Confronting the Desire for Development: Delving into the psychoanalysis of International Development Studies

Psychoanalysis has an important place in the journey of decolonizing international development studies.  In subconcious ways the teaching, the learning and the practice of international development gives in to our desires.  The thrill of helping others, the enjoyment of feeling superior to others.  This all comes to the surface through the performative behaviour and automatic reactions in International Development Studies.  How can psychoanalysis help to better understand the embedded desires, phobias and complexes that exist within International Development Studies? Prof. Ilan Kapoor's new book provides a way forward on this discussion. Ilan Kapoor is a Professor at the Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University. His teaching and research focus on critical development studies, postcolonial studies, participatory development, democracy, celebrity studies, and psychoanalytic theory. His geographic areas of interest include South Asia (especially India and Pakistan). He is the author of The Postcolonial Politics of Development (Routledge, 2008) and Celebrity Humanitarianism: The Ideology of Global Charity (Routledge, 2013). His new book is Confronting Desire: Psychoanalysis and International Development. Follow Dr. Bob on Twitter: @ Professorhuish