Development studies entering a cul-de-sac?udReflections on development studies as an academicuddiscipline: A historical appraisal

摘要

The “fate of development studies” in the context of the dominant thinking onuddevelopment as propagated by development theorists was one of the main themesudhighlighted in the 5th International Malaysian Studies Conference (MSC5).1 Indeed, theudMSC5 convenors evoke the call for a reflection on the implications for and the future ofuddevelopment studies in Malaysia. Reflection on the fate and future of developmentudstudies in Malaysia requires us, in particular, to understand how development studies hasudbeen understood as an academic discipline and implemented by institutions of higherudlearning. This article undertakes to do a historical appraisal of development studies as anudacademic discipline under the guidance of the following questions: (i) How developmentudstudies emerge as a (serious) academic discipline in institutions of higher learning; (ii)udHow these institutions of higher learning define “development” and “developmentudstudies”; and (iii) What are their objectives/rationale, methodology and scope? Throughudthis historical appraisal, this article hopes to configurate a model of development studiesudthat incorporates not only the substantive components (interdisciplinary subject matter)udbut also the praxis component (‘doing’ development through for example, immersion andudadvocacy) in order to make development studies a socially responsible and relevant fieldudin development process and planning