Causal Inferences as a Driving Force for Development : An investigation into the underlying theoretical frameworks of modernization and post-development theories

Abstract: Causal philosophy is very closely linked with development theories. Though there may not be standard agreement on what causes development or non-development, the topic is often discussed at great debate. In this paper I explore the link between these two ideas from a broader perspective. I focus less on the details of researchers before me and try to instead identify the process of how development authors use causal theories in their language by performing a discourse analysis. This study is important because it allows readers to take another view on theories of development—in this case Modernization and Post-Development—by making connections to other theories they may not have otherwise investigated. The research does not intend to establish any concrete conclusions, and in fact does not manage to do so, but does open up some interesting doors on questioning the pre-conceived relationships between (un)conscious thought frameworks and developmental values.