Global Poverty, Democracy, and North South Change

by Steven Langdon

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1551930161
• ISBN13: 9781551930169
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Length: 236 Pages

Customer Reviews

Strong Evidence of the Need for New Development Theory

Steven Langdon's Global Poverty, Democracy & North-South Change provides some strong evidence for the diversity of approaches required in the development field. Empowerment and democracy are portrayed as the essential factors in poverty alleviation and Langdon provides an in-depth analysis of gender issues in this process. Although his ideas are attractive in principle, they run the risk of lacking practical application. Langdon's emphasis on the agricultural sector as the road to poverty alleviation may indeed be reasonable, but it is unlikely that an unbalanced focus on the agricultural sector will achieve any sustained economic growth in the developing world. Democracy, although most would concede that it is the best solution to poverty alleviation, does have its inherent difficulties in situations where people are uneducated. Especially in developing countries, the removal of subsidies and currency devaluation may cause such immense pressure that a government backs off from its readjustment programs. Inevitably, we may fall into the vicious circle of a government trying to remain in power by pleasing the masses, yet acting irresponsibly. Deficits may result, and economic growth can be stifled. However, these possible negative consequences are largely outweighed by the power, hope and stability that people can obtain through the democratic process, which would likely lead to increasing productivity and entrepreneurial spirit. As well, by stressing that this new democracy and change will come from a bottom-up approach inside nations, Langdon misses the possible appropriate and suitable bottom-down approaches that may be useful in alleviating poverty. In general, Global Poverty, Democracy & North-South Change is an interesting and thought-provoking work filled with vivid examples of the successes and failures of different development projects, and serves as an attempt to learn from these experiences and integrate them into a new approach toward development.