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International Development Studies: Theories and Methods in Research and Practice

Andy Sumner and Michael Tribe International Development Studies: Theories and Methods in Research and Practice London: Sage, 2008, ISBN 978-1-41292944-8, 167 pp. The past decade has not been kind to the study of development. Critics of the relatively amorphous field of Development Studies (DS) are having a field day in the light of recent accusations that paradoxically DS is often the cause of problems in many developing countries. An example of such criticism is Queuing, Complaining and Photocopying: Notes on the (Im)possibility of Development Studies, 2005, by S. Corbridge, available at www.devstud.org. uk. This accusation, along with other sustained scepticisms regarding representations of development, claims to objectivity, and the threat of ‘neo-colonial knowledge production’ (Corbridge, p. 43) posed by development academics and workers, has added to the pressure of global scrutiny. Questions have been raised about the essential nature of DS, forcing those involved to enter a phase of introspection, or, as Sumner and Tribe put it, a period of ‘soul-searching’ (p. 1). This act of searching is central to their book and represents the beginning of an era of self-reflective, ethically based development, grounded in theory, but with an emphasis on instrumental application. The authors do not lose sight of the fact that DS is a worthwhile enterprise. They endeavour to present and weigh opposing opinions evenly and professionally in this clearly focused, accessible exploration of the foundations of development. The book has two primary aims: to provide a comprehensive understanding of the roots of developmental theory, and to argue for a cross-disciplinary, instrumental application of development practice as the key to the future of DS (p. 1). Readers may feel frustrated by the unanswered questions posed in this book, but Sumner and Tribe make it clear that they do not presume to provide answers, aiming instead to ‘contribute to ongoing discussion which we hope and expect will continue’ (p. 1). This admission of uncertainty aptly reflects the vein of selfawareness which is advocated by the publication and is implicitly present throughout the authors’ writing.