International Development

International Development: A Postwar History offers the first concise historical overview of international development policies and practices in the 20th century. Embracing a longue duree perspective, the book describes the emergence of the development field at the intersection of late colonialism, the Second World War, the onset of decolonization, and the Cold War. It discusses the role of international organizations, colonial administrations, national governments, and transnational actors in the making of the field, and it analyzes how the political, intellectual, and economic changes over the course of the postwar period affected the understanding of and expectations toward development. By drawing on examples of development projects in different parts of the world and in different fields, Corinna R. Unger shows how the plurality of development experiences shaped the notion of development as we know it today. This book is ideal for scholars seeking to understand the history of development assistance and to gain new insight into the international history of the 20th century.>

In her masterful survey of the literature, Corinna Unger traces the forerunners of development aid yet emphasizing that the Second World War and the Cold War set a different framework for international development. She highlights the origins of great power competition as well as the role of international organizations, and points to the importance of small donor states, recipient nations and academics. Unger discusses the ideas that created the changing fads of development aid and the practices that at times reinforced and as often undermined foreign aid orthodoxy. International Development is what old hands in the field have long wished they could tell their students to read. It is for both teachers and graduate students the point of departure for new adventures in the field of the history of development aid.

Vorwort
The book offers a historical overview of international development policies and practices in the post-1945 period.

Autorentext
Corinna R. Unger is Professor of Global and Colonial History (19th and 20th centuries) at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy.

Klappentext

International Development: A Postwar History offers the first concise historical overview of international development policies and practices in the 20th century. Embracing a longue durée perspective, the book describes the emergence of the development field at the intersection of late colonialism, the Second World War, the onset of decolonization, and the Cold War. It discusses the role of international organizations, colonial administrations, national governments, and transnational actors in the making of the field, and it analyzes how the political, intellectual, and economic changes over the course of the postwar period affected the understanding of and expectations toward development. By drawing on examples of development projects in different parts of the world and in different fields, Corinna R. Unger shows how the plurality of development experiences shaped the notion of development as we know it today. This book is ideal for scholars seeking to understand the history of development assistance and to gain new insight into the international history of the 20th century.

Inhalt

1. Introduction 2. Development in History: 'Every man's road to utopia'? 3. Forerunners of Development 4. The Emergence of Development in the Mid-Twentieth Century 5. Development in the Context of Decolonization and the Cold War 6. Development Approaches and Practices in the Postwar Period 7. Challenges to Development 8. The Disintegration of Development 9. Conclusion and Outlook Notes Bibliography Index