Complex Systems Theory and Development Practice: Understanding Non-linear RealitiesHere, for the first time, development studies encounters the set of ideas popularly known as 'Chaos Theory'. Samir Rihani applies to the processes of economic development, ideas from complex adaptive systems like uncertainty, complexity, and unpredictability. Rihani examines various aspects of the development process - including the World Bank, debt, and the struggle against poverty - and demonstrates the limitations of fundamentally linear thinking in an essentially non-linear world. |
Contents
ONE THE WHOLE CASE IN A NUTSHELL | 1 |
TWO A FALSE SENSE OF ORDER | 18 |
THREE ANCIENT ROOTS TO MODERN IDEOLOGIES | 46 |
FOUR DAWN OF THE PROBABILISTIC | 65 |
FIVE LINEAR RECIPES FOR A COMPLEX WORLD | 108 |
SIX THE WEALTH AND POVERTY OF NATIONS | 141 |
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Common terms and phrases
achieve actions activities Afghanistan agenda argued arms attractor basic billion Britain capability cent century chaos Chapter Complex Adaptive Systems conflict context cooperation cost debt decades democracy Desalination developing countries developing nations developing world disease effect efforts egoistic individuals elements elite evolution evolutionarily stable strategy example expected exports factors fitness landscape foreign fundamental funds Game Theory globalisation GNP per head growth Gulf War hierarchy human development human rights ideologies illiteracy income increase industry inevitable instance interactions interests involved Iraq leading powers less liberal linear loans major malnutrition ment mercantilist military needs nonlinear organisations paradigm shift political and economic poorer nations population poverty practice predictable present problems production programmes progress punctuated equilibrium regimes safe water sanitation self-organised social spending stable sub-Saharan Africa survival tion trade underline UNDP UNICEF wealth weapons women World Bank