Theories of Development: Contentions, Arguments, Alternatives

Widely adopted, this text critically evaluates the leading theories of international economic development, from classical economic and sociological models to Marxist, poststructuralist, and feminist perspectives. No other book provides such comprehensive coverage or links the theories as incisively to contemporary world events and policy debates. Reexamining neoliberal conceptions of economic growth, the authors show what a more just and democratic form of development might look like today.

New to This Edition

*Revised to reflect evolving global economic realities.

*Updated with the latest concepts and empirical data.

*Additional chapter on classical and neoclassical economics.

*Increased coverage of real-world policy issues.

Richard Peet is Professor of Geography at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he was a founding member of the "radical geography movement" and a long-time editor of Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography. His interests include development, global policy regimes, power, theory and philosophy, political ecology, and the causes of financial crises. The author of numerous articles, book reviews, and books, Dr. Peet is editor of a new radical journal, Human Geography.

Elaine Hartwick is Associate Professor of Geography at Framingham State College in Framingham, Massachusetts, where she teaches courses in political, cultural, and regional geography and global development. She has published on a variety of topics, including commodity chains, consumer politics, social theory, and development geography, with a regional specialization in Southern Africa.