The Participatory development theory changed their approach in 1970’s to the humanistic approach. The changing process involves the participation of the beneficiaries from the inception stage to implementation of the development intervention. This new approach helped the society to build their own capacity and self-reliance. The approach helped the grassroots movement to be heard, by becoming partners in the development process. Participatory is a way of collaborating and get information from the community members to the involved stakeholders. It is not a passive process; the government use it to gather information and it gives the community members a voice to questions the existing structures.  

An example out the view of South African contexed: 

Crime in South Africa has been a challenge for the government to resolve. The South African Police Service struggle to keep up with demands of protecting the citizens and ensuring that criminals are brought to Justice. Certain communities started to take matters into their own hands by catching criminals and exercising their own “justice” as punishment for members of society who commit criminal acts.

The SAPS introduced a community-based police forum (CPF) where members of the community can in their private capacity participate in crime prevention activities and act as informants for the SAPS. The community participation directly addresses a local problem and through the participation of the community great success have been achieved in certain communities where these forums are effectively implemented.

From the beginning of time, women’s voices were not heard. At the beginning woman were seen as a possession, even now in some cultures women are still seen as a possession. Now we are going to look at woman in development in a South African context.

Gender and development (GAD) started in 1980’s and focus on women and men. GAD is radical feminism. The feminist approach and development to GAD, women’s emancipation uprooting of patriarchy. When we put this development in a South African perspective, we can look at story of women’s day (9 August). In the year 1956, approximately 20,000 women marched to the Union Building in Pretoria with more the 100,000 signatures against pass laws that required Black citizen to carry an internal passport, that served to maintain population segregation, control urbanization, and manage migrate labour during the apartheid era.

Woman in development (WID) started in the early 1970’s and focused on the development of the women. WID is based on the liberal modernization theory. The feminist approach and development to WID, restructuring development programs of welfare, equity, antipoverty empowerment of woman. When we put this development in a South African context, we must look at business called SYSPRO. SYSPRO implemented to programs, “Woman in technology” where they develop women how to do programming, and the other program is “Woman and leadership” where they develop woman to became and maintain senior positions in the business and industry.

Postmodernism of Development (PAD) started in 1990’s and focus on women. PAD is postmodern feminism. The feminist approach and development to PAD, is post development and local knowledge. When we put this development in a South African perspective, we are going to look at the housewives. A housewife’s role is to look after the children, make sure everything works smoothly at home and to make sure everyone is fed.  Most housewives are financially depended on their partner, it means when they want to get a divorce they cannot. In many cases they want to divorce because their partner is abusive, and they are “stuck” in the relationship.

It is always important to make sure that you are not financially depended to your partner, to make sure that can get out of a toxic marriage. To all the women make sure of it that your voice is notice.

MODERNIZATION THEORY:

The process of social, economic, and cultural transformation which a country develops from an underdeveloped country to a more developed country like North America and Western Europe.

Modernization theorist believed that an underdeveloped country let go of the tradition – oriented cultures which are seen by modernization theories as backward hindering the process of developing

Modernization theorist believed that poor countries are poor because they still must develop into modern economies and that their process are hinder mostly because of their internal factors such as the countries resistance of free market principles or the absence of westerns values that drive material success

DEPENDENCY THEORIES:

The indecency theory was developed in the 1960s to address the failure of the modernization theorist because of the underdeveloped of the third world countries

The theory challenges the basic tenet of the Modernization theory that countries fall to modernize because they lack the values that first world countries possess which lead to modernization.

Traditional dependency theory can still be used as a tool for explaining global inequalities despite the challenges we faced in the 21st century.

In dependency theory focus on the origin and subsequent development of underdevelopment.
They believed all contemporary societies are integrated into a single world economic system (capitalist)

They argued that poor countries are poor because they are continually exploited by the first world countries.

Class Activity 5:

Growth and structure changes:

For development to be successful there must be growth as well as structural changes. Most important activities of economy shift from the primary sector all through to the tertiary sector. People who live in less developed countries do not have many opportunities to work in the secondary and tertiary sector that means that it can not adequately contribute to the growth of the countries economy status.

Example: South Africa started getting this right when late President Mandela and his cabinet created a vibrant economy, other Southern Africa countries still struggled and we saw an influx of migrants from other African countries to South Africa

Political Transformation:

Political growth must lead to economic and social – cultural development. Economic and social – cultural growth refers to democracy development. Africa development has not been equal to political freedom. The nation has been criticized for its lack of democratic transformation.

Example: Some rulers in Africa has been in power for a very long time which results in dictatorship rather than democracy. Zimbabwe is one such example where the previous ruler Robert Mugabe rules for 42 years.

Demographic Transitions:

Improves the hygiene and sanitation that leads to lower death rates. It also resulted into the emancipation of woman that resulted into a decrease in birth rates resulting in a demographic transition from high birth rates and low death rates and finally to low birth rates and death rates at the highest stages of development.

Example: one example of this is the rising middle class in Africa where a whole new demographic has the opportunity to have access to improved infrastructure, houses etc.

Improvements in education and health:

Due to the changes that are made in the structure of economy lead to increase in the process of education and health infrastructure. Education and heath play a big role of the development of a county.

Example: Since 1994 in South Africa 281 schools were built in rural areas and townships where people previously did not have access to formal educational infrastructure

Depression:

According to the World Health Organization more than 264 million people globally suffer from depression. Depression can lead to suicide, annually around 800 000 people take their own lives. Suicide is second in line for the most caused deaths. With the facts introduced above, we all can agree that this is a social problem.

Smash - and – grab:

43.1% of South Africa do not have a work. Smash – and – grab happens because people do not have money to buy the basic products that they need to survive. This problem classifies as a social problem.

Rape:

According to Africa Check, 40% of woman living in South Africa are raped, but only 8.6% perpetrators go to jail. Toxic muscularity is when men use violence as an indicator to show how much power they have. It can lead to rape because the man what is to be dominated in the relationship. Not only women get raped but men too. This is a social problem.

HIV/AIDS:

This illness is unquestionably an enormous social problem. In 2017 South Africa had the highest infection rate in the world. There are many implications relating to HIV, financial struggles, unemployment, child headed households and the risk of mother to child transmission.

Fast foods:

According to the indigo Index in 2019, South Africa was declared to be the unhealthiest country in the world. Obesity can lead to numerous illness, like diabetes, heart problems and cholesterol. A study was done indicating that to eat unhealth was cheaper than to eat healthy. In today’s life, we lead busy lifestyles, we are busy all day and when we get home, we do not have the energy to cook and often opt to buy junk food. Fast foods classify as a social problem.