Culture and Development: A Manifesto?

February 8, 2021 | Taking culture into account in development programs is a no-brainer at the levels of theory and human rights. In practice, however, it raises hosts of challenges, with forces pulling in different directions: universal values versus local norms, differing meanings of modernity, and bounds of external intervention and support. Robert Klitgaard (university professor at Claremont Graduate University, where he served as the president from 2005 to 2009) explores the history of various approaches, his own lived experience, and ideas for useful, practical models in his latest book, The Culture and Development Manifesto (2021). Klitgaard previously served as dean of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, where he was also the Ford Distinguished Professor of International Development and Security. He advises governments on economic strategy and institutional reform, and his consulting work and research have taken him to more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Klitgaard will join Katherine Marshall, a Berkley Center senior fellow and professor of the practice of development, conflict, and religion, to discuss his latest book. They will explore the ethical and practical issues involved and their implications for students and practitioners of global human development. Shanta Devarajan, professor of the practice of international development in the Walsh School of Foreign Service, will offer remarks to frame the discussion.