Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Development" is the most commonly used single word by economists, policymakers, international financial institutions and politicians.Although, as a polysemic word, "development" has different meaningsit is used largely to describe an improvement in the quality of life of people.Initially, development was perceived as the growth of domestic, national or individual income.Over time, the perception of development was broadened, and now it encompasses various dimensions in defining development.In addition to the traditional economic elements, it includes many socioeconomic and political dimensions such as poverty, inequality, unemployment, freedom, democracy, dignity, self-respect and self-esteem.UNDP defines development as a process of enlarging people's choices, while Sen defines it as a process of expansion of freedoms.These choices or freedoms lead to an improvement in the quality of life of people and there is no argument about that.However, as I perceive it, development is not a process as considered in terms of traditional and modern development ideologies, but a superior status that human beings strive to capture or reach.Expansion of choices or freedoms and the elimination of poverty, inequality, etc. are the processes that convey people to the development.The policies and programs drawn up to achieve the improvement of so-called choices or freedoms are the instruments that expand the processes.These processes will end when the entire human society reaches the so-called pinnacle of development.
Source: Acta Politica Polonica
Author: Wanninayaka M. Semasinghe
Institution: University of Kelaniya
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3039804507