New Perspectives in International Development

Book excerpt: New Perspectives in International Development focuses on the latest thinking in the field, moving the debate into areas such as the connection between security, conflict, and development, managing energy crises, the impact of environmental and climate change, and the role that technology can play in alleviating these challenges. The book explores the theme of development as a process of change; as historical transformation in relation to contested sites of power; it considers how human agency can affect change and the different scales, from the local to the transnational, at which change can occur. The interaction between these threads highlights the complex processes involved in international development that cannot be understood in isolation. Writers bring their own theoretical and empirical tools from social sciences including geography, politics, economics and environmental science. Chapters move from the theoretical to include case studies, placing theory in the context of the deliberate actions of people to improve their lives. The book concludes by suggesting possible ways forward to link development theories, models and practices. New Perspectives in International Development is the second of two books in The Open University's International Development series.