also making the publicly funded aid project into a proxy for corporate interests.

Development Hegemonic Constructions and the Resistance with Alternative Voices

This paper examines a burgeoning anthropological literature on development and debates surrounding development discourse. Some of these raise question regarding the concept of development, arguing that it is a contentious domain. Reviewing major literature on the issue, I suggest, dominant paradigms of development oversimplify the notion as if it were homogeneous. I take post modern critiques of development as an example in order to examine the nature of deconstructing development discourse. I argue some writers oversimplify the notion of development by using dichotomies- developed/ underdeveloped. By critically examining knowledge in the developmental domain in anthropology, this paper presents some ethnographic examples which raises conceptual, and practical questions regarding the nature of neoliberal development. The main thrust of this paper, therefore, is to question whether neoliberal development can be forever marked or fixed, a question central to this paper.

Guatemalan Discourses and Practices of Development and Social Categories - On Our Own Terms: Development and Indigeneity in Cold War Guatemala. By Sarah Foss. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2022. Pp. 234. $99.00 cloth; $29.95 paper; $22.90 e-book.

Guatemalan Discourses and Practices of Development and Social Categories - On Our Own Terms: Development and Indigeneity in Cold War Guatemala. By Sarah Foss. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2022. Pp. 234. $99.00 cloth; $29.95 paper; $22.90 e-book.

The interplay of normative, descriptive, and prescriptive discourses in shaping student teacher development: an analysis of physical education inspection reports

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze physical education (PE) inspection discourse for insights into mentoring practices and teaching quality improvement. Examining reports provided perspective into normative, descriptive, and prescriptive evaluation aspects shaping student teacher development. Methods: The study involved 29 Tunisian inspectors of student teachers at the High Institute of Sport and Physical Education during the Fall 2022 academic term. In total, 117 pedagogical reports were obtained confidentially for discourse analysis. The analysis focuses on three types of discourse that may be present in the inspection reports: normative, descriptive, and prescriptive. The objective is to extract the most frequently used words and verbs by inspectors and to quantify the frequency of terms related to these three dimensions. Results: Analysis of verb and word frequencies within different discourse types revealed a significant association (χ² test, P= .0013, Cramer's V= .17, moderate effect size). Pedagogical inspectors predominantly employed normative language, with 78.1% of words and 62.7% of verbs falling into this category. This dominance suggests a focus on guiding, advising, and encouraging teachers through references to specific standards and practices. Notably, verbs like "guide" and "suggest" (14% and 12% frequency, respectively) were prevalent, highlighting a collaborative approach over direct imposition. Conclusions: This study challenges the singular focus on discourse modalities in inspector reports, revealing a multifaceted discourse ecosystem. While normative language sets standards and benchmarks, descriptive language captures classroom realities, and prescriptive language offers targeted guidance. This interplay fosters critical reflection, professional autonomy, and continuous improvement in student teachers. Inspectors, therefore, emerge as more than evaluators; they are facilitators.