Aid and Gendered Subjectivity in Rural Guatemala. Issue 12 (2nd December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Moore, J.; Webb, M. F.; Chary, A.; Díaz, A. Kraemer; Rohloff, Peter
• Is Part Of: Journal of development studies. Volume 53:Issue 12(2017)
• Page Start: 2164
• Page End: 2178
• Publication Date: 2017-12-02
• Subjects: Economic development -- Periodicals; Economic history -- 1945- -- Periodicals; Developing countries -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; Développement économique -- Périodiques; Histoire économique -- 1945- -- Périodiques; Pays en voie de développement -- Conditions économiques -- Périodiques; 338.91
• DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2016.1274397
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0388

Abstract

Abstract: Development discourse has focused on gendered dimensions of poverty, demonstrating how parastatal poverty alleviation programmes target women as aid recipients while devaluing their productive and reproductive work. However, seldom analysed is how privatisation of social services and proliferation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have impacted women. We explore this in a Guatemalan community where we find that although NGOs discursively commit to 'alternative' development approaches, on the ground they reproduce elements of a neoliberal subjectivity akin to parastatal programmes. NGOs additionally configure aid disbursement as gift giving, requiring beneficiaries to assume affective postures of gratitude, and facilitating intrusion into women's lives.