Contradictions and Confusions in Development Work: Exploring the Realities of Bangladeshi NGOs
(2008) In Journal of South Asian Development 3(1). p.109-134- Abstract
- Ambiguous practices and identities of NGOs have become a source of increasing concern
for all involved in development intervention. But apart from pointing at dishonest marketing
and unfortunate unintended consequences of donors’ support, how can we understand
these ambiguities? Based on an ethnographic study of local Bangladeshi NGOs,
the article explores actions and behaviour of grassroots NGO staff. The article shows how,
equipped with an ideal image of the altruistic development worker, the staff ’s encounter
with reality provides them with contradictory and confusing messages as to who they
should be and how they should act, resulting in disillusion and moral discord. The... (More) - Ambiguous practices and identities of NGOs have become a source of increasing concern
for all involved in development intervention. But apart from pointing at dishonest marketing
and unfortunate unintended consequences of donors’ support, how can we understand
these ambiguities? Based on an ethnographic study of local Bangladeshi NGOs,
the article explores actions and behaviour of grassroots NGO staff. The article shows how,
equipped with an ideal image of the altruistic development worker, the staff ’s encounter
with reality provides them with contradictory and confusing messages as to who they
should be and how they should act, resulting in disillusion and moral discord. The analysis
examines concepts such as altruism, alienation, goal ambiguity, moral selving and moral
discord, with an aim to expand our understanding of some moral dilemmas of development
practice, its sources and unpredictable outcomes. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4419922
- author
- Arvidson, Malin LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2008
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- participation, empowerment, NGOs, Bangladesh
- in
- Journal of South Asian Development
- volume
- 3
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 109 - 134
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- ISSN
- 0973-1741
- DOI
- 10.1177/097317410700300105
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 9edc9e34-408c-42b7-a25b-db86dfd0b543 (old id 4419922)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 11:33:46
- date last changed
- 2018-11-21 19:57:55
@article{9edc9e34-408c-42b7-a25b-db86dfd0b543,
abstract = {{Ambiguous practices and identities of NGOs have become a source of increasing concern<br/><br>
for all involved in development intervention. But apart from pointing at dishonest marketing<br/><br>
and unfortunate unintended consequences of donors’ support, how can we understand<br/><br>
these ambiguities? Based on an ethnographic study of local Bangladeshi NGOs,<br/><br>
the article explores actions and behaviour of grassroots NGO staff. The article shows how,<br/><br>
equipped with an ideal image of the altruistic development worker, the staff ’s encounter<br/><br>
with reality provides them with contradictory and confusing messages as to who they<br/><br>
should be and how they should act, resulting in disillusion and moral discord. The analysis<br/><br>
examines concepts such as altruism, alienation, goal ambiguity, moral selving and moral<br/><br>
discord, with an aim to expand our understanding of some moral dilemmas of development<br/><br>
practice, its sources and unpredictable outcomes.}},
author = {{Arvidson, Malin}},
issn = {{0973-1741}},
keywords = {{participation; empowerment; NGOs; Bangladesh}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{109--134}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Journal of South Asian Development}},
title = {{Contradictions and Confusions in Development Work: Exploring the Realities of Bangladeshi NGOs}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/097317410700300105}},
doi = {{10.1177/097317410700300105}},
volume = {{3}},
year = {{2008}},
}