Social diversity hinges on three universal human realities. Firstly, that each individual is unique. Secondly, that individuals and their societies are inter-related and inter-dependent. And thirdly, that societies and cultures are dynamic: change may be rapid or gradual, but will always affect different members of society in ways that reflect differences in power and status. This collection brings together papers exploring the varied demands people have of development, depending on whether they are young or old, women or men, from the dominant culture or from an oppressed social group. Naila Kabeer examines the meaning of gender relations in the contexts of development practice, and of development institutions, a theme taken up by Lewis B Dzimbiri in relation to refugee programmes, and by Yezichalem Kassa and Feleke Tadele in diagnosing the needs of rural communities. Mark Gorman focuses on ageing and the needs of elderly people, while Tom and Francesca Scanlon and Maria Luiza Nobre Lamarao describe the challenges of working with street children and adolescents. Shubi L Ishemo argues for the centrality of culture in the processes of social and economic change, and against approaches to development and relief that are not culturally familiar to the people affected.
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Preface
Deborah Eade
Introductory Essay
Understanding differences: development and social diversity
Mary B. Anderson
Gender, development and training
Naila Kabeer
Working with street children
Tom Scanlon, Francesca Scanlon and Maria Luiza Nobre Lamarao
Older people and development
Mark Gorman
Culture, liberation and ‘development’
Shubi L. Ishemo
The politics of development in longhouse communities in Sarawak
Dimbab Ngidang
What is development?
Hugo Slim
Research into local culture
Odhiambo Anacleti
An education programme for peasant women in Honduras
Rocío Tábora
Challenging gender stereotypes in training: Mozambican refugees in Malawi
Lewis B. Dzimbiri
Defining local needs: a community-based diagnostic survey in Ethiopia
Yezichalem Kassa and Feleke Tadele
Empowerment examined
Jo Rowlands
Some thoughts on gender and culture
Maitrayee Mukhopadhyay
Who is the expert?
Valerie Emblen
Annotated bibliography
