Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Methods and Goals of Development Organizations

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Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Methods and Goals of Development OrganizationsPrincipal Investigator: Peter EvansCo-Principal Investigator: Darren NoyUniversity of California-BerkeleyThe basic hypotheses of this research are that: 1) the methods and goals of development organizations on the ground are shaped by diverse ethical, spiritual, and religious visions of development; and 2) both secular and religious development projects crucially involve intentional efforts by development practitioners to catalyze internal and subjective transformations in individuals. These hypotheses challenge the "secularization hypothesis" assumptions that shaped modern development theory for the last half century. Assessing the hypotheses proposed here entails two phases of research. The first phase involves interviews with representatives of a range of development organizations across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and content analysis of written material from those organizations. The second phase involves more focused examination of a few particular development organizations and their projects. This research is particularly relevant to policy debates currently occurring in the United States about faith-based social service initiatives. Moreover, given the current crises facing humanity in terms of extreme global poverty, environmental degradation, and rising inequality, this research might help to identify, theorize, and publicize diverse approaches of development that may suggest compelling ways of resolving these crises. Finally, this research may also help in understanding some of the dimensions and causes of global conflicts that pivot around conflicting visions of social development.