Theories and Practices of Development

Citation

Willis, K. (2021). Theories and Practices of Development (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Chapter Summary

The book is a compact text of eight chapters, about 233 pages of chapters within a volume of 292 pages. Routledge describes it as an account of how ideas and policies about development have evolved, treated through economic, political, social, environmental and spatial dimensions, with the argument that development is never a neutral concept because it is bound up with inequalities of power at local, national and global scales. Chapters 2 and 3 carry the main theoretical traditions; Chapters 4 to 7 turn to themes.

Chapter 1: Meanings of development

The longest chapter (pages 1–35) deals with what "development" is taken to mean. Routledge presents development as a concept bound up with power, a framing that this opening discussion of meanings prepares for the rest of the book.

Chapter 2: Modernization, Keynesianism and neoliberalism

The first of the two theory chapters groups three approaches that have shaped mainstream development policy, from modernization thinking and Keynesian state intervention to neoliberal market-oriented reform (pages 36–65).

Chapter 3: Structuralism, neo-Marxism and socialism

The second theory chapter (pages 66–98) covers structuralist, neo-Marxist and socialist approaches, the traditions set alongside the mainstream approaches of Chapter 2.

Chapter 4: Politics and development

New in this edition. Routledge says it presents debates about development and democracy, civil society organizations and human rights.

Chapter 5: Grassroots development

The chapter on grassroots development (pages 133–159). As the term indicates, it looks at approaches that begin at community level.

Chapter 6: Social and cultural dimensions of development

The chapter on the social and cultural side of development. Routledge notes that sections on diversity and development have been expanded in this edition.

Chapter 7: Environment and development

The chapter on the relationship between environment and development (pages 190–222), the last of the thematic chapters.

Chapter 8: Conclusions

A short closing chapter (pages 223–233). According to Routledge, the book as a whole considers the future of development in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Key Concepts

Chapters 1–3: Meanings and Theories

• Development as a non-neutral idea: the book's organising claim, that definitions and strategies of development carry unequal power relations.
• Modernization, Keynesianism, neoliberalism: the three approaches grouped in Chapter 2 as policy frameworks that have shaped mainstream development.
• Structuralism, neo-Marxism and socialism: the critical traditions of Chapter 3.

Chapters 4–8: Themes and Practice

• Democracy, civil society and human rights: the subjects of the new politics chapter.
• Grassroots development: approaches to development that begin at community level.
• Diversity: social and cultural difference as part of how development is experienced and pursued.
• Sustainable Development Goals: the policy framework in whose era, according to Routledge, the book considers the future of development.

Critical Analysis

Strengths

• Compact and organised around theory. Eight chapters and about 233 pages make a short route through development debates, and the two theory chapters give a clear spine before the thematic chapters.
• A consistent critical frame. Routledge states that development is treated as entwined with power inequalities at several scales, which gives the separate traditions a common question to be compared on.
• Updated for current debates. The third edition adds a chapter on politics and development, expands the treatment of diversity, and looks forward to the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Built-in study aids. The publisher lists boxed examples, tables and illustrations to show theories in practice, and each chapter ends with a summary, discussion topics, further reading and website resources.

Limitations

• Breadth over depth. Modernization, Keynesianism and neoliberalism share one chapter of about thirty pages, and structuralism, neo-Marxism and socialism another; each tradition receives an overview rather than extended analysis.
• Thematic rather than sectoral or regional. The chapter titles do not single out particular sectors (such as agriculture, health or urbanisation) or regions, so readers needing those will find them only as examples inside the thematic chapters or need other books.
• Modest visual material. Routledge lists 51 black-and-white illustrations in a volume of 292 pages, so readers who want extensive maps or data graphics will need other sources.

Where It Fits in the Course

Willis is a concise text organised around theory. Potter and colleagues' Geographies of Development is described as a geography-led introduction that links theory with colonial histories, globalization, institutions and urban and rural places, using maps and case studies; it is the natural companion for readers who want more place-based material than Willis offers. Sheppard and colleagues' A World of Difference is a substantial geographical text on development as a contested idea and suits a second pass once the traditions in Willis are familiar.

Amartya Sen's Development as Freedom is a sustained argument for judging development by the real freedoms people have, and it works as a primary text to read alongside Chapter 1's discussion of what development means. Jeffrey Sachs's The Age of Sustainable Development is an illustrated introduction written by an economist for general readers and sits well beside Chapters 7 and 8. The Companion to Development Studies is a large edited reference of short chapters, best used to look up a concept or debate that Willis introduces.

How to Use This Book

Routledge positions the book for undergraduate students of geography, politics and development studies. Routledge calls it a clear and user-friendly introduction, and no prior study of development appears to be needed; an introductory course in human geography or the social sciences makes the vocabulary easier.

A practical plan: read Chapters 1 to 3 in order, since they establish the definitions and the three families of theory that the later chapters assume. Then choose among Chapters 4 to 7 according to the course: Chapter 4 for governance and rights, Chapter 5 for participatory and community approaches, Chapter 6 for social difference, Chapter 7 for environmental questions. Chapter 8 is short and makes a closing read once the earlier chapters are done.

Use the discussion topics and further-reading lists at the end of each chapter to move from the overview to the primary authors, and pair each theory chapter with one case from a longer book on development to test how well the theory explains it.