Ineptitude, ignorance, or intent: The social construction of failure in development. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Venugopal, Rajesh
• Is Part Of: World development. Volume 106(2018)
• Page Start: 238
• Page End: 247
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Development management -- Discourses -- Evaluation -- Social constructivism -- Failure -- Politics; Economic history -- 1990- -- Periodicals; Economic assistance -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; 330.9
• DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.01.013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-750X

Abstract

Highlights: Examines how development is often characterised as a failure. Explains that failure is socially constructed. Outlines three categories of failure: implementation, design, agenda. Abstract: This paper explores the social construction of failure in development policy and academic narratives. Talk of failure is commonplace in development, and this paper seeks to use that as a heuristic to understand what that it signifies beyond face value. Drawing on a wide range of primary and secondary texts to provide illustrative evidence, the paper explores how failure is constructed, and advances a three-fold typology of failures that vary in terms of their positionality, the critical variables they identify as responsible, their epistemological stance, and the importance they accord to politics.