Human dimension of development: perspectives from anthropology

The 1980s has been a lost decade, as far as Third World development is concerned. The number of poor today is larger than it was ten years ago. One explanation for this failure is that planners in the beginning pursued policies which stressed growth in purely economic terms. As planned, development did occur, even rapidly in some cases but, by benefiting the rich and bypassing the poor, it greatly aggravated the problems it was intended to alleviate.

Some indications of change in development thinking are now visible. For the first time, planners have begun focussing on who development is for and started looking beyond GNP growth. The previous lack of recognition to people as an end of development has begun to be remedied by strategies that put people first. However, the people-centred development will require the development task to be approached differently. Unless the human dimension is given due consideration in all stages of planning and management, projects howsoever otherwise perfect technically will not be able to produce the results desired.

Aided by their researches on peoples and cultures in Third World countries, anthropologists are easily in the best position to advise on inputs which development projects require to be able to involve the people and help them in a truly meaningful way. This volume attempts both to enhance awareness of what anthropology can do as also to bring within easy reach papers reflecting anthropological thinking on some contemporary developmeni issues.