Anarchist Participatory Development: A Possible New Framework?

ABSTRACT This article examines the ongoing critiques and debates around the ‘participatory turn’ in development theory and practice and suggests anarchism as a practice‐oriented theoretical framework for engaging with what participatory development ought to achieve. Explicit links are constructed be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inDevelopment and change Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 618 - 643
Main Author Wald, Navé
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2015
Subjects
Anarchism
Anarchy
Debate
Democracy
Development studies
Experts
Grass Roots
NGOs
Non-governmental organizations
Nongovernmental organizations
Participation
Political Philosophy
Progress
Radicalism
Social activism
Social movements
Studies
Values
Argentina
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Summary:ABSTRACT This article examines the ongoing critiques and debates around the ‘participatory turn’ in development theory and practice and suggests anarchism as a practice‐oriented theoretical framework for engaging with what participatory development ought to achieve. Explicit links are constructed between key terms in these development debates and anarchist political philosophy, and a call is made for greater attention to anarchism as a theoretical framework for radical and transformative development practice. This article then analyses empirical experiences of ‘anarchistic partnerships’ between development experts and grassroots peasant‐indigenous organizations in north‐west Argentina, who, although not self‐identifying as anarchist, adhere to ideals such as horizontal prefigurative politics and radical democracy that are effectively anarchist in their orientation. These experiences challenge the NGO–social movement divide and offer a virtually unexplored form of radical development practice that is worthy of further academic attention. Thus, while this article is concerned with familiar debates in development studies, it offers some preliminary directions for advancing theoretical and practical knowledge regarding transformative participation.
Bibliography:istex:AA8828843CD80BADA45AA7A367A64865989675B3
ark:/67375/WNG-7RT1M4XM-3
ArticleID:DECH12136
I wish to thank Doug Hill, Chris Rosin and Simon Springer for their valuable comments and encouragement as well as the four anonymous reviewers and the editors for their constructive and useful feedback. I would also like to acknowledge the MOCASE‐VC and Red Puna for their generosity and hospitality; their support made this research project possible. This article is dedicated in memoriam to Ariel Mendez, an inspirational militant from the Red Puna who left us all too soon.
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ISSN:0012-155X
1467-7660
DOI:10.1111/dech.12136