Opportunity in a New Era of Development

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

This project examines how the dramatically increasing role of a new external sponsor of economic development, with a novel orientation, affects the lives of ordinary people. The opportunities and limitations of this shift in development policy will be assessed. In particular, this research focuses on how the new development affects social opportunities related to demographic characteristics. This project, therefore, contributes to a central aim of development, namely the improved well-being of individuals in the poorest areas. Findings will have relevance for development practices, national security concerns, and economic competitiveness. The project also will offer unique and valuable educational opportunities and enhance an underdeveloped research infrastructure. Data for this project will be collected through ethnographic observation and interviews at three sponsored development projects: a hydroelectric dam, an industrial park, and a large-scale agricultural project. These field sites represent the main categories of sponsored projects: infrastructure projects, industrial zones, and agriculture projects. Six months of ethnographic fieldwork will be conducted over the course of the project and will focus on observing everyday social interactions at the sites. Approximately 350 interviews will be conducted with a wide range of informants, including workers, government officials, and business people. By comparing social dynamics across the three field sites, this project will show how the three types of sponsored projects differ with regard to benefits and costs for ordinary people. More broadly, this research will provide a much-needed comparison between the new sponsored development and long-standing development efforts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.