Rethinking Post-development: Lessons from a Case Study of Indigenous Rural Women in Highland Bolivia

Abstract

Some post-development scholars focus on indigenous movements in Latin America which has rejected western modernization and insist that these indigenous people are searching for “alternatives to development.” However, many scholars, such as anthropologists, criticize that idea as indigenous people in Latin America normally request “development assistance” to improve their quality of life. Why do indigenous people in Latin America request “development assistance” while they reject western modernization? As post-development scholars cannot answer this question, they cannot develop a post-development theory. In this article, the author tries to answer this question using a case study of indigenous rural women in highland Bolivia; the author found that the women requested development assistance as they thought that their social status increased when they undertook skills training offered by development agencies—the more training, the greater an increase in their social status. This means that development agencies not only provide development assistance but also create the demand for development assistance at the same time. In conclusion, the author suggests that post-development scholars should rethink the notion that indigenous people in Latin America are searching for “alternatives to development”, as they request continual development assistance after receiving such assistance. It is not a matter of whether they reject western modernization or not, but a matter of supply and demand.