We started this challenge with a little multiple choice test. We got 8 questions considering development in other countries. I had only 3 questions correct answered. This made me realize that we are to quick with making our opinions and we have a lot of prejudices. For example I didn't think (like the most of the people) that an African country like Rwanda had the most female parliament members of the world!
We think that African countries are countries of the third world who are still developing and were there is still a lot of work needed, also considering women rights.
MICHEL FOUCAULT:
Then we talked about Michel Foucault and his thoughts about society.
I remember that according to Foucault our social words is actually dominated by a so called 'truth'.
This truth is the result of discourses between people and cultures which have created and shaped meaning systems. Anything else than this truth, alternative discourses, are seen as not important, not true, ...
This truth is the result of discourses between people and cultures which have created and shaped meaning systems. Anything else than this truth, alternative discourses, are seen as not important, not true, ...
A few examples of discourses:
- Straight or gay:
Gay people are most of the time seen as strange people because they have an other way of thinking, acting, ... We judge and have prejudices about the choices of other people. - Huts or houses:
Huts are considerateed primitive because they are made of 'primitive' materials als wood and braches.
Houses are considerated more modern because they are the results of developed processes and materials. - Civil war or tribal war:
Some wares, between western people, are called civil war because we consider these people as more developed than others. They are 'higher' on the social ladder. War between tribes are called tribal wars because they are considerated as primitive people. However: war is still war, why do we give it other names?!
SYSTEMA NATURA
This part of the challenge was shocking to me. We saw Carl Linné's book where he is making categories in the human race. He does this like we are plants or animals without keeping the individual differences in mind!
What is even worse, is that he is actually justifying slaverny of black people some decades/centuries ago.
When you read the aspects of European people you can see that these are all positive things. When you read the aspects of the American, Asiatic or African people you can only see negative things. It's like they asked to be slaves, because they are not enough civilized and developed.
Macro development discourses:
We read the text 'Escobar's Encountering Development' and after that we had to identify the different discourses:
- UN discourse:
"There is a sense in which rapid economic progress is impossible without painfull adjustments. Ancient philosophies have to be scrapped, old social institutions have to be desintegrate, bonds of caste, creed and race have to burst, and large numbers of persons who cannot keep up with progress have to have their expectations of a comfortable life frustrated. Very few communities are willing to pay the full price of economic progress."Actually the UN is saying that it is their own fault that they don't become developed?! They don't want sacrifice something, they don't want to pay a price. - Truman discourse:
Truman suggested a fair deal with the world. He wanted to help the underdeveloped areas to grow. But they had to do the way the USA did it. Its our model that you need to grow, they are almost saying.
"Greater production is the key to prosperity and peace. And the key to greater production is a wider and more vigorous application of modern scientific and technical knowledge" - The Escobar discourse:
About the fair deal of Truman:
"The rapport suggested no less than a total restructuring of 'underdeveloped' societies."
"By the early 1950s, such a will had become hegemonic at the level of the circles of power."
"This book tells the story of this dream and how it progressively turned into a nightmare. For instead of the kingdom of abundance promised by theorists and politicians in the 1950s, the discourse and strategy of development produced its opposite: massive underdevelopment and impoverishment, untold exploitation and oppression." Escobar is saying that this idea of the '50 is actually part responsable for the third world.
Micro development discourses:
In this discourses about Mongolia and their wish to develop their schoolsystem we saw an interesting fact.
They have actually adapted the 'Western way' of thinking. We think that we are developed and that they are underdeveloped/primitive. Now, Mongolia thinks the same about itself. They consider themself as underdeveloped and they see the Danish Schoolstystem as the so called truth (cfr Foucault).
They ask to copy the Danish schoolsystem in Mongolia so that they can also have the truth and belong to the developed countries. They forget to question the schoolsystem!!
Reflection:
In this challenge I realised that there is actually no truth. We consider to have the truth in our hands,
BUT WHY ARE THERE STILL SO MANY PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD!!
BUT WHY ARE THERE STILL SO MANY PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD!!
And above all:
WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE THE TRUTH IN THEIR HANDS???
I think that we have to look first into our own harts and souls before we can say: you should follow/copy our truth!!
