Development & International Service


Recommended Reading


Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor by Paul Farmer

Pathologies of Power is a powerful look at structural violence and how deeply embedded power structures cause the poor and oppressed to stay poor and oppressed. Farmer uses examples from around the world to illustrate the violation of human rights that people undergo on a daily basis as a result of structural violence and oppression.

Beyond Culture by Edward T. Hall

 Beyond Culture provides a thought-provoking look at cross-cultural communications. The book examines human behavior in terms of culture; it is a must read for anybody going abroad or spending time in another culture.

The Great Turning by David Korten
The Great Turning discusses the shift from the current “empire”, in which money and power is the focus, to an “Earth community” where the focus shifts to people and relationships. He offers a brief overview of the past 5,000 years to understand why the world, particularly the United States, is the way it is today, asserting that we can still change the course of history towards a more peaceful and egalitarian society. An informative read that challenges one to think about the many norms that shape our society and how these may be changed.

Forest dwellers, forest protectors: indigenous models for international development by Richard K. Reed
In Forest Dwellers, Forest Protectors, Reed offers an ethnography of the Guaraní living in Paraguay in the context of their ability to maintain their cultural heritage despite a wealth of outside political and economical influences. However, recent development has disrupted the Guaraní way of life, causing the Guaraní to be uprooted from their homes. Reed illustrates how this particular instance of indigenous interaction with larger society can be a larger model for indigenous development if done properly.

Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen
Sen makes an interesting case—his fundamental argument is that development implies having the freedom to choose between different ways of thinking or one being able to choose how he/she wants to live. He uses an approach in which ethics are central, offering a unique perspective on the meaning of development and how it can be achieved.