An Analysis of James Ferguson's The Anti-Politics Machine [Paperback]

The Anti-Politics Machine (1990) examines how international development projects are conceived, researched, and put into practice. It also looks at what these projects actually achieve. Ferguson criticizes the idea of externally-directed development and argues that the process doesnt take proper account of the daily realities of the communities it is intended to benefit. Instead, they often prioritize technical solutions for addressing poverty and ignoring its social and political dimensions, so the structures that these projects put in place often have unintended consequences. Ferguson suggests that until the process becomes more reflective, development projects will continue to fail.

Ways in to the Text  Who was James Ferguson?  What does The Anti-Politics Machine Say?  Why does The Anti-Politics Machine Matter?  Section 1: Influences  Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context  Module 2: Academic Context  Module 3: The Problem  Module 4: The Author's Contribution  Section 2: Ideas  Module 5: Main Ideas  Module 6: Secondary Ideas  Module 7: Achievement  Module 8: Place in the Author's Work  Section 3: Impact  Module 9: The First Responses  Module 10: The Evolving Debate  Module 11: Impact and Influence Today  Module 12: Where Next?  Glossary of Terms  People Mentioned in the Text  Works Cited

The Anti-Politics Machine (1990) examines how international development projects are conceived, researched, and put into practice.Dr Julie Jenkins holds an MSc in anthropology and development from the London School of Economics and a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Sussex. She has been a visiting profl#Ô