Development Revisited: A Sociological and Managerial Analysis–Part 12

This is the final part of the series. In the previous eleven (11) parts, we dissected economic development as advanced by Western hegemony from two perspectives; namely, sociological and managerial. In this final part, we’ll look at what true economic development really is. But to begin with, since development is often associated with civilization, we want to see whether economic development as we have it today has really led to civilization.

The term civilization has varied meanings depending on the perspective from which it is looked at. And what makes a society civilized is open to debate and is often subjective. Thus there’s no single definition for the word. However, the following definition seems to capture what is generally thought of when we say civilization.

According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary – Civilization, civilization is “An advanced stage or system of human social development.” Civilization is usually contrasted with barbarism which is “absence of culture and civilization; Extreme cruelty or brutality.”

What does it mean to be advanced? ‘Advanced’ simply means complex. And that is opposed to the true nature of man as he was originally designed to live: “This is all that I have learned: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.”—Ecclesiastes 7:29, Good News Bible.

Religiously, throughout history, some have sought to ‘civilize’ other peoples by imposing their unique religious beliefs on them (Encyclopedia Britannica – Colonialism and Religion).

Politically, these efforts often included the establishment of institutions such as legislature, judiciary, economics, finance, education, and family life patterned after the colonizers (United Nations – Development and Colonization).

Economic development as is promoted today is thus all a farce. It’s a smoke-screen designed to alienate peoples, pitching one against another in brutal competition; creating a world of selfishness, lovelessness, hostility and greed (World Bank – Critiques of Western Development Models).

True economic development is really opposed to the type that is promoted by the West and which almost every nation pursues—it is based on simplicity. Here is a story I read on the Brefi Group website which demonstrates this amply:

Story of the Mexican fisherman and the American investment banker (as written in the original text).

This illustrates the Western approach of maximizing wealth and complexity versus a simple, fulfilling lifestyle (Harvard Business Review – Simplicity in Life and Business).

In a truly developed and civilized economy, the most important quality is spirituality (OECD – Human Well-Being and Development). In contrast, in falsely advanced systems, the most important quality is disregard of God and spirituality.

In a truly developed society, the family comes first (UNICEF – Family Well-Being), while in falsely advanced economies, the system separates family members for wealth accumulation.

Morality, decency, and respect for nature are cherished in truly developed economies (World Bank – Sustainable Development), whereas in falsely developed systems, environmental degradation and social vices are prevalent.

Certainly, in terms of true economic development and civilization, there is no country on earth today that is truly developed and civilized (United Nations – Human Development Index). The world is replete with weapons of mass destruction (United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs), greed is on the ascendency, and many humans act destructively in society.

The only way out is to think reverse and act reverse to the blind leadership in false economic development (Stanford Social Innovation Review – Rethinking Development). Return to the basics—embrace true spirituality, inner joy, peace, and love—which cost nothing but yield everything.

The author Jules Nartey-Tokoli is Founder and Group CEO at Groupe Soleil Vision, comprising Soleil Consults, LLC, NubianBiz dot Com and Soleil Publications. He has lived and worked in both Ghana and the United States, having extensive experience in Strategy, Management, Entrepreneurship, Premium Audit Advisory and Web consulting. He has also published several articles on Strategy and Management among others.