Patterns of difference and practical theory: researching the new poverty strategy processes in Africa
Author(s) -
Booth David
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of international development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1328
pISSN - 0954-1748
DOI - 10.1002/jid.1040
Subject(s) - poverty , agency (philosophy) , dominance (genetics) , poverty reduction , sociology , macro , diversity (politics) , positive economics , development theory , structure and agency , development economics , economic growth , political science , social science , economics , biochemistry , chemistry , computer science , anthropology , gene , programming language
Abstract A collection on the past and future of social‐development analysis provides an opportunity to reflect and connect. This article reflects on a ten‐year‐old book called Rethinking Social Development and connects it with a recent study of Poverty Reduction Strategy processes in Africa. It argues that the recent work fills a gap in the empirical basis of the book, adding force to its main arguments—about dominance, agency and diversity in development—while also speaking to some unresolved issues: about the place of macro‐institutional analysis, the limits of ‘actor orientation’ and the generation of practical theory. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.