Abstract
Contemporary international communication and development studies have been grappling with philosophical divides. The controversial concept of neoliberalism has been conspicuously intensifying the dichotomy between (dematerialized) poststructuralism and political economy perspectives, making the most of the development endeavors perceived as either top-down (non-participatory) or bottom-up (participatory). In particular, the latter perspective tends to champion participatory approaches, perhaps because non-participatory development has manifested formidable failures. Through a discursive approach, this chapter presents a sketch of debates and concerns that have led to conceptual dichotomies and controversies in the field of development and related communications. Then, within the context of international development aid and by considering neoliberalism as discourse, the discussion explores a more encompassing way of understanding neoliberalism and recommends an integrative or holistic approach, since development is a fleeting concept.
Jean-Claude Kwitonda
research interests include global neoliberalism, especially its various meanings. In this chapter, he suggests a way to redefine and understand neoliberalism.
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Kwitonda, JC. (2017). Navigating the Development Aid Challenge: Toward a More Encompassing Framework. In: Ngwainmbi, E. (eds) Citizenship, Democracies, and Media Engagement among Emerging Economies and Marginalized Communities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56215-5_2
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