Making Development Agents

Participation as Boundary Object in International Development

Bibliographic Data

ID20302004
AuthorsM Green (0000-0002-9800-2738, Institute for Social Anthropology, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume46
Issue7
Pages1240-1263
Publication date2010-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Development Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-0388 • E-ISSN: 1743-9140
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00220388.2010.487099
OpenAlexW2077043025
LanguageEN
Citations received41
References cited64

Despite high transaction and financial costs participatory approaches to development are now standardised across a range of organisations internationally. Participatory planning in various forms is widely used in donor funded local government projects worldwide. This article critically explores the reasons for the continued popularity of participatory approaches. Using examples of cognate participatory processes in Tanzania I show how the outputs of participatory approaches do not justify their continued popularity for development stakeholders. Analytical frameworks from science studies on the social process of collaboration provide insights into the persistence of participatory forms. Participation operates as a boundary object enabling diverse stakeholders to temporarily align themselves around a common project for the purpose of development implementation. © 2010 Taylor & Francis

Boundary object · Business · Citizen journalism · Participatory development · Political science · Popularity · Process (computing) · Process management · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Transaction cost · Community Development and Social Impact · Computer Science · Finance · Foucault, Power, and Ethics · International Development and Aid · Public Administration