Capítulo21: Development and poverty in the twenty- first Century: A challenge for research and social transformation?

ALBERTO D. CIMADAMORE

Handbook on Development and Social Change

Edward Elgar Publishing

Lugar: Cheltenham; Año: 2018; p. 414 - 432

The notion of development has been traditionally linked to the historical process of social transformation that encompasses the production, con- sumption and distribution of public and private resources, goods and services. Economic growth and alleviation of extreme poverty were at the centre of a strategy that aimed to modernize and integrate national economies, according to the patterns set by international regimes and institutions that had emerged in the post-World War II era.However, in recent decades, the dimension of sustainability has been added due to the fact that negative consequences (e.g. poverty, inequality, global environmental change, etc.) of the current model of development have impacted on the ability of present and future generations to meet their own needs and to fulfil expectations of a good life for all.The persistence of extreme poverty after decades of high economic growth and the increase in inequality both at domestic and international levels, undermines the legitimacy of governance structures in a way that makes urgent the search for solutions. Consequently, the twenty-first cen- tury began with an ambitious plan to eradicate poverty that was expressed in the Millennium Declaration, and operationalized in a more modest way in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).In 2015, the even more ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) replaced the MDGs. These were developed within the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a plan with a transforma- tive potential not seen before in the history of international development. A set of integrated goals, linking eradication of poverty and the promotion of inclusive and sustainable economic growth with full and productive employment and decent work for all, constitutes substantial progress vis- à-vis the past. All of these in the context of the proposed implementation of a model of development marked by sustainable consumption, production and management of natural resources. If we add the fact that the other key elements of the plan contained in the 17 SDGs and 169 targets are seen as an indivisible ensemble, we then can argue that this is a transformational agenda for positive social change.Science and research need to accommodate to the requirements of this transitional stage towards sustainability in order to produce meaningful contributions to change a status quo which structurally reproduces pov- erty. Traditional disciplinary knowledge needs to be articulated and chan- nelled through renewed transdisciplinary methodologies that concentrate on problems and solutions, while working beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. At the same time, this new kind of science needs to deal with normativity in a way traditional science cannot, due to preferences and influences (i.e. Positivism) that are at the core of dominant epistemologies. Sustainability science appears to be particularly suited to produce the type of knowledge required for the kind of social transformation proposed by Agenda 2030. This chapter will now go on to present a proposal to move forward in the construction and implementation of an integrated science framework that could transform poverty and development research to address the development and global challenges of the twenty-first century.