Synopses & Reviews
Challenging the standard approaches to social development practice and offering South African case studies as examples, this sociological work explores the relationship between government and communities. More than just a compendium of aggregate national and international data regarding social development practices, the book looks at the unique experiences of three South African communities, providing ample lessons for discourse. Building on the theoretical and methodological foundations of an actor-oriented form of analysis, Leslie M. Dikeni contests the generic, commonplace dynamic of state-citizen-market relations.
Review
"In more ways than one, this book is an exciting contribution to an understanding of the South African development paradigm." —Joel Netshitenzhe, executive director, Mapungubwe Institute
Review
"The book is a mine for original thinkers. It provides a rich vein of experiences and theoretical reflections on the way state and social actors interact. Anyone interested in development policies should read this forceful call to 'think more, think harder, think better.'" —Professor Nicola Viegi, SARB Chair in Monetary Economics, University of Pretoria
Review
"A fresh, sharp, and imaginative critique of South Africa's development trajectory since 1994 by one of the country's most incisive minds. A very important contribution to South Africa's postapartheid development discourse." —William Gumede, honorary associate professor, graduate school of public and development management, University of the Witwatersrand
About the Author
Leslie Dikeni is a senior researcher within the humanity faculty at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection. He is a visiting research fellow at the School of Public and Development Management at the University of the Witwatersrand and a research associate at the University of Pretoria in the department of political sciences. He coedited, with William Gumede, Poverty of Ideas: The Retreat of Intellectuals in New Democracies.