Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
<mark>Journal publication date</mark> | 1/06/1999 |
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<mark>Journal</mark> | Journal of International Development |
Issue number | 4 |
Volume | 11 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Pages (from-to) | 597-612 |
Publication Status | Published |
<mark>Original language</mark> | English |
This article suggests that the concepts underlying participatory approaches to development should be subject to greater critical analysis. Drawing on research on water resource management in sub-Saharan Africa, and on social theory concerning the recursive relationship between agency and structure, it illustrates the need for a more complex understanding of issues of efficiency and empowerment in participatory approaches. Particularly, two key concepts are examined: ideas about the nature and role of institutions; and models of individual action. The article concludes by identifying the questions such an analysis raises about the relationships between community, social capital and the state.