ANALYZE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT

Many societies seek to live better lives as they see development to be the means to an end. At the same time it has been seen that primitive cultures have less development as compared to advanced cultures. There seems to be a relationship between culture and development. So now the task for this paper presentation is to critically analyze the relationship between culture and development.

According to Richard (2002), culture is simply all the ways in which human beings overcome their original barbarism through artifice and become fully human.

Culture refers to the way of life of a given people which includes among others their language, taboos, festivals, values, beliefs and traditions. ‘Culture differentiates animals from humans’, curriculum development center, (2010:57).  It is something learned through generations. It comprises skills, knowledge and beliefs of a people.  

Development refers to all efforts meant to raise the standard of living of the people through increased incomes as well as bettering their social services. These include health and education facilities, sanitation, food, social security and good roads, Curriculum development center (2010). Other scholars like Osagie are of the view that development is the qualitative and quantities positive transformation of the lives of a people that does not only enhance their material well being, including the restoration of human dignity, Osagie (1985). Here the implication is that development is a warm gradual and considerate process attempting to alleviate man’s existing social, cultural and political values.

Together with this, we see that instruments and materials are needed specifically aimed at the practice in relation to culture and development, so that they can be used as tools. Culture is about creativity, heritage, knowledge and diversity. These values are intrinsically connected to human development and freedom. Through the world commission of culture and development of 1995 report, culture was acknowledged to play an instrumental role in promoting economic progress since it was a desirable end in itself. The goodness with culture is that it is an important aspect of sustainable development as it makes communities understand and appreciate natural resources. Development and culture have been connected in many international policy documents and conventions. civil society, cultural organizations and the NGOs, amongst others, have all identified the need to examine further the role of culture in development processes, both on the theoretical level and in its practical application through development activities and projects: starting with the cultural comprehension of the very concept of development, and then clarifying what is understood by culture in development co-operation, in order to generate tools which favor the application of the theory and the mainstreaming of culture in development practice.

We could also point out that there is still plenty of work left to be done in this area. This presentation seeks to join the numerous current initiatives on culture and development, providing an instrument of rapprochement for those interested in finding out what is behind this binomial. It was UNESCO which in 1966 indicated in an international document the unavoidable need to consider culture within international cooperation.      

An example can be taken from the countries called the Asian tigers such as Malaysia, china south, Japan and India among others who have managed and adopted what is referred to as the critical culture renaissance. Many countries in Africa have not made it in their development agenda owing to their inability to combine their indigenous values with the colonial legacies as the Asians have done it. Prof Mazurui, a pan African scholar has also intimated over the same issue about culture. He says one strategy for poor African countries is to follow a policy of indigenization. This process includes the identification and development of the greater civilization of indigenous techniques, personnel and approaches to purposeful change, (David, 2012).

Placing culture at the center of development policy constitutes an essential investment in world’s future and a pre condition to globalization process taking into account the principle of cultural diversity. Biodiversity, indigenous knowledge and sustainable development are very closely linked. If culture is looked as a whole of beliefs, habits, and customs of a society, then it is the foundation upon which development of a society is built. Economic development without roots can never result in culture and consequently can never result in sustainable development, Curriculum Development Center (2010). Since culture is part of everyday life, it is therefore essential for development of all.  Actually the status of people has evolved since the adoption of article 27 of the universal declaration of human rights, which affirmed the right of every human species to freely participate in the cultural life of the community and enjoy the arts in this case ku-o-mboka or ukusefa pa ng’wena festival. It could be the culture of riding elephants like the Philippines. Another example is the hospitality in rural Zambia where life is a gamble but still practiced. Biodiversity, indigenous knowledge and sustainable development are very closely linked. Dabaghian views argues that ‘the pride of any society lies in its culture since no society in the world could be considered great without reference to its tradition and culture’, Dabaghian (1970:103).

 In the last two decades (LDCs) least developed countries have embarked on approaches that are cultural in nature. For example here in Zambia the government has a learning program called primary literacy program (PLP) where indigenous languages (previously called L1) will be used as a medium of instruction at lower primary.  After all language is part of culture. The Asian education systems among others have considerably yielded good results after indigenization of their development policies. In like manner Zambia and other LDCs are destined for such results.  The reason for an academician to say culture is related to development with confidence. Development initiatives and approaches that take into consideration local conditions and cultures are likely to result into more context-sensitive and equitable outcomes whilst also enhancing ownership by target beneficiaries. Since culture is in every fiber of society it implies that every form of development affects society’s culture.  Therefore integrating culture in to development policies and programs, therefore contributes to effective sustainability. For the reason that biological and cultural diversity are inextricably linked and together the two hold the key to sustainable development. Gorodninchenko and Roland (2010) have a similar view and say that cultural dimension has an important and robust causal effect on innovation and long run growth.  Actually the point is culture defines how people behave towards nature because in globalised village with communities with communities made of transnational humans.

Any local policy aimed at protecting the natural environment and achieve sustainable development will necessary also have to take into consideration and act upon the culture of the concerned communities. That’s why culture is so important for the development of millennium development goals. Therefore consideration of culture effectively enables development when projects acknowledge and respond to the local context and the particularities of the place and community through the careful use of cultural resources as well as emphasis on local knowledge, skills and materials.

Respecting and promoting culture diversity within human   rights approach facilitates inter-cultural dialogue which in turn prevents conflicts and protects the rights of

Marginalized groups within and between nations thereby creating optimal conditions for attaining development goals since culture in itself is a driver of development. Actually experience has shown that cultural resources can be converted into useful products which communities can use in their livelihoods. For instance some soils can be used for making pots while some types can be used for making glass cups. In other regions cow dung is useless while in other areas it used for building walls of houses and also for natural fertilizers in fact they are best fertilizers recommended by conservationists.

These values are being recognized as the cultural dimension (or the fourth pillar apart from the others include political, social and economical) of sustainable development at local, national and in previous obstacles and limitations. On the other hand, acknowledging diversity should not be understood as raising barriers between communities, but on the contrary promoting the capability of individuals, men and women, to live and to be what they choose, within an increasingly complex world, by guaranteeing their access to a wide range of cultural assets and expressions. Poverty, it should be stressed, is not just a question of material conditions and income, but also of lack of capabilities and opportunities, including in cultural terms.

The truth is that development rooted in culture and sensitive to local context is in fact the only one which is likely to be sustainable. As Nobel Prize winner Amartya has argued that cultural matters are integral parts of the lives we lead. If development can be seen as enhancement of our living standards, then efforts geared to development can hardly ignore the world of culture, Amartya (2001).

Last but not the least all efforts of development should be culture oriented if development is to be meaningful to the locals and the Diaspora. After all culture is creative development. From culture comes tourism which in turn brings forex which in turn improves the economy for the benefit of all. Without roots a people cannot have direction hence no development as earlier highlighted. The above is the critical analysis of the relationship between culture and development.

REFERENCES

Amartya Sen (2001) Culture and development on world bank conference. Tokyo.

Curriculum Development Center (2010) Civic Education 12. Lusaka, Zambia Education Publishing House.

Curriculum Development Center (2010) Civic Education 10.  Lusaka, Zambia Education Publishing House.

Dabaghian J (1970) Mirror of man: reading in sociology and literature. Toronto, Brown and company.

David Owusu-Amoah (2012) the importance of culture for national development. Issue no: 18. Accessed at http//:www.modernghana.com @ 10:36 hours CAT on 07.04.14

Gorodninchenko Y and Roland G (2010) culture, institutions and the wealth of nations. CEPR discussion paper no: 8031.

Osagie. S (1985) the concept of material culture and contemporary issues in Nigeria. Ogun. Ogun State University Press.

THE ROLE OF STATE IN SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT

THE ROLE OF STATE IN DEVELOPMENT

The world we live in is not a static world. It is dynamic and has constantly undergone some changes. Simply put, we live in a changing society. Almost every state has held elections so as to find a better government that can bring development to its citizens because where there is no change there can’t be development.  Since development cannot just come on its own, the state has to play a role hence this discussion will state what development is and describe the role of the state in supporting development.  

Development is  an extension of the theoretical or practical aspects of a concept, design, discovery, or invention. The process of economic and social transformation that is based on complex cultural and environmental factors and their interactions.  The process of adding improvements to a piece of land, such as grading, subdivisions, drainage, access, roads, utilities. It is also the process of economic and social transformation that is based on complex cultural and environmental factors and their interactions. www.businessdictionary.com/defintions.

Development is a complex issue, with many different and sometimes contentious definitions which may dwell on social, economic, or political development. Development is about improving the wellbeing of being of people, improving their education, health and opening to their new opportunities for richer and varied life.   A basic perspective equates development with economic growth. The United Nations Development Programme uses a more detailed definition- according to them development is 'to lead long and healthy lives, to be knowledgeable, to have access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living  and to be able to participate in the life of the community. Development does not mean building skyscrapers and payment of heft salaries for the civil service but it’s about the economical, social, environmental and political aspects of a nation or region. Furthermore the development should be sustainable even for the future generations to come and not just for the present to enjoy.  Development refers to the act of improving the quality of life and making sure everyone has the preference in what life has to offer. These choices are widened through the combined effort of local people, international bodies, governments and a variety of civil society organisations such as non-governmental organizations and religious groups.

The role of the state in development has become one of the most hotly contested policy issues of the post-colonial era Africa in general and Southern Africa in particular.  According to Matinussen (1997:257) ‘the debate concerning the  role the state should play in development policy and what strategies bear most credence has been incessantly charged since the end of 1940s’. Although the controversy around which agency is more central in driving the development process between state and markets still a matter of debate, in a way some states favor communist ideologies while others favor capitalist ideologies. It is evident that since the 1980s through to the 1990s, dominant foreign actors, especially the Bretton Woods institutions have imposed their policies over the nationalist political elite, dictating Africa’s development path making it difficult for states to choose means of supporting development.  This has had dire consequences for both political sovereignty and autonomous economic initiatives. No other country in the Southern African region provides such a vivid example of this contradiction between imperialist hegemony and national sovereignty as Zimbabwe does today, Matlosa (2002).

The problem with African countries is that they inherited economies that are backward, skewed and underdeveloped as a result of Western colonial rule. So since independence, African states have embarked on the transformation of inherited economic structures with varying degrees of success. The debate about the role of the state in development in Africa reached its peak in the 1970s. Therefore the state needs to create an entrepreneurship friendly environment and infant industry promotion amongst other means. The state is not to rely on more market forces for it to have development.  Without government intervention states would be caught in a vicious circle of poverty, Baur (1984). However neoliberal policy recommendations aim at dealing with state failure through structural adjustment programs. The recommendations focus on fiscal, austerity, privatization, trends, liberalization and deregulation to increase the freedom of action for private entrepreneurs’, Rapley (2007).  In this way the state supports development. The logic behind is rises from the fact that government spending fosters high inflation.  More over the state owned enterprises are less efficient than the private sector.   When government fails to allocate resources for its departments it borrows funds from the co-operating partners. But usually with strings attached. According to (IMF) international Monetary Fund a country that borrows agrees to adjust its economic policies to overcome the problems that led to it to seek financial aid from the international community, International Monetary Fund (2011).

The state needs to support development by protecting its local industries through various policies. For example Henry VIII aimed to support the domestic processing of wool which accounted for roughly half of the English industry in that time through taxing exports of raw wool, Chang (2002). As can be seen from the above example there was promotion of infant industry. Back here in Zambia the government of Zambia has been supporting small scale farmers through many programs such as the rural note book program on radio among others. The cash transfer schemes is one such programs where there is government support. The state needs to formulate or introduce policies that promote its manufacturing industry. For example reduced tariffs a developmental state has the capability for sustained economic growth (i.e. high gross domestic product (GDP)), and development (i.e. welfare services to the mass of the population), qualities that Mauritius and Botswana have.

The Southern Africa region is still confronted with enormous development challenges, which have not been resolved since the early 1980s. The Lagos Plan of Action, the UNECA proposals for an alternative development agenda and the structural adjustment in the late 1980s have not achieved the intended results, as the continent has nothing to show for all these efforts in terms of economic progress and regional integration. These have and are, arguably, development projects driven primarily by the nationalist political elite aimed at charting some autonomous development vision and destiny for the continent, Ake (1996).

However, part of the failure of the nationalist and state-driven development models was the resistance from the donor community and disapproval of such by the Bretton Woods institutions who jointly devised alternative development strategies such as the early 1980s Berg Report, through the late 1980s reports up to the current World Bank report on “Can Africa Claim the 21st Century”. In these competing development agendas, there is no doubt that the nationalist agenda has lost to Bretton Woods and the Washington consensus,   Ake (1996), Kidane and Logan (1995).

Many African states relied heavily on expatriates, who subsequently produced development plans whose policies, programs and targets took for granted the inherited economic structure of their respective countries. In Southern Africa, most post-colonial states depended on expatriates for the formulation of national development plans that usually ran from five to fifteen years. At the same time, donors financially supported these development plans.  In Zambia, the ratio of expatriates (mostly macro-economists) to national experts at the National Commission for Development planning in 1975 was 21 to 4, Ake (1996). The above explains why economic nationalism remained heavily at the center of development in the continent. Although they allowed foreign resources to complement their own mission and effort, nationalists remained focused and central to the development process in the continent.gai at the cost of community or widespread communities.

Last but not the least, the role of the state in development has been an issue of heated debate at theoretical and policy arenas in the Southern African region especially since the attainment of independence in the 1960s. Two main alternative or contrasting development agendas that have driven the debate were those of the nationalist political elite on one hand and those of foreign capital on the other. The former espoused what in ideological and policy terms could be described as economic nationalism. The latter espoused what could be described as economic markets. State intervention, as a key policy thrust of a development process is much stronger in respect of economic nationalism, which in itself is an expression of the political commitment of African states to chart an autonomous development path.

REFERENCES

Ake. C (1996) Democracy and Development in Africa. Washington D.C,   The Brookings Institution.

Baur John (984) music through literature. Vol: 1.

Chang H. J (2002) kicking away the ladder. London, Anthem Press.

International Monetary Fund (2011) International MonetoryFund  Conditionalities.

Accessed on 14/04/14 @ 10:39 from www.imf.org/external/np/ex/facts/conditionshtm.

Kidane Mengisteab and Logan B. Ikubolajeh (1995) Southern African Political EconomicSeries. Cape Town, NJ Publishers.

Matlosa Kabhele (2005) Rethinking African  development: a paper presented at the conference. Maputo.

Rapley. J (2007) (3^rdeds) understanding development: theory and practice in the third world. New York, Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Todaro M. P (1992) Economics for a developing World.  London, Longman limited.