Transplanting Modernity? - (Intersections) by Thomas B Robertson & Jenny Leigh Smith (Hardcover)

About the Book

Calls for an Honest Reckoning of the Successes, Failures, and Unanticipated Results of International Developments

Book Synopsis

In general, "development" denotes movement or growth toward something better in the future. International development--widespread in the decades following World War II--was an effort at purposeful changein landscapes around the world. Contributors to this volume argue that these projects constituted an effort to transplant modernity, such as knowledge or technology, from places seen as more developed to places perceived as un- or underdeveloped. During its heyday, international development included not just dams, roads, health programs, and agricultural projects but also animal husbandry schemes, urban development, and wildlife protection plans. Projects often succeeded or failed because of existing environmental conditions, and in turn, these programs remade--or tried to remake--the land, water, wildlife, and people around them. From American-directed failures in water engineering in Afghanistan to the impact of livestock epidemics on economic growth in East Africa, the chapters in Transplanting Modernity question how science, technology, and faith in Western notions of progress have influenced the pace, scope, and scale of development.

Review Quotes

provides a diverse range of case studies of development projects from the Global South during the "development era" of the early postwar decades-- "Environmental History"

Its significance lies not only in its ability to stimulate and initiate discussion on the periodization of international development projects in the Global South but also in its potential to significantly advance the field.-- "H-Net Reviews"

Transplanting Modernity brings a unique focus on intersections between the history of environmental transformation and the history of international development programs, focusing on a wide array of regions and themes. It is sophisticatedly argued and brilliantly researched and breaks new ground in evaluating the histories of development--often articulated as projects of transplanting modernity--through the lens of environmental history.--Debjani Bhattacharyya, Universität Zürich

Few historians have considered the environmental consequences of development schemes, so this excellent volume on the perils and opportunities of attempting to transplant modernity has crucial lessons for scholars, diplomats, development proponents, and government officials.--Kurk Dorsey, University of New Hampshire

About the Author

Thomas B. Robertson (Editor)
Thomas B. Robertson is a historian and independent scholar.

Jenny Leigh Smith (Editor)
Jenny Leigh Smith is a historian and independent scholar.