Is development studies becoming too brainy? A comparison of World Development Reports

ABSTRACT

This article argues that two types of “brainisation” hinder development studies researchers in their phronetic understanding of poor people’s realities. It first provides a literature review on two types of knowledge and their differences, as well as two types of brainisation and how they prevent development studies scholars gaining a holistic understanding of the marginalised. Subsequently, a comparative analysis is conducted on two World Development Reports. Finally, alternative scenarios are outlined for the “debrainisation” of development studies and researchers’ mind-sets by learning from the fundamental features of human life.

KEYWORDS:

• Aid – Development policies
• Methods

Acknowledgements

The author would like to sincerely thank Jun Nishikawa (Professor Emeritus, Waseda University), Toru Yanagihara (Professor, Takushoku University), Jin Sato (Professor, Tokyo University), Shu Kitano (Professor, Dokkyo University), and Katsuhiko Masaki (Professor, Konan University), for their useful comments and warm encouragement on Sato (2015), through which this journal article has been conceived and elaborated. The author also wants to show her special gratitude for the insightful and critical comments provided by the journal’s referee.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Mine Sato is an Associate Professor at Yokohama National University. Previously she has worked as a social development specialist with bilateral and multilateral organisations such as UNICEF, JICA and JICA Research Institute. She specialises in development anthropology, participatory and inclusive community design, and Latin America.