Dimitri della Faille

Discourse analysis in international development studies: Mapping some contemporary contributions

Abstract This paper critically examines work conducted by discourse analysts working in international development studies (IDS). During the 1990s, a number of authors introduced the study of speech, text and image as new paths toward understanding the causes of underdevelopment. This article highlights the authors who have worked on discourses on development and underdevelopment expressed by national and international governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, scientific disciplines and specialized knowledge fields (including IDS). We focus in particular on the work of Chandra Mohanty, Arturo Escobar, James C. Scott, James Ferguson, Gilbert Rist and a selection of gender studies scholars. Beyond their differences, these discourse analysts in IDS share a rejection of mainstream analysis of underdevelopment. However, these authors remain marginalized in their own field of study and their work ought to be circulated in general discourse analysis circles.

Sociology on Latin America in the 1960s: Developmentalism, Imperialism, and Topical Tropism

This article reveals the emergence of the idea of development in the sociological study of Latin America in the United States as a specific product of history. We show how in the 1960s, it was the result of interaction between the economic, political, military, and scientific fields generated by the mobilization of resources based on their respective rules. We criticize the idea that sociology had clearly-defined goals during this period. Our research demonstrates, for instance, how the research conducted on Latin America during that period was rooted in “topical tropism”. Our investigation is based on the analysis of empirical data including institutional information, journal articles and historical archives.

Dissection d'un discours à propos des conflits sociaux: le cas du projet Camelot

Abstract In the 1960s, conflict resolution appeared as a topic in American sociology as a temporary and initial phase of development in Latin America. In this paper, we examine the case of Project Camelot (1964–1965) through its relationship with its disciplinary and organizational histories. Additionally, we compare the state of knowledge about foreign contexts within sociology and anthropology. With the current growing use of the Social Sciences in military efforts in the Middle East (i.e., the Minerva Initiative and the Human Terrain System), the study of Camelot offers an opportunity to critically reassess the interaction between scientific knowledge and strategic agendas.Abstract In the 1960s, conflict resolution appeared as a topic in American sociology as a temporary and initial phase of development in Latin America. In this paper, we examine the case of Project Camelot (1964–1965) through its relationship with its disciplinary and organizational histories. Additionally, we compare the state of knowledge about foreign contexts within sociology and anthropology. With the current growing use of the Social Sciences in military efforts in the Middle East (i.e., the Minerva Initiative and the Human Terrain System), the study of Camelot offers an opportunity to critically reassess the interaction between scientific knowledge and strategic agendas.