ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book highlights some of the more pressing concerns holding back the eradication of poverty, and provides critical analysis of each one. It looks at the semantics of key development buzzwords and their contested meanings even within the industry. The book explores the myriad ways in which idealism can become perverted in even the most benevolent agencies. It argues that even if poverty will never completely go away, it's still worth fighting because it's a good fight. The book delves into the impact of culture upon poverty and development. Another primary reason that poverty will never end is culture – people are accustomed to patterns of behavior that favor or do not favor development, and these are shared and reinforced by whole societies in strongly coercive ways.