Development- chances are everyone knows at least something about it. Mainly because it is constantly occurring around each and every one of us. Barbara Miller defines development as change that is directed towards the improvement of human welfare (Miller, B., 2013). Yet, not everyone views development in the same context. In fact, when two interviewees, both from the Dickinson College community but with different backgrounds, were asked about what development meant to them, the results showed a collection of similar and conflicting views. Throughout this work, the two interviewees will be referred to as CJ and AA. With the ideas and methods used by previous anthropologists in mind, the two interviews were put up against each other. It is apparent
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For the American culture now, you can look at things like Snapchat that really dictate how our society views things, so areas where that is less prevalent I would classify them as less developed.” This idea was then used to justify a type of social division of power in the United States. The division of power described is a form of social hierarchy based on socioeconomic status. AA also comments on this issue by addressing how this division is very materialistic, and based strongly on assumptions by those around you, “if someone views you as rich, based on materials, you thrive in that environment.” Social hierarchy parallels ideas showcased in Tania Murray Li’s book Land’s End, where the coastal people were higher up the ranking than those farming in the highlands, despite farming being highly valued. In Li’s research, the merchants possessed more power due to their economic status and other assets such as property (Li, T. M., …show more content…
A prime example of this was shown in the idea of political beliefs the subjects were associated with. When compared to known terms, connections between political parties and specific forms of development were evidently expressed. For example, the interviewee following the Democratic party, was more interested in distributional (equality), human (welfare), and sustainable development, while the interviewee following the Republican party was more focused on growth oriented (economic) development (Miller, B., 2013). This, along with other factors, created differences in the concepts of power and history but also showed similarities in terms of culture and social hierarchy. Nonetheless, it is clear from connections made in the readings that these conflicting and agreeing views are found across the globe and have significant influence on overall development and a person’s perspective of
For the American culture now, you can look at things like Snapchat that really dictate how our society views things, so areas where that is less prevalent I would classify them as less developed.” This idea was then used to justify a type of social division of power in the United States. The division of power described is a form of social hierarchy based on socioeconomic status. AA also comments on this issue by addressing how this division is very materialistic, and based strongly on assumptions by those around you, “if someone views you as rich, based on materials, you thrive in that environment.” Social hierarchy parallels ideas showcased in Tania Murray Li’s book Land’s End, where the coastal people were higher up the ranking than those farming in the highlands, despite farming being highly valued. In Li’s research, the merchants possessed more power due to their economic status and other assets such as property (Li, T. M., …show more content…
A prime example of this was shown in the idea of political beliefs the subjects were associated with. When compared to known terms, connections between political parties and specific forms of development were evidently expressed. For example, the interviewee following the Democratic party, was more interested in distributional (equality), human (welfare), and sustainable development, while the interviewee following the Republican party was more focused on growth oriented (economic) development (Miller, B., 2013). This, along with other factors, created differences in the concepts of power and history but also showed similarities in terms of culture and social hierarchy. Nonetheless, it is clear from connections made in the readings that these conflicting and agreeing views are found across the globe and have significant influence on overall development and a person’s perspective of