Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
4-2021
Abstract
The rise and fall of international development paradigms has long captured the interest of scholars, but interpreting whether a paradigm is winning or losing depends largely on how we measure its success. In this research note, we contribute to this debate by assessing the influence of development paradigms via comparative bibliometric analysis. Focusing on the human development and capabilities approach (HDCA) promoted by the Human Development Reports (HDRs) of the United Nations, our analysis reveals how the HDCA has emerged to become an influential paradigm of development over the last three decades. As the HDCA has fared impressively well vis-à-vis numerous alternative development paradigms and approaches including Marxism, modernisation theory, dependency theory, “pro-poor growth” and “aid effectiveness,” we conclude that despite being relatively new, the HDCA has become one of the most influential approaches to development in the world today.
Keywords
Human development, Ideas, Paradigms, Capabilities approach, Bibliometric
Discipline
Growth and Development | Political Science
Research Areas
Political Science
Publication
Journal of Human Development and Capabilities
First Page
1
Last Page
11
ISSN
1945-2829
Identifier
10.1080/19452829.2021.1908240
Publisher
Taylor and Francis
Embargo Period
5-16-2022
Citation
JOSHI, Devin K..(2021). Footprints of a winning idea: Three decades of the human development paradigm (1990-2019). Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, , 1-11.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3307
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2021.1908240