ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines a series of key debates, ideas, and questions which underpin both historical and contemporary approaches to global development. By asking apparently simple questions such as ‘what is development?’, ‘where does development happen?’, and ‘why does development matter?’, this chapter provides an entry point to critical debates on approaches to, measurements of, and practices linked to global development. These critical engagements provide the foundations for the rest of the book and challenge common assumptions and stereotypes that have plagued global development for decades.
