Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
being based on neocolonial attitudes that lack understanding for
'non-Western' cultures (Gruenbaum, 1996; Parker, 1999). Mohanty
(1988) critiques Western feminist discourse on 'Third-World women'
that constructs them as a homogeneous 'powerless' group who are the
victims of male violence around the world. Such representations of
women, as 'archetypal victims', objectify them and deny their agency,
while simultaneously constructing men as static 'subjects-who-
perpetrate-violence'. Mohanty argues that analyses of 'male violence',
for example, must be theorized and interpreted
within
specific socie-
ties in order to understand it better and effectively organize to chal-
lenge it.
Preis (2002) argues that the stalemate of the universality-relativity
debate is due to the fact that both stances draw on an unproblematic,
outmoded notion of 'culture' as a static, homogeneous, bounded unit. As
discussed earlier, culture is increasingly conceived of as a 'porous array'
of everyday practices, shared meanings, symbols and discourses that
are multi-vocal and constantly shifting (Rosaldo, 1989, cited in Preis,
2002). Development interventions which start from a more dynamic
understanding of cultural difference - and seek to engage with the web
of meanings, cultural values, practices and social relations evident in
specific contexts - appear to stand a better chance of fulfilling people's
economic, social and cultural rights, enhancing their well-being and
fostering their capabilities.
220
key
points
•
Understandings of culture have shifted over time according to different
theories and ideologies of development. Modernist perspectives viewed
culture as a discrete bounded entity that hindered 'progress' towards a
'modern' (Western) society. Post-colonial and post-development per-
spectives have revealed the ethnocentric cultural assumptions and
values that underpin such notions of development.
•
Culture can be seen as the representations and everyday interac-
tions, practices and values that shape every aspect of social life. It is
a fluid process that is constantly being transformed and reproduced
across space by multidirectional connections and cultural interac-
tions within the context of globalization.
•
The importance of culture is increasingly recognized in development
agendas, although different actors often adopt different approaches.
