Institute of Development Studies

Biography

Professor John Gaventa is a political sociologist, educator and civil society practitioner with over 30 years experience of research, training and organisational leadership in North and South. Currently he is a Professor and Research Fellow at IDS, where he is a member of the Participation, Power and Social Change team and Director of the Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability. He has written widely on issues of power, participatory development and governance, civil society and social change. Before coming to IDS in 1996, John was the co-director of research and Director of the Highlander Centre, an NGO with over seven decades of experience in working on poverty and social justice issues in poor regions of the United States.

Selected Projects and Recent Work

• Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability
• Big International NGOs
• Champions of Participation
• Assessing Social Change

Thematic Expertise

Participation; Inclusive Citizenship and Governance; Poverty.

Selected Publications »»

• McGee, R. and Gaventa, J. (2011) 'Shifting Power? Assessing the Impact of Transparency and Accountability Initiatives', IDS Working Paper 383, Brighton: IDS
• McGee, R. and Gaventa, J. (2010) 'Review of Impact and Effectiveness of Transparency and Accountability Initiatives '
• Ling, A., McGee, R. and Gaventa, J. and Pantazidou, M. (2010) 'Literature Review on Active Participation and Human Rights Research and Advocacy '
• Gaventa, J. and Barrett, G (2010) 'So What Difference Does it Make? Mapping the Outcomes of Citizen Engagement', IDS Research Summary of IDS Working Paper 347, Brighton: IDS
• Gaventa, J. and Barrett, G. (2010) 'So What Difference Does it Make? Mapping the Outcomes of Citizen Engagement', IDS Working Paper 347, Brighton: IDS
• Gaventa, J. and McGee, R. (2010) Citizen Action and National Policy Reform: Making Change Happen, London: Zed Books
• Gaventa, J. and Tandon, R. (2010) Globalizing Citizens: New Dynamics of Inclusion and Exclusion, London: Zed Books
• Gaventa, J (2009) 'Spanning Citizenship Spaces Through Transnational Coalitions: The Case of the Global Campaign for Education', IDS Working Paper 327, Brighton: IDS
• Gaventa, J. and Mayo, M. (2009) 'Spanning Citizenship Spaces Through Transnational Coalitions', IDS Research Summary 327, Brighton: IDS
• Brown, D.L. and Gaventa, J. (2009) 'Constructing Transnational Action Research Networks: Observations and Reflections from the case of the Citizenship DRC', IDS Research Summary 302, Brighton: IDS
• Gaventa, J. (2008) 'Building Responsive States: Citizen Action and National Policy Change', IDS In Focus Policy Briefing 5, Brighton: IDS
• Brown, D.L. and Gaventa, J. (2008) 'Constructing Transnational Action Research Networks: Observations and Reflections from the case of the Citizenship DRC', IDS Working Paper 302, Brighton: IDS
• Gaventa, J. and Mayo, M. (2008) 'Linking the Local and the Global Through Citizen-based Advocacy? The Case of the Global Campaign for Education' Wp2008-12, IDS
• Gaventa, J. (2006) 'Triumph, Deficit or Contestation? Deepening the 'Deepening Democracy' Debate', IDS Working Paper 264, Brighton: IDS
• Gaventa, J. (2006) 'Finding the Spaces for Change: A Power Analysis in Power, Exploring Power for Change', IDS Bulletin 37.6, Brighton: IDS