Pursuing Alternative Development

Challenging orthodox global development hegemony, this book provides an illuminating anthropological account of how indigenous people become united and promote development by themselves. Focusing on recent development theories and debates, it is argued that, despite decades of development interventions, indigenous peoples remain poorest of the poor, deprived, and excluded socio-politically. This has led to the understanding that development for the indigenous people is unattainable by the conventional development approaches. Such a realization has given rise to a new phenomenon that indigenous people resist global development initiatives, and instead, become united and form their ethnic organizations for promoting economic livelihood, education, and strive for social justice. Questions, however, remain: Can indigenous people help themselves? Can they mobilize social capital in promoting development? What are the challenges they encounter while practicing development on the ground? Drawing on these questions, this book illustrates the possibilities and constraints of achieving alternative development by ethnic organizations. It offers a fresh anthropological insight into how alternative development is attainable - which is endowed with freedom, choice, and empowerment - a matter that many scholars in the field of sociology and anthropology of development have long been looking for. -- from back cover.