This paper proposes a heuristic model that aims to render more visible tensions concerning the role of business or the invisible hand of the market with respect to development. Fair trade is used as an exemplar to explore the relevance of this model, highlighting the tensions apparent in using...

This introduction reviews some of the issues and controversies within development economics over the last half century. Particular attention is given to the status of development economics as a sub-discipline of economics and to the relationship between theoretical and empirical contributions....

This paper is concerned with disagreements between researchers over economic policy and poverty and the implications for policy makers. It sets out to show that on three selected policy questions the 'conventional wisdom' is in fact highly contested. It then discusses why this might be and what...

This paper addresses the following question: why are we still arguing about globalization? Focus is placed on the conceptual point of departure, 'globalization' and its quantification. Differentiation is made between two perspectives on global economic integration: globalization as...

Cross-disciplinarity is widely accepted in the Development Studies (DS) community, but has principally been interpreted within the social sciences. However, much of the research, practical planning and evaluation studies, and teaching|training in DS involves cross-disciplinarity between the...

Aid [Official Development Assistance (ODA)] is under pressure as fiscal constraints mount in OECD countries following the 2008–2009 global financial and economic crisis. The arguments in favour of ODA commitments from donor countries have been articulated by several writers over the years but...

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), for better or worse, have played a major role in focusing development policy since their original incarnation in the 1990s. Some development agencies have gone as far as to judge the value of all their activities on the contribution to...

This Special Issue comes from the Development Studies Association (DSA) 30th Anniversary conference in 2008. The theme was 'Development's Invisible Hands', focusing on the forces likely to influence global change and re-shape development agendas over the next 30 years. The first section...

The links between science, society and development are attracting research and policy attention as never before. Rapid advances in science and technology, whether in the fields of health, agriculture, information and communication, industrial production or environment offer, it seems, an array...