Development Anthropology

Reviews / Votes

Mathur?s book on development anthropology is remarkable for providing an excellent overview of development dilemmas and the challenges and opportunities of fomenting change in societies for human betterment, while simultaneously grounding those insights in a sophisticated analysis of the ongoing struggle -- intellectual as well as within institutionalized bureaucracies -- between anthropologists, economists, and planners over the ways in which we understand cultural change and act upon those understandings. Mathur?s candid and constructive reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of anthropological approaches to development interventions, and how these account for many of the profession?s successes as well as its failures, will be instructive for students and young professionals who are considering a specialization as development scholars or practitioners or both. -- William L. Partridge, formerly at Vanderbilt University and the World Bank Development Anthropology documents how greater use of social assessment enhances development investments for local communities. It provides a panoramic chronicle of past, present, and potential future use of social factors in development planning that will be of interest to the concerned citizen as well as to the development practitioner. -- Gordon Appleby, Consultant and former Senior Social Scientist, World Bank Institute Development Anthropology documents how long-neglected social and cultural factors are increasingly gaining recognition in development agencies. Even the World Bank, the stronghold of economists, now appears willing to concede their role in development decision-making. It is a valuable contribution, and all those involved in the planning and implementation of development projects will find this book immensely useful. -- Vinay Kumar Srivastava, Director, Anthropological Survey of India