SOCY 211

LEARNING ACTIVITY 8

DEVELOPMENT, A DIFFERENT APPROACH:

STUDY UNIT: 5

LECTURER: MS. K. PHAJANE

J.E. COETZEE

33760845

TEL: 0795043183

08 MAY 2021

1. Introduction

Development as concept and practice may have a variety of differing forms and modi operandi. Not least among them is what’s referred to as the Humanistic approach, which in itself contains, inter alia, the Participatory developmental approach. Herein will lead a brief discussion of this particular approach to community development and how this can be applied to a practical example within the South African context.

2. Participatory community development

Participatory development, as mentioned earlier, belongs to the Humanistic school of thought, and centres around the participation of the actual community in question in the decision-making process and management of crucial developmental resources. Participatory development also functions mainly on the bottom-up method of development, which revolves around the community members expressing their own subjective views on development within the community as well as on the routes through which development should take place. In doing so, the community (or subordinate groups) are exerting pressure on the “top” (dominant or ruling groups) as to how development should unfold and be managed (Isidiho & Sabran, 2016:270; Korten, 1987:148).

Participatory development, especially with regard to policy formulation and implementation, is characterised by the formulating or implementing entities or institutions engaging in consultation with the members (often the elites) of the community in question in order to gain their approval. This would logically simplify the entire implementation process as the members of the community also had input in the formulation process that’ll ensure their interests are addressed and not merely the interests of the policy holders that are merely being imposed upon the community without their consent or approval. In conjunction with this, when it comes to developmental projects intended for a community, its members will often be given the freedom to choose which project will be undertaken from a list of projects presented them by the experts involved (Isidiho & Sabran, 2016:270).

Furthermore, the participatory approach to development enables community members to undergo a shift from being passive recipients of external policy changes and ideological decisions, to becoming active participants in leading the way in which development will take place within their community (Isidiho & Sabran, 2016:270). As such, participatory development also aims at enabling the members of a society or community to mobilise and rely upon themselves for both the development of their community, as well as for the allocation and management of the local resources required for said development (Isidiho & Sabran, 2016:270-271).

Incidentally, the types of non-governmental organisations involved in participatory development (specifically in terms of the implementation of developmental projects etc.) would arguably require second and third generation NGO orientation and organisational structure, as the putting in place of self-support structures for the community (second generation NGO), and involvement of the NGOs with the institutions and bodies responsible for both policy formulation and implementation (third generation), as well as the management the resources required for said development, would logically be of paramount importance Korten, 1987:148-149).

3. Example from the SA context

An example of participatory development within South Africa, would be the Thusong Service Centres built by the South African government to serve the purpose of building and improving communication between the government (top) and the members of the community (bottom or grassroots) in which each centre is built. These centres provide both information about government and government services, as well as an opportunity for citizens (members of the community) to enter into dialogue with government to, for example, voice their concerns about the quality of services rendered by the government, or possible areas of improvement in the specific community or area.

Not only does this example manifest the attempt at establishing communication between the benefactor and beneficiary as mentioned earlier, but also the attempt to include and place the community members as the centre of development in their own communities.

4. Conclusion

Thus, the participatory approach to development has been shown as placing the persons of the community members at the centre of the development process and integrating them in all aspects of said development – from planning to implementation.

5. Reference list  

Isidiho, A.O. & Sabran, M.S.B. 2016. Evaluating the Top-Bottom and Bottom-Up Community Development Approaches:  Mixed Method Approach as Alternative for Rural Un-Educated Communities in Developing Countries. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 7(4): 266-273.

Korten, D.C. 1987. Third Generation NGO Strategies: A Key to People-centered [sic] Development. World Development: 15(1): 145-159.