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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.