METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN THE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

It is appropriate, after concluding the Decade of Development, to take stock of where the study of development has taken us and where it has gone wrong. That it has gone wrong is painfully obvious given the meager results of efforts to improve the quality of life in most third world countries as well as the attempts on the part of advanced capitalistic countries to enhance the life chances of their Iess advantaged sectors. A portion of these mistakes may be attributed to methodological errors in the part of those engaged in the study of development. The present paper attempts to review some recent approaches to the study of development and suggest what future steps are needed to develop a clearer understanding of the issues and approaches to developmental concerns.