International development

Ideas about development guide what individuals, institutions and governments attempt as they pursue a better world. This academic volume traces where those ideas came from, how they have shifted and spread, and where they might head in the decades ahead. It also looks at how the experiences of particular countries and organizations have both drawn on and fed back into development thinking.

The authors argue that development outcomes depend heavily on local circumstances, history and institutional settings. Broad policy formulas tend to falter when the conditions needed for them to succeed are missing, overlooked or poorly understood. Because nations differ widely in their starting points and in how open they are to foreign capital and influence, the book questions the idea that one model could work everywhere. Attention is also given to how people themselves interpret their development experiences.

Each chapter offers an analytical survey of the field, highlighting key debates and engaging with critical viewpoints. The contributors come from both the global North and the global South, represent at least two generations, and work across several disciplines.

Written for scholars, graduate students and practitioners, the volume serves as a reference on the concepts and theories of development, covering their origins, evolution and likely trajectories.