Speaker: Dr Ben Selwyn, Lecturer in International Relations, University of Sussex
Development is generally understood as a process whereby poor countries pursue rapid economic growth in order to catch up with rich countries. Whilst the major divide in development thinking is the extent to which states or markets can facilitate such catch up, the common-sense understanding that rapid economic growth is necessary is rarely questioned. In this lecture Dr Ben Selwyn argues that by focussing on growth first, and real human needs second, such conceptions of development not only reduce humans to means and growth to ends, but also perpetuates the rich world/poor world divide. He argues instead for a development project based around expanding human freedoms, economic de-growth and the extension of democracy into the economic sphere.
All welcome. Contact the Events Coordinator, [email protected] for further details.