Pragmatism and Development: The Prospect for Pluralist Transformation in the Third World / Edition 1

by Murray Leaf

Overview

While European reconstruction after World War II followed the pluralistic Marshall Plan that grounded social order in individual interests and interdependence, the roots of dirigiste planning in South Asia, as in the rest of the Third World, lie mainly in the line of deterministic theories represented by Positivism and Marxism. Despite a national commitment to dirigiste planning, however, India retains substantial interstitial pluralism—pluralism within an overall centralized system—that varies from state to state. This variation is directly reflected in interstate variations in development success.

Pragmatic theory, such as that underlying the Marshall Plan, is committed to seeing indigenous thought in its own terms and provides a far more comprehensive analysis of Indian social realities. This study establishes the continuing viability and practicality of the pluralist alternative and identifies what must be done to convert a centralized system to a pluralistic one.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897895736
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/30/1998
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)
Lexile:	1320L (what's this?)

About the Author

MURRAY J. LEAF is Professor of Anthropology and Political Economy at the University of Texas at Dallas. /e

Table of Contents

Preface
Interlocking Choices
Pragmatic Theory: Why the Marshall Plan Worked
Organizational Background
Farmer Rationality and Dirigiste Denial
Performance and Support Services
State Organization
Organizational Transformation
Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Shows how authoritarian control has worked to suppress growth and advances in quality of life in Third World countries, and explains the major historical, philosophical, and theoretical alternatives to it. Draws on the line of thought running from ancient Skepticism to modern Pragmatism, and on the work of anthropological researchers Tax, Bailey, Epstein, Moore, Hopkins, and Lansing. Focus is on canal irrigation in six Indian states. Includes b&w photos. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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