Complex Systems Theory and Development Practice: Understanding Non-linear Realities

الغلاف الأمامي
Zed Books, 2002 - 280 من الصفحات
This book could change Development. Here, for the first time, Development Studies encounters the set of ideas popularly known as 'Chaos Theory'. In the natural sciences these new ideas have usurped Newtonian certainties about the simple linearity of physical phenomena, causality and certainty. Samir Rihani applies to the processes of economic development ideas from complex adaptive systems like uncertainty, complexity and unpredictability. Well written and ranging widely over evolving economic thinking, specific country experiences and development issues, the book explains the key concepts developed by complex adaptive systems thinking and applies them, showing their power to explain. Rihani examines various aspects of the development process - including the World Bank, debt, and the struggle against poverty - and demonstrates the limitations of fundamentally linear thinking in an essentially non-linear world. Little wonder, he concludes, that the results of half a century of development effort have been so disappointing. Applying these ideas to the unpredictable social processes which development thinkers seek to understand and direct could make an unexpectedly important contribution not only theoretically, but to the actual policies and practice of development.

من داخل الكتاب

المحتوى

ONE THE WHOLE CASE IN A NUTSHELL
1
TWO A FALSE SENSE OF ORDER
18
THREE ANCIENT ROOTS TO MODERN IDEOLOGIES
46
حقوق النشر

9 من الأقسام الأخرى غير ظاهرة

طبعات أخرى - عرض جميع المقتطفات

عبارات ومصطلحات مألوفة

نبذة عن المؤلف (2002)

Dr Samir Rihani is Senior Research Fellow, School of Politics and Communication Studies at the University of Liverpool. He is a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers and of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. His long and varied career both in Britain and abroad has included lecturing, consultancy and public service. Since 1992 he has been Managing Director of EPHOR Consultants Ltd. A former Chief Executive of the Merseyside Tourism Board, he is currently a Non-Executive Director of Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Trust. His doctorate in development studies is from the University of Liverpool and, since January 2000, he has been Joint Editor (with Dr Robert Geyer) of the social-science-forum.org website.

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