Rory Vee V.

Baldemor
1BPS
CWORLD – Final Examination

Development can be defined as the improvement of the economic well-being and quality
of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual according to targeted objectives.
However, it is also more than just the perception of being able to procure comfort and
advancement. Moreover, it is a broader process of social evolution encompassing all aspects of
human life. Development theorists have argued that the meaning of development has much
emphasis on well-being for all. It is about enhancing individual and collective quality of life in
an empowering and sustainable way. When talking about development, it is not simply about the
change being brought about by the progress that is happening, it must also be sustainable. This
would imply that the process of change must be purposive and positive as a result of which
happiness of both people and their society is ensured. 

People representing different social, cultural, and ecological realities always have
different perceptions of what is desirable to them. This, in turn, implies that the meaning of
meaning development varies across societies, cultures, and ecological settings, Thus,
development gives different visions to different people. It is the background of this very context
that the concept of people-centred and participatory development enters the scene.

The concept of people-centred development leads to the profound realization that development
must be an indigenous process. Scholars such as Martinussen (1997), Yamamori, Nyers,
Bediako, and Reed (1996), view development as a culturally grounded process formulated by
‘insiders’ rather than outsiders which means that it is about the development of indigenous
cultures in which people living in a specific social, cultural, economic, and ecological setting
define their concept of development definition of relevance and correspond indigenous
circumstances. Various development theories and models primarily derived from Western
economic history have influenced the definition of people-centred development. According to
the modernization theory, it focuses mainly on the economic deficiencies of the underdeveloped
countries and then speculates upon ways of addressing these deficiencies. Meanwhile, the
dependency theory came along as development projects aim to "Westernise" the economy of
developing countries did not have the effect they hoped for, and dependency theory argued that
by design, for rich countries to exist, poor ones need to exist. Then again, this entire system has
to change and that leads to post-development theory where it was more concerned with the
redefinition of the goals of development and with introducing alternative practices such as
empowerment, participatory, and people-centred development. In terms of globalization, there
has been an argument made that globalization for a long time meant the spread of Western ideas
throughout the world, which lead to some version of assimilation of other countries in an attempt
to become like the West. And just as developmental theorists and practitioners realized that this
idea was not working, globalization is starting to mean something else too. Now these days,
people are starting to appreciate the different types of societies around the world more and more
so globalization has become more about the collaboration between countries and a mutual
understanding and cooperation. So as more and more theories enriched the toolbox of the people-
centred development project, development is moving further and further towards a participatory
development. Eventually, participatory development theory was introduced where people no
longer only focus on the people and prescribe solutions but now focuses on talking to them,
educating them, and empowering them. In participatory development, participation is the central
concept of development to enhance the living standards of communities and individuals. In
addition, participatory development offers the basis for the community to move at its own pace
into modernity. It is dedicated to social and environmental justice and its vision is a peaceful,
just, and sustainable world. Through empowerment and participation, groups are able to
critically examine their needs, and effectively and independently address their issues.
Empowerment supports the dynamic between critical thought and critical action.

In conclusion, understanding the difference between people-centred development and

participatory development is so hard to grasp because they are fairly similar. But the theories
presented used to define people-centred development can stem out some of the contradictions
between these two. People-centred development wants to focus on the people, but looking at the
theories presented within that type of development, they are all quite prescriptive. This means
that they all assume the developer to go, look at the group they want to help, and then diagnoses
the problem to find a solution that they then prescribe to the people in need of support, however,
it never really mentions talking to the people, only about focusing on the people that they are
supposed to help. From the way the reading is organized, it shows how the people-centred
development is becoming more participatory through time. The idea of prescriptive vs.
collaborative efforts can be used to draw out the differences, where people-centred development
“prescribe” to people what they need to develop while participatory development focuses on
finding out developmental steps in collaboration with the people they are trying to help. Thus,
participatory development mainly focuses on the idea of participation which is very vital when
implementing a people-centred development whereas the latter only focuses on the people,
failing to recognize what they really need because there is not an emphasis on the importance of
participation. The idea of true participation came later but these days, people-centred
development automatically implies participation, education, empowerment, etc. It became a slow
and fluid process as people learned more about development projects, participation became the
natural next thing. Moreover, going back to development, this approach is very essential. Acting
on the people-centered philosophy must be stressed in every aspect of work because it serves the
people and gains power from the people. The government should place people’s interests above
all else, and work hard to meet people’s desire for a better life. Implementing a people-centered
development approach is an effective way to balance the power of the individual with the power
of systems by putting the individual at the center of the conversation and removing the
assumption of having to already know what is important to them brings about new awareness
and possibility. They help people clarify what is important and help them develop a simple plan
they can implement. Every individual is unique, and the service system must be able to respond
flexibly to each person’s situations, strengths, needs, and preferences. In doing so, the aim must
ensure the service system is driven by the very people it supports. Listening to people,
acknowledging their truth, and assisting them to take action, are the very ways to the path of
development.