The Changing Notion of Development

Write a Critical Reflection on Development.

The term development has both social and economic implications that have been inherent in the society since its inception. The emergence of the concept of development has existed from the early nineteen fifties. During the period of the Second World War that witnessed the decolonization emerged the dominance of the concept of development that was concerned with the development and progress of the LDC (Least Developing Countries) or the so-called developing countries. The United Nations marked 1960s as the Development Decade and the undercurrent of this period was the promotion of growth (Schrank, 2015). The modernity and postmodernity carry discussions on the development theory and there is an exhorted effort in redefining the discourse of development. Development theory has been rendered more coherence and consistency than it usually possess.

This has been the 26^th consecutive year of the economic growth and the country’s biggest trading partner has played a significant part. The urban-rural divide that is familiar to the Northern Hemisphere that is changing the contours of the discourse. Australia requires development and the large tracts are barely populated. There are people who are inhabiting in the Southern and the Eastern shores (Eisenstadt, 2013). International nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) are in the transition phase and have stumbled upon disruptions as the new actors of development and there high opportunity costs that are required to pursue innovation (Ford, 2018). NGOs can understand the status quo and can find the rationale for change but would not know how to remain true to their mission whilst maintaining the financial health of the health of the organization. However, due to the development and its disruption as the NGOs may find it difficult to respond to the changes. If all the NGOs are closed down many of the everyday problems would remain unaddressed as there would not be any pressure group to advocate for issues (Drexhage & Murphy, 2010).  Therefore, I would advocate for think tanks that have similar functioning as that of the NGOs. Developing countries uses its power at the global stage to espouse for responses for the challenges faced by the country at different levels. I feel that the notion of development is being increasingly challenged. There needs to be a deconstruction of the development discourse and discussion on the impact of globalization on development on the grounds of the developing economies. Structural adjustment is representative of the radical break with the traditional and because of the neoliberal thrust and the implication, it has for the societies. Development I have found either exists as an outdated perspective that belongs to the economic aspect of the bygone era. The different notions associated with development are structural adjustment, globalization, and deconstruction of development. According to Nisbeth, the notion of development has changed during the period when social scientists started conceptualizing in a different manner (Portes, 2015). Nisbeth is concerned with the conceptualization of development as endogenous and natural that is to the entity or the society. Development emerges from the exogenous conditions and the influences from the diffusion to the international influences. Although there has been debates and discussions on development as an outcome of western ethnocentrism as it is concerned with the linear change and progress drawing from the evolutionist theory. This argument on continuity underscores the actual shifts in the western development thinking and there is a focus on the non-European model like Turkey, China, Persia or Pacific.

Embracing Pluralism and Sustainable Development Goals

 Given all these criticisms woven around the Euro-centric understanding of development, I espouse for development that is that embraces pluralism and caters to the holistic development of Australia rather than the unilinear model of development. I feel that countries need to understand about the political economy of capital and manufacture that has been challenged by the capital (Kitching, 2012). As a student of development, I would exhort Australia to embrace the actual meaning of diversity and that caters to the pluralistic interests of the country. It has been found that privatization does have negative effect. Although it may be difficult to oppose privatization that can act as a barrier for corrupting the politicians, however that will not resolve the underlying issue of accountability. I believe that unlike the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are solely applicable to the developing nations, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are applicable to all the countries including Australia. The objective of this goal is to eradicate poverty and at the same time have a wider agenda. The Millennium Development Goals was successful in the reduction of poverty in the developing countries, responding to the key challenges of the climate change, rising inequality, environmental degradation and in reduction of conflict for all the global citizens. These are global challenges and need to be handled with care and attention. 

The Sustainable Development Goal has provided an important and fruitful situation for all the countries through the promotion of the sustainable development goals that is largely concerned with the improvement of quality of life and the opportunity people have in different countries. It is concerned with cultivating the prosperity in the developing countries in the region. I feel the principles and goals of sustainable development will be important for all the countries especially Australia to aim for more fair, prosperous and sustainable future among the world economies. This includes improving the gender inequality that has been a concern and challenge for the nations all over the world. According to Babatunde Osotimehin, the executive director of UN Population Fund (UNFPA) the existing power structures in the society are creating impediments for women in realizing their full potential, exercising their agency and in the assertion of their rights. Women’s rights and gender equality needs to be discussed on the same forum (De Kadt & Williams, 2013). The tendency of men to dictate the terms and conditions of women and determine their life chances needs to be curtailed. Gender equality plays a crucial role in the developmental agenda. The Millennium Development Goals have failed to address the issues of gender discrimination and sexual orientation in the context of development (Pottes, 2010). There would not have in problem in fulfilling and meeting the target that is maternal and child mortality, extreme hunger and poverty. There are health, economic and education targets that are concerned with the fulfillment of the needs of the developing countries (Sustainable Development Goals: a win-win for Australia, 2018). For example, Australia has faced key challenges in fulfilling the SDGs that is related to sustainable consumption, sustainable goal as it would be helpful in doubling the rate of improvement of efficiency of energy, implementation of the 10-year framework on the sustainable development and production and in reducing the waste of food by 2030. The households in the developing need to reduce the waste of god by 15 per cent and it has been found that there is an estimated 361 kg of food waste and there is scope for enough improvement (Oxaal, Barnett & Booth, 2013). Development is important for minimizing the significant applications of the SDGs to Australia that helps in the reduction of gap between the indigenous and the non-indigenous population of Australia. Studies have shown that indigenous population in the developing countries have been left behind. These targets and goals are to be met for all the disadvantaged groups with the aim of eliminating poverty and neutralizing the effects of income inequality.

Conclusion

I believe that the traditional notions of development should be discarded and the principles of the sustainable development goal should be adopted and the government needs to set its own target that is informed by the global level of the ambition to take into account the national circumstances. There should be target for the non-communicable diseases, vocational and the technical skills and espouse for gender equality. In the absence of NGOs there should be the establishments of think tanks to address the ordeals faced by the marginalized sections of the society. 

References

De Kadt, E., & Williams, G. (Eds.). (2013). Sociology and development. Routledge.

Drexhage, J., & Murphy, D. (2010). Sustainable development: from Brundtland to Rio 2012. Background paper prepared for consideration by the High Level Panel on Global Sustainability at its first meeting 19 September 2010.

Eisenstadt, S. N. (Ed.). (2013). Readings in Social Evolution and Development: The Commonwealth and International Library: Readings in Sociology. Elsevier.

Ford, L. (2018). Men must accept women as equals if development goals are to be achieved. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/mar/11/gender-equality-womens-rights-development-goals-csw.

Kitching, G. (2012). Development and Underdevelopment in historical perspective: populism, nationalism and industrialisation. Routledge.

Oxaal, I., Barnett, T., & Booth, D. (Eds.). (2013). Beyond the sociology of development: economy and society in Latin America and Africa. Routledge.

Portes, A. (2015). The sociology of development: From modernization to the “institutional turn”. Sociology of Development, 1(1), 20-42.

Potts, T. (2010). The natural advantage of regions: linking sustainability, innovation, and regional development in Australia. Journal of cleaner production, 18(8), 713-725.

Schrank, A. (2015). Toward a new economic sociology of development. Sociology of Development, 1(2), 25-50.

Sustainable Development Goals: a win-win for Australia. (2018). Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/sustainable-development-goals-a-win-win-for-australia-47263