JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA

NEW DELHI

FACULTY OF LAW

TOPIC: CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT

Submitted by:-

Name:- Arif Khan

B.A.LL.B (HONS) 2ND sem.

Roll No:- 09

Enrollment No. 202306192

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my gratitude to my subject teacher, Mr. Rasheed CA Sir, for providing
me with the opportunity to work on the project, "Concept of Development," which allowed me to
do extensive study and discover a wealth of new ideas.
In addition, I want to express my gratitude to my parents and fellow classmates for their
unwavering support.

I'm grateful.
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4

CHARACTERSTICS OF DEVELOPMENT..................................................................................4

THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT
……………………………………………………………….6

TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT ……………………………………………………………………7

MODELS OF DEVELOPMENT …………………………………………………………….......8

DEVELOPMENT IN INDIAN SOCIETY ……………………………………………………….9

SIGNIFICANT OF DEVELOPMENT AFTER INDEPENDENCE ……………………………..9

CONCLUSION………………………………………,,……………………………,…………...11

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………..11
INTRODUCTION
The definition of "development," according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is the process by which
something or someone develops, transforms, and advances. Development can refer to any kind of
change that occurs over time in any given situation or area. Either a progressive or regressive
development may be occurring.

It is generally understood that a "development" is "an event constituting a new stage or a

changing situation." It's implied that "development" is a positive or desired thing. "Development"
in the context of a community or socioeconomic system usually means improvement, either in
the system's overall condition or in some of its individual sections. Sociologists research
development to understand how societies change over time, what drives growth or stagnation in
those societies, and how development impacts different social groups. They look at the
underlying structures, organizations, and processes that effect growth in addition to the cultural
norms, values, and beliefs that propel society forward.

Development as multiple connotations:- Development has several aspects such as

development as growth, development change or change and development as

modernization’s

Growth: Economically, development as growth refers to an increase in production capacity.

Consumer goods and related growth in consumption habits.. Growth and development can be
very simply defined as the increased ability of people to meet their basic needs of food, clothing,
shelter, health and education. In the third meaning of growth,development is also defined as the
expansion of opportunities, the increase of individual choices, skills and functionality..
Change and Transformation: Development as change and Transformation refers to the
economic, social, political and cultural Processes of change in human societies .
CHARACTERSTICS OF DEVELOPMENT

There are many characteristics which has been mentioned here;

 Development is a continuous process; From the very beginning of society, progress is a
continuous process. The society never stops progressing. The pace of development might
vary, sometimes accelerating and other times slowing down. It does not, however, record
a total stopping point. In nature, it never stops.1
 Development follows a pattern; Development happens in an established sequence and
following a set path. Thus, the three stages of society's growth are primitive, medieval,
and modern. The growth process of civilization cannot be accelerated by jumping ahead
or behind one level. The trend is consistently followed.2
 Development has a direction; It follows logically from the previously mentioned fact
that development proceeds in a specific direction. There is never a backward direction—
always forward. The directionality involved in the process of development is amply
justified by August Comte's "Law of Three Stages," Herbert Spencer's theory that society
transitions from a simple to a complex one, Fernand Tonnies's theory that society moves
from community to association, Emile Durkheim's theory that society moves from
mechanical to organic solidarity, and Karl Marx's theory that society moves from a class
to a class less society. It also makes an influence on how society develops and moves
closer to adulthood.
 Development can be evolutionary or revolutionary in nature; Development is
considered to have an evolutionary quality when it happens gradually and slowly.

1Meaning and Characteristics of Development in Sociology available at:

https://www.jaspstudy.com/2023/05/Meaning-and-Characteristics-of-Development-
sociology.html#:~:text=Development%20is%20not%20limited%20to,region%20to%20region%20over
%20time.&text=As%20a%20definition%2C%20it%20can,able%20to%20achieve%20social%20progress. (Last
Modified 28 Feb, 2024).

2Id. at 4
 Evolutionary development occurs naturally throughout time and isn't very remarkable.
Over time, the effects of development start to show. Conversely, revolutionary
development denotes a sudden and swift transformation of society. A number of things,
including policy introduction, mass migration, education, and so forth, can set off a
revolutionary development. Natural evolution is characterized by rapid progress that is
clearly evident. A society's evolution from pre-modern to modern, for instance, is
evolutionary; nevertheless, a society's transformation from monarchy to democracy as a
result of a revolution is revolutionary.3
 Development is irreversible; As a process, development never looks back. It is always
forward-looking. Temporary impasses may arise, but once a civilization embarks on its
developmental journey, it is unlikely to return to its initial position. Thus, advancement is
constant throughout development.

THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT
Sociological theories are the conceptual frameworks that sociologists use to understand, explain,
and predict human behavior within the framework of social structures and processes.

• Conflict Theory: Originally proposed by Karl Marx, this theory holds that the fundamental
element of social interaction is conflicts between groups with divergent interests. It highlights the
reality that individuals with greater wealth typically occupy positions of authority and have the
ability to shape society in order to maintain their privileges.
Because of this, it implies that conflicts resulting from power struggles are what drive societal
advancement.

• Modernization theory: Developed by American sociologist Walt Rostov in the middle of the
20th century, this theory emphasizes that industrial and economic progress are the primary
drivers of societal advancement. According to modernization theory, societies evolve as they
grow more advanced technologically, more urbanized, more industrialized, and more educated.
3 Sociology of Development: Meaning, Scope, Examples, Theories available at:
Sociology of Development: Meaning, Scope, Examples, Theories (sociologygroup.com) (Last Modified 28, Feb
2024).
The "modernization gap," which refers to the variations in the stages of development between
more and less developed countries, is the main and most significant concept of this theory. The
idea holds that less developed countries can become more modern by assimilating the institutions
and practices of more developed countries, such as capitalism, democracy, and technological
innovation.

• World Systems Theory: This theory views the world as a single, capitalist global economy
with a single social structure at its core. Immanuel Wallenstein, a sociologist, created it in the
1970s. Based on their economic contributions to the global economy, countries and regions are
categorized as core, semi-peripheral, or peripheral, according to the idea. The core countries are
the most powerful economically, dominating and benefiting most from the world economy.
Peripheral nations are the economically developing countries that provide low-cost labor, raw
commodities, and markets to the core countries. They have not been very industrialized, and they
are often exploited and dependent on others.

Human Development Theory: The main objective of development, as defined by economist

Amartya Sen's groundbreaking Human Development Theory of the 1980s, is to maximize each
person's potential and freedom.4 In contrast to conventional methods that gauge growth
exclusively by economic metrics like GDP, Human growth Theory places significant emphasis
on augmenting individuals' welfare and standard of living.

TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT
Depending on the situation and viewpoint, there are several ways to understand development.
The following are the types of development -

a) Economic Development: This kind of development aims to raise a population's standard of living
and financial well-being. It includes actions like raising GDP, enhancing infrastructure, and
generating employment.5

4Human Development Theory: "Human Development Theory." (Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum).

5Social-Emotional Developmental Characteristics available at: https://www.amle.org/developmental-characteristics-

of-young-adolescents/ (Last Modified 1 March 8, 2024).
 b) Social Development: The goal of social development is to raise people's standard of living and
well-being both individually and collectively. It covers things like social services, healthcare,
education, and lowering inequality and poverty.6

Approaches to social development

 Development from the top = It deals with the planning and implementation of a
development plan by the central or top government.
 Development from below= The use of resources in development projects
is decided by \the parties themselves or their representatives and also at
the local level – greater decentralization of plans and popular
participation..
c).Human Development: Human development takes into account variables like life
expectancy, health, and education in addition to economic and social indicators. It aims to
improve human talents and opportunities.7

 The concept of human development has four main elements.

1.Productivity 2. Equity 3. Sustainability 4. Empowerment
 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS:-1. Life expectancy:
Represents a long and healthy life 2. Education level: represents
knowledge 3. Gross Domestic Product: Represents a decent quad level.

MODELS OF DEVELOPMENT
The decolonization process, the rise of nation-states and their need for economic rebuilding, and
the continuing impacts of the Cold War greatly influenced development discourse throughout the
post-World War II era and continued to do so until the late 1970s. The emergence of the First,
Second, and Third World models of development—capitalist, socialist, and third world—was
attributed to the industrial and political ascent of Russia and communist states, as well as the
stagnation of a large number of countries marked by low productivity, industrial backwardness,
and poverty.

6Id. at 13.

7About Human Development available at:

https://measureofamerica.org/human-development/#:~:text=Human%20development%20is%20defined
%20as,by%20economist%20Mahbub%20ul%20Haq. (Last Modified March 1, 2024).
Capitalist model =Private ownership of property and means of production, minimal government
control over business firms, and a free market driven by competition are the hallmarks of the
capitalist model of growth. The developmental model likewise places a strong emphasis on
modernization and steady expansion, with significant initial public investment. According to this
viewpoint, “industrialization and the transfer of an underemployed rural labor force to the more
productive occupations in the urban industrial sector would revolve around economic
development.” To establish an investment pool from which it might fund a program of directed
industrial development, the state would need to mobilize both domestic and foreign savings

Socialist model =The socialist model’s growth, however, presented a number of obstacles for the
First World model of development. The socialist model of development ran opposed to the
capitalist model since it promoted state control of the means of production, against private
property and means of production ownership,State-owned public enterprises, centralized state
planning for economic growth, and state regulation of the economy. While economic growth was
the main focus of both the socialist and capitalist models, the socialist model also placed equal
emphasis on how the growth’s benefits should be distributed to all parts of society.

Third war countries =The industrially backward former colonial, newly independent, and non-
aligned nations of Asia, Africa, and Latin America are referred to as the Third World. Indeed, the
divergent ideologies of the First and Second Worlds caught the Third World development
perspectives. These countries are technologically and economically weak. For example, India has
followed the path of “mixed economy” by adopting a path of development in between the
capitalist and socialist models.

DEVELOPMENT IN INDIAN SOCIETY

Development is a multifaceted topic with many facets in Indian civilization, including social,
environmental, and economic concerns. India has made significant progress in several
development-related sectors since gaining independence in 1947, yet it still faces many
challenges.
As soon as the oppressive British rule ended, the political elite of India started drafting plans for
development and change. Looking at a series reveals that India has experienced many ups and
downs during its tremendous evolution since winning its freedom. Following independence,
political leaders began strategizing many areas of the nation's future. They considered initiating
five-year plan schemes, realigning state boundaries, and appointing a prime minister. Even
though our country, India, was suffering from unimaginable illiteracy at the time, it was like a
newborn baby before it began to grow throughout time.

SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA AFTER

INDEPENDENCE
Below is a quick discussion of some of the most important post-independence changes in India:

a. Infrastructural development: In 1951, the Indian Railways were established. India boasts
one of the world's biggest and busiest rail systems. The company, known as Indian
Railways, has service in over 7000 stations.

b. Political development: India held its first general election in 1951, with the Congress
party taking the majority.

Development of India After Independence: India’s journey after independence in 1947 was quite
remarkable. The nation has made significant progress in various fields and moved towards
economic growth, technological development and social development. India’s development
journey since independence is a saga of growth, progress and change. A nation that once
struggled with poverty and a colonial legacy embarked on a path of economic and social change.
Over the decades, India has achieved significant milestones including technological advances,
improved healthcare and increased literacy rates. While challenges continue, India’s journey
reflects its resilience, diversity and determination to build a prosperous and inclusive future. In
this article, we provide essays of various lengths to illustrate this progression..
CONCLUSION

To sum up, "development" is the process of improving society in all its forms, including social
progress, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. It means addressing inequalities,
promoting health, and ensuring that future generations will be able to meet their needs.
Development is a complex, ongoing process that requires collaboration amongst a range of
stakeholders and comprehensive approaches in order to yield equitable and sustainable results.
But the term development is no more correct for a social phenomenon than the term evolution.
Social development is fair, socially inclusive and therefore sustainable. It promotes local,
national and global institutions that are responsive, accountable and inclusive, and empowers
poor and vulnerable people to participate effectively in development processes. Social
development takes the perspective of poor and marginalized people and strives for positive and
sustainable changes.

REFERENCES

1 Cambridge Dictionary, available

at:https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/development
2 https://www.sociologydiscussion.com/society/development-meaning-and-concept-of-
development/688
3 Sociology of Development: Meaning, Scope, Examples, Theories (sociologygroup.com)
4 https://www.amle.org/developmental-characteristics-of-young-adolescents/

5 https://measureofamerica.org/human