Description: Grassroots Post-modernism resolutely attacks the three sacred cows of modernity - the idea that there is only one, universally valid way of understanding social reality; the exclusive and general validity of Western-defined notions of 'human'; and the notion of the self-sufficient individual, as opposed to people-in-community - that have so grotesquely warped hour view of the human condition. Esteva and Prakash argue that even alternative development prescriptions deprive the people of control over their own lives, shifting this control to bureaucrats, technocrats, and educators. Rather than presuming that human progress fits some predetermined mold, leading toward an increasing homogenization of cultures and life styles, the authors argue for a 'radical pluralism' that honours and nurtures enables many paths to the realization of self-defined aspirations.This classic text is essential reading for those looking beyond Neoliberalism, the global project and the individual self.
Brief description: Gustavo Esteva is an author and grassroots activist who collaborates with the Universidad de la Tierra, Mexico, and other organizations around the world.
Review Quotes:
"Quite simply, a book which will transform how one sees the world." --North and South
"Esteva and Prakash courageously and clear-sightedly take on some of the most entrenched of modern certainties, such as the universality of human rights, the individual self and global thinking. In their efforts to remove the lenses of modernity that education has bequeathed them, they dig deep into their own encounters with what they call the "social majorities" in their native Mexico and India. There they see not an enthralment with the seductions of modernity but evidence of a will to live in their own worlds according to their own lights. Esteva's and Prakash's reflections on the imperialism of the universality of human rights avoids the twin pitfalls of relativism and romanticism. Their alternative is demanding and novel, and deserves our most serious consideration. Grassroots Post-modernism is a much-needed and most welcome counterpoint both to the nihilism of much post-modern thinking as well as to those who view the spread of the global market and of global thinking too triumphantly." --Frédérique Apffel-Marglin, professor emeritus, Smith College "Do you look for a book which is both subversive and common sense? Reach for Grassroots Post-modernism, a compelling account of how western civilization is being transformed from below." --Wolfgang Sachs, Wuppertal Institute "Beyond its definite "no" to the global project, this book takes a stimulating glance at the renewed life of social majorities and offers good reasons for a common hope.' Gilbert Rist, author of The History of Development" --Gilbert Rist, author of The History of Development