Reading Development

Random readings on society, politics and change – Jorge Carrillo

An Economics of Wellbeing: What Would Economics Look Like if it were Focused on Human Wellbeing?

This paper makes a number of fundamental proposals to reconsider economics by putting human wellbeing at the centre. This conception of wellbeing takes into account the material, relational, and cognitive/subjective … Continue reading

Monday, 12 January 2015 · Leave a comment

Universal healthcare: the affordable dream – Amartya Sen

Universal healthcare is often presented as an idealistic goal that remains out of reach for all but the richest nations. That’s not the case, writes Amartya Sen. Look at what … Continue reading

Wednesday, 7 January 2015 · Leave a comment

Irresistibly biased? The blind spots of social innovation

Social innovation has an irresistible global appeal, but is it biased towards protecting the status quo? Social innovation has an irresistible global appeal. Who wouldn’t be persuaded by the challenge … Continue reading

Wednesday, 7 January 2015 · Leave a comment

The truth about smart cities: ‘In the end, they will destroy democracy’

In truth, competing visions of the smart city are proxies for competing visions of society, and in particular about who holds power in society. “In the end, the smart city … Continue reading

Tuesday, 30 December 2014 · Leave a comment

The Relationship between LGBT Inclusion and Economic Development

When LGBT people are denied full participation in society because of their identities, their human rights are violated, and those violations of human rights are likely to have a harmful … Continue reading

Monday, 29 December 2014 · Leave a comment

The New Urban Question: A Conversation on the Legacy of Bernardo Secchi

A gesture towards bringing the work of Bernardo Secchi to a wider Anglophone audience, since little of his work has been translated into English. It reflects on his legacy by … Continue reading

Monday, 22 December 2014 · Leave a comment

Authoritarianism, democracy and development

Tim Kelsall – This paper reviews the evidence on authoritarianism and development from the perspective of a policy-maker providing advice to an ostensibly developmental authoritarian regime. It finds that the cross-national … Continue reading

Monday, 22 December 2014 · Leave a comment

Social innovation and the challenge of democracy in Europe

The hype surrounding the innovation society obscures crucial issues of politics and power…The hype around the “Innovation Society” also obscures the fact that innovation processes bring about cascades of changes … Continue reading

Monday, 8 December 2014 · Leave a comment

Where in the world does neoliberalism come from?

Raewyn Connell & Nour Dados – We propose an approach to neoliberalism that prioritizes the experience of the global South, and sees neoliberalism gaining its main political strength as a development strategy displacing those … Continue reading

Sunday, 7 December 2014 · Leave a comment