South African Development Perspectives in Question

Endorsement

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 (MISTRA)

This 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

All too often, the issues of social development as well as the institutions and practices required to attain this are treated in intellectual discourse as theoretical concepts underpinned by aggregate national and international data. In this challenging sociological work, Leslie Dikeni eschews that: he brings together different case studies on local experiences of the relationship between government and communities. Thus unfold, in this interesting work, many unique lessons for discourse on the generic dynamic of state-citizen-market relations.

Building on the theoretical and methodological foundations of an actor-orientated form of analysis, the author sets out to challenge standard approaches to development practice.