Anthropologies of development, alternative approaches and postdevelopment. Brief review of concepts and critical notes

Abstract

The main purpose of this article for reflection was to address research trends that can be critically incorporated into an anthropology of development; schematically review the general concerns and discussions that have been given regarding development and present, with some breadth and detail, the most recent alternative proposals -which are far removed from the more traditionalist approaches regarding the idea of developmentwhich present reflections on well-being and can be interpreted as approaches to gradually overcoming the problems that historically afflict Latin American societies. The methodology is qualitative, and the method is of documentary review. The main conclusion is that anthropology has been nourished by investigative theories and practices that contribute to dimensioning how to expand development discourses in dialogue with other disciplines and methods such as Human Scale Development, Post-development, and Participant Action Research (IAP).