Debal Deb
Beyond Developmentality: Constructing Inclusive Freedom and Sustainability
(2009)
International edition by Earthscan, London.
Indian edition by Daanish Books, New Delhi.
‘With this book Debal Deb moves into the ranks of critical philosophical practitioners speaking from developing countries – Enrique Leff, José Lutzenberger, Vandana Shiva, Victor Toledo and others – whose writings and lives are testaments of sanity, care, and vision’
From the Foreword by Richard Norgaard, UC Berkeley, USA
Reviews:
‘A fascinating, erudite and remarkably cosmopolitan guided tour around the erroneous assumptions and pathologically compartmentalized reasoning prevalent in mainstream development thinking and its historical and contemporary practice. Just as many economics text should carry a toxicity warning this should carry a commendation for promoting intellectual health. Deb’s work makes a substantial contribution to furthering the existing body of critiques by the likes of Rahnema, Korten, Escobar and Illich. One of the best sources for many cutting edge issues on development and environment’
Oliver Springate-Baginski, University of East Anglia, UK and co-editor of Forests, People and Power
‘For the better part of the last two decades the debate has raged over development as a modernist project questioning its epistemology, its enlightenment roots, its relation to imperial power and the massive machineries of development discourse associated with institutions like the World Bank.In its contemporary variant – neoliberal globalization – the search for alternatives to the hegemony of the market and of corporate power has taken on a new life driven by the so-called movement of movements. In BEYOND DEVELOPMENTALITY, Debal Deb takes on board this long history of resistance to development in its multiplicity of forms and opens the door for a serious discussion of alternatives. Deb has scaled the walls of the fortress of development and shaken the structure to its very foundations’
Michael Watts, University of California-Berkeley
‘Debal Deb is one of the most important voice for ecological sanity on our planet. He shows that consumer capitalism destroys ecosystems and that traditional models of development paradoxically create poverty when they offer prosperity. He shows in this vitally important book that it is possible to create real wealth while sustaining our environment by drawing upon the knowledge of indigenous people and grassroots social movements. He shows that only by rejecting ‘developmentality’ and embracing ecosocialism can we solve problems of poverty, climate change, deforestation and declining resources. He is a rare voice of sanity in a field where superficial techno-fixes are offered toth address ecological problems instead of the revolutionary changes in society, epistemology and economics which are actually required’
Dr Derek Wall, Principal Speaker of the Green Party of England and Wales
‘Dr. Debal Deb combines sharp and detailed scientific analysis with deep social commitment. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to get development right, so that it works for nature and people and not against them’
Dr. Vandana Shiva, Recipient of Right Livelihood Award & FAO Gold Medal
‘One of the book’s strongest points is its wide-ranging use of literature and thoughts from economics, ecology, sociology, political science, philosophy and indigenous knowledge systems….his work challenges set notions and stimulates new ideas on how humanity can achieve sustainable living, and therefore deserves a much wider audience’
Ashish Kothari, Frontline, July 2009
‘The main strength of the book is its comprehensive multi-disciplinary coverage..the book is a must read for all those concerned with environmental and social dimensions of the current growth path’
The Hindu, Feb 2010
‘Unequivocal, clear, and pointed statements…a thoughtful and detailed deconstruction of the practice of Western development… I applaud his attempt to reconstruct rather than abandon development and his willingness to attempt a counternarrative. Deb elegantly deconstructs capitalism, development, and developmentality without falling victim to nihilistic postdevelopmentism. I will surely use it in my graduate seminars on development.’
Brent McCusker, Economic Geography vol. 86, 2010
‘Deb does seem to give a firm, honest, and finally cautiously hopeful encouragement for researchers, concerned world citizens, and others with respect to our human ability to achieve a more respectful, long-term existence.’
Miamanni M. Mishkin C, Economic Botany vol. 64, 2010
‘Deb marshals a wide array of empirical and theoretical arguments in defence of the commons, and in particular of the common property regimes that have characterised so many indigenous peoples’ land and resource management practices….He is no ivory tower social scientist, but a hands-on expert in the conservation and propagation of traditional Asian rice varieties. His background as an Indian ecologist also informs his nuanced discussion of how ‘new ecology’ concepts such as uncertainty and persistence demonstrate the critical importance for sustainability of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) derived from the coevolution of human societies and their non-human surroundings.’
Mike Hannis, Environmental Politics vol. 19, 2010
‘The book is a major contribution to efforts at transformation towards a more prosperous world free of the pains of industrial growth. The style is racy, persuasive, accessible, and yet the content is empirically grounded and the approach is painstaking. It is a major contribution to the necessary effort to save mankind from the current global capitalist crisis.’
A. E. Remi, Development in Practice vol. 20, 2010
Last Updated (Sunday, 18 September 2011 21:44)