Grass Roots Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: Oral Histories and Social Change
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Author Description
This volume, based on fieldwork by the Inter-American Foundation, examines whether grassroots activities are more efficient and effective in implementing development than conventional development programs. Included are oral histories of participants in seven different IAF-supported organizations that vary widely in purpose, membership, structure, and geographic distribution. Grassroots Development in Latin America & the Caribbean shows that impoverished people will use rural credit and other resources in ways not anticipated by development planners, and that these recipients often know how to make more efficient use of aid than the planners do. It concludes that innovative methods of development are best left not to government agencies, but to the people who will carry them out and who will ultimately gain or lose from the outcome.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates whether grassroots-led initiatives provide a more efficient and effective framework for development than traditional, top-down government programs. Robert Wasserstrom, drawing on extensive fieldwork conducted by the Inter-American Foundation, analyzes the outcomes of various community-based projects. The author argues that local participants possess superior knowledge regarding the allocation of resources and that development success is contingent upon empowering those directly affected by the outcomes.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Oral histories from participants in seven distinct IAF-supported organizations.
- Comparative analysis of diverse organizational structures and geographic distributions.
- Evidence regarding the efficacy of rural credit and local resource management.
Scope Limits
- The study does not provide a comprehensive overview of all Latin American development models.
- The analysis is limited to the specific projects supported by the Inter-American Foundation during the fieldwork period.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of participatory development and the practical application of grassroots aid. Readers frequently note the clarity of the oral histories, which provide a grounded perspective on the limitations of conventional planning models.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
1985-01-01
Publisher:
Praeger Publishers Inc.,U.S.
ISBN-10:
0030016924
ISBN-13:
9780030016929
Economics
Politics & Social Sciences
Economics
Sociology
American Studies
Oral History
Social change