Fragments of Development

How is the "economy" produced as a manageable object by institutions such as the World Bank and IMF, and how does this contribute to their exercise of power over the global South? Connecting post-colonial and feminist scholarship to economic theory, Fragments of Development explains how modern economics has helped to constitute an "expert discourse" of development that marginalizes alternative perspectives and practices, often with devastating consequences for women and indigenous populations. Suzanne Bergeron assesses theories of modernization, structural adjustment, and globalization. While providing a vision for feminist alternatives, her work challenges prevailing wisdom regarding both the logic of capital and the neutrality of economic science. Fragments of Development is required reading for those interested in development studies, feminist economics, international political economy, and globalization studies.

Suzanne Bergeron is Associate Professor of Women's Studies and Social Sciences at the University of Michigan, Dearborn.

Praise / Awards

• "Bold and challenging: a must-read book for those who wish to understand global restructuring and feminist resistance."
  —Isabella C. Bakker, York University
• "Bergeron's pathbreaking analysis challenges orthodox development theories, questions current feminist economic thinking and highlights crucial new gendered challenges to globalization."
  —Jane Parpart, Dalhousie University
  
• "Cutting-edge scholarship. Bergeron deftly engages the complexity of current debates while retaining clarity, improving analyses, and illuminating alternatives."
  —V. S. Peterson, University of Arizona
  

• "Fragments of Development will be of interest to feminist economists regardless of their position in the methodological debates discussed here. Bergeron demonstrates a considerable mastery of development literature, and her clear, accessible, and engaging writing style makes the book appropriate for scholars, activists, and advanced undergraduates alike. For feminist economists interested in methodological questions and wondering what difference postpositivist approaches make to one's research agenda, Bergeron's book provides clear answers."
  —Drucilla K. Barker, Feminist Economics