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Is anti-corruption an imperialist plot? Transparency International and development assistance

Sampson, Steven LU (2006) American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, 2006
Abstract
Over the last decade the anti-corruption movement, led by the Berlin-based NGO Transparency International (TI), as grown to include 90 affiliates throughout the world. While pursuing laudable goals to raise awareness about corruption, promulgate and enforce anti-corruption conventions, pursue anti-corruption projects and embarrass corrupt governments thorugh its Corruption Perception Index and Bribe PayersIndex, Transparency International has also sought close relations with international business and the World Bank, through its strategy of "coalition-building” to improve the “business climate” in developing countries. Although it perceives itself as part of “global civil society” and attends events such as the World Social Forum, TI has... (More)
Over the last decade the anti-corruption movement, led by the Berlin-based NGO Transparency International (TI), as grown to include 90 affiliates throughout the world. While pursuing laudable goals to raise awareness about corruption, promulgate and enforce anti-corruption conventions, pursue anti-corruption projects and embarrass corrupt governments thorugh its Corruption Perception Index and Bribe PayersIndex, Transparency International has also sought close relations with international business and the World Bank, through its strategy of "coalition-building” to improve the “business climate” in developing countries. Although it perceives itself as part of “global civil society” and attends events such as the World Social Forum, TI has also been criticized as an arm of international capitalism due ot its business-friendly, nonconfrontational policies. Its indexes, which are controversial in their methods, are now being used by donors to withhold development aid. This paper discusses the perspectives on TI as an instrument for achieving integrity and social justice on the one hand,and the view of TI as an instrument for neoliberal hegemony. It is possible that NGOs can in fact serve both functions at the same time. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
unpublished
subject
keywords
social anthropology, corruption, anticorruption, transparency international, neoliberalism, civil society, development assistance, NGOs
conference name
American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, 2006
conference location
San Jose, CA, United States
conference dates
2006-11-15 - 2006-11-19
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
author contact: steven.sampson@soc.Lu.se
id
dfd20698-6045-4263-971e-a7d3000ff1bf (old id 1146644)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 13:31:27
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:14:33
@misc{dfd20698-6045-4263-971e-a7d3000ff1bf,
  abstract     = {{Over the last decade the anti-corruption movement, led by the Berlin-based NGO Transparency International (TI), as grown to include 90 affiliates throughout the world. While pursuing laudable goals to raise awareness about corruption, promulgate and enforce anti-corruption conventions, pursue anti-corruption projects and embarrass corrupt governments thorugh its Corruption Perception Index and Bribe PayersIndex, Transparency International has also sought close relations with international business and the World Bank, through its strategy of "coalition-building” to improve the “business climate” in developing countries. Although it perceives itself as part of “global civil society” and attends events such as the World Social Forum, TI has also been criticized as an arm of international capitalism due ot its business-friendly, nonconfrontational policies. Its indexes, which are controversial in their methods, are now being used by donors to withhold development aid. This paper discusses the perspectives on TI as an instrument for achieving integrity and social justice on the one hand,and the view of TI as an instrument for neoliberal hegemony. It is possible that NGOs can in fact serve both functions at the same time.}},
  author       = {{Sampson, Steven}},
  keywords     = {{social anthropology; corruption; anticorruption; transparency international; neoliberalism; civil society; development assistance; NGOs}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{Is anti-corruption an imperialist plot? Transparency International and development assistance}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/6140992/1146645.doc}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}