Postcolonialism and Development
Connor F.J. Leckey1
Postcolonial scholarship is a comparatively recent branch
of study in academia, yet the extent to which it is infiltrating various social theories across numerous academic
disciplines necessitates its inclusion in the mainstream of
analysis of social phenomena (Goss 1996). Introducing
original perspectives from which international relations
scholars can observe the international system, specifically that of the non-western, postcolonialism has allowed
for a new level of analysis to be added to the discipline.
Due to its ontological backbone, postcolonial scholars
have become particularly critical of development theories, arguing that they often overlook the importance
of indigenous knowledge in formulating development
strategies. On the other hand, development theorists argue that postcolonialism is too theoretically based and
disregarding of real world problems and dynamics. This
essay will explore the key debates surrounding a postcolonial analysis of development theories, arguing that the
inclusion of postcolonial theory is necessary in order to
deliver effective development.
1 Connor
Belfast.
is a post-graduate student of International Relations at Queen’s University