Paper short abstract:

Discussion on the concepts of 'culture' and 'development' in the context of International Development Assistance

Paper long abstract:

This communication starts by arguing that the currently dominant paradigm in the Social Sciences is, in its essence, an heritage of Enlieghtenment and strongly influenced by a Positivist approach. Hence the concepts of 'Culture' and 'Development' are imagined, operationalized and discussed within that framework. That framework provides a biased and dogmatic understanding of those to concepts, one that simultaneously dismisses other interpretative stands.

Using Ireland Development Assistance to Mozambique as anedoctal evidence the communication finalizes by tentatively suggesting a theorization that responds to the challenges posed to social studies in the 21st century.