Culture and development: a review of literature

The continuing tension between modern standards and local contexts

In this literature review, the author considers the way culture has been conceptualised in development thinking, recognising and examining the different ways in which culture is said to affect development. What
are the different connections by which different culture-defining assumptions can influence diverse aspects of development?

The paper begins by critically examining how both modernisation theory and its critics have shaped the framework within which culture has been deployed and debated in development thinking. It highlights how the tradition/modernity dichotomy has polarised views, leading to opposing conceptions of culture as either a positive instrument for development or an obstacle to overcome. Then, after considering new ways of thinking about development and culture that have emerged within the context of globalisation, the author attempts to analyse the extent to which they have challenged earlier models associated with the tradition/modernity framework.

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Culture and development: a review of literature