Development studies

" 'Development' first emerged as a subject area in the second half of the twentieth century. After the Second World War, scholars and practitioners sought to study the causes of poverty and so-called 'underdevelopment' in a more systematic and sustained way. These days, the substance of development studies -- especially in relation to the developing world -- focuses mainly on poverty reduction and improving 'human development'. It is a dynamic field whose importance cannot be understated as the gap between rich and poor grows seemingly ever wider. In this short overview of the field, Jeffrey…