New Directions in the Sociology of Development

Abstract

At the close of World War II, “development” evolved along two distinct paths. On the first, scholars aimed to generate theoretical understandings of social change, especially at the national level (development studies). On the second, policy makers in governments and other development-­focused organizations initiated actions to promote positive social change (development practice). In this article, we review the recent trajectory of development scholarship in sociology, paying close attention to the intersections between development studies and development practice. Through explicit comparisons to development scholarship in economics and political science, we demonstrate how the prominence of development sociology has varied historically in relation to its proposed policy prescriptions. We conclude by highlighting six uniquely sociological contributions that could powerfully extend contemporary interdisciplinary development conversations, and by calling for greater sociological attention to the complex ways in which a growing transnational field of development practitioners is shaping a multiplicity of development outcomes.