The Violence of "Development": A Choice for Intellectuals

In this essay, Joke Schrijvers examines present-day notions of development. She argues that scholarly approaches have continued to see development co-operation as a "soft" sector, development itself as neutral. Identifying these as the "dominant" scholarly approaches the author asserts that these are by no means neutral, rather they serve to support the material welfare of a small, ethnic and sex-specific upper layer of society. Alternative perceptions and approaches put forward by women's groups and other social movements have, however, substantially deconstructed dominant models. It is the "transformative" scholars (such as women) whose interventions go beyond mere research, who are the real agents of change. Schrijvers recognizes the unequal power relationship between the two and argues that it is important for both to be aware of the other in order that a more equal intercultural dialogue becomes possible.