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Critiques presented here in defence of development range across a number of issues, all of which are central to discussions about the desirability or undesirability of this historical process. These include one particular aspect – labour market competition – of the debate about racism, why the reproduction of this ideology is more acute at some historical conjunctures but not others, the same question that can also be asked of the industrial reserve. Equally contentious is the current dominance of populist and postmodern interpretations of rural development, in the misleading guise of new paradigms, the object of which is to exorcise two ghosts: not just development itself, but also Marxist theory about development.
Price: $137.00
Pages: 280
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Series: Studies in Critical Social Sciences
Publication Date:
24 October 2024
ISBN: 9789004711761
Format: Hardcover
"Tom Brass’s book, Critiques: In Defence of Development, presents a bold and unforgiving defense of development in the face of mounting criticism from postmodernist and populist perspectives. The book challenges contemporary academic trends that question the sustain- ability of development, arguing that these critiques often obscure the structural, economic, and political forces necessary for meaningful social progress. [...] Brass’s incisive analysis and unflinching defense of Marxist approaches provide a refreshing and necessary intervention in development discourse amidst the many complex challenges of today’s contemporary era. The book is a call for academics and practitioners to reassess the fundamentals of development and resist the dilution of economic struggles in favor of depoliticized critiques." – Alem Febri Sonni Luthfiah & Rahm an Saeni, in Community Development, 7 April 2025 [DOI: 10.1080/15575330.2025.2487297]
Tom Brass (DPhil, 1982) formerly lectured in the SPS Faculty at Cambridge University and directed studies for Queens’ College. He edited The Journal of Peasant Studies for almost two decades, and has published extensively on agrarian issues and rural labour relations, including Transitions: Methods, Theory, Politics (Brill: 2022).