The teleology of participation

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The teleology of participation. / Wahlberg, Ayo.

In: Anthropology in Action, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2003, p. 5-14.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Wahlberg, A 2003, 'The teleology of participation', Anthropology in Action, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 5-14.

APA

Wahlberg, A. (2003). The teleology of participation. Anthropology in Action, 10(1), 5-14.

Vancouver

Wahlberg A. The teleology of participation. Anthropology in Action. 2003;10(1):5-14.

Author

Wahlberg, Ayo. / The teleology of participation. In: Anthropology in Action. 2003 ; Vol. 10, No. 1. pp. 5-14.

Bibtex

@article{e69bab40c9ec11deb58f000ea68e967b,
title = "The teleology of participation",
abstract = "Within the past 10-15 years, international development has seen a dramatic proliferation in participatory and empowering interventions seeking to help people help themselves. Common to these otherwise heterogeneous efforts is a claim not to take away peoples{\textquoteright} initiatives and responsibilities for their own lives. Often, these types of participatory initiatives are formulated in opposition to a past development that was {\textquoteleft}Eurocentric{\textquoteright}, {\textquoteleft}top-down{\textquoteright}, {\textquoteleft}paternalist{\textquoteright} and even {\textquoteleft}arrogant{\textquoteright}. At the same time, very little attention has been paid to the implicit notions of improvability and progress involved when target groups are classified as {\textquoteleft}incapable{\textquoteright}, {\textquoteleft}unaware{\textquoteright} or {\textquoteleft}irresponsible{\textquoteright} to varying degrees. By suggesting a framework for problematising and historicising the notion of {\textquoteleft}participation{\textquoteright}, this paper will demonstrate how {\textquoteleft}not doing the job for other people, but helping them to do their own jobs{\textquoteright} remains a highly normative, teleological and guided process.",
author = "Ayo Wahlberg",
year = "2003",
language = "English",
volume = "10",
pages = "5--14",
journal = "Anthropology in Action",
issn = "0967-201X",
publisher = "Berghahn Books Ltd.",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The teleology of participation

AU - Wahlberg, Ayo

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - Within the past 10-15 years, international development has seen a dramatic proliferation in participatory and empowering interventions seeking to help people help themselves. Common to these otherwise heterogeneous efforts is a claim not to take away peoples’ initiatives and responsibilities for their own lives. Often, these types of participatory initiatives are formulated in opposition to a past development that was ‘Eurocentric’, ‘top-down’, ‘paternalist’ and even ‘arrogant’. At the same time, very little attention has been paid to the implicit notions of improvability and progress involved when target groups are classified as ‘incapable’, ‘unaware’ or ‘irresponsible’ to varying degrees. By suggesting a framework for problematising and historicising the notion of ‘participation’, this paper will demonstrate how ‘not doing the job for other people, but helping them to do their own jobs’ remains a highly normative, teleological and guided process.

AB - Within the past 10-15 years, international development has seen a dramatic proliferation in participatory and empowering interventions seeking to help people help themselves. Common to these otherwise heterogeneous efforts is a claim not to take away peoples’ initiatives and responsibilities for their own lives. Often, these types of participatory initiatives are formulated in opposition to a past development that was ‘Eurocentric’, ‘top-down’, ‘paternalist’ and even ‘arrogant’. At the same time, very little attention has been paid to the implicit notions of improvability and progress involved when target groups are classified as ‘incapable’, ‘unaware’ or ‘irresponsible’ to varying degrees. By suggesting a framework for problematising and historicising the notion of ‘participation’, this paper will demonstrate how ‘not doing the job for other people, but helping them to do their own jobs’ remains a highly normative, teleological and guided process.

M3 - Journal article

VL - 10

SP - 5

EP - 14

JO - Anthropology in Action

JF - Anthropology in Action

SN - 0967-201X

IS - 1

ER -

ID: 15585498