Book review on rural development- putting the last first by robert chambers
1. ASSIGNMENT:- BOOK REVIEW
COURSE:- PGDRDM (2020-2021)
SUBJECT:- COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS
SUBMITTED BY:- AASTHA GARG
ROLL NO:- 18RDM01
SUBMITTED TO:- DR. R. RAMESH
2. BOOK REVIEW:- RURAL DEVELOPMENT: PUTTING THE
LAST FIRST BY ROBERT CHAMBERS
INTRODUCTION:-
Robert John Haylock Chambers OBE was born on 1 may 1932. He is a British academic
and development expert. He was born and bought up in a middle class family in
Cirencester, England. He has worked in the sector of rural development and poverty. Sir
Robert has been one of the dominant advocates for putting the poor, destitute and
marginalized at the centre of the processes of development policy. He publicizes within
development group such expression as "putting the last first" and stressed the now
generally accepted requirement for development professionals to be critically self-aware.
The book “Rural Development: Putting the Last First” was prepared with a
plan, confirmation and reasoning. The book deals with people who have concern for rural
development and poverty. Directly or indirectly many people have made their contribution
to this book. Originally the subject of the book was “putting the last first: reversals for rural
development”. This book has achieved the major purpose of Sir Robert. The author assists
us as researchers, scholars, activists and policy makers to go beyond „outsider statuses‟ and
„rural tourism‟ to catch the network of rural poverty. This work on international
development from the early 80s is just as relevant today. Chamber makes a devastating
case against what he refers to as „rural development tourism‟. Developments expect whose
observations in the field are limited by pressures of time. With their „hectic excursions
from the urban centers, they remain ignorant about rural poverty, unable to see behind the
facade.
3. BOOK REVIEW:- RURAL DEVELOPMENT: PUTTING THE LAST
FIRST BY ROBERT CHAMBERS
In the book “Rural development: putting the last first”, Robert Chamber lays
stress on the requirement to fight for rural poverty by keeping away the rural biasness. He
defined biases that experts, researchers and policy makers of rural development should
avoid. The author called experts and other people who put efforts for rural poverty only
from outside as „outsiders‟. According to him, rural poverty is often hidden or mistaken
by outsiders. Outsiders are the people concerned with rural development who are
themselves neither rural nor poor, this category incorporate academic researchers,
bankers, aid agency personnel, doctors, businessmen, consultants, engineers, lawyers,
journalists, workers in voluntary agencies, politicians, priests, school teachers staff of
training institutes and other professional. After I read the book it was clear that the book
is still valid today given socio-economic changes that have occurred worldwide. The
review has confirmed that, the sense from this book is still sound today especially in
developing countries where more poor people reside in rural areas and rely on
agriculture.
In my opinion I liked initial chapters the most as it explains about the rural
poverty and the third world. It tells that rural deprivation is a trap in which poverty,
sickness, physical weakness, isolation, powerlessness and vulnerability to contingencies
are inter linked. However the question here is who should take action to overcome these
issues? The initiatives in enabling them one step ahead to assist themselves recline with
4. outsiders who have extra ability and resources. The author called experts and other
people who put efforts for rural poverty only from outside as „outsiders‟. According to
him, rural poverty is often hidden or mistaken by outsiders. Outsiders are the people
concerned with rural development who are themselves neither rural nor poor, this
category incorporate academic researchers, bankers, aid agency personnel, doctors,
businessmen, consultants, engineers, lawyers, journalists, workers in voluntary agencies,
politicians, priests, school teachers staff of training institutes and other professional. The
views of writer focused on welfare based version of participatory development for
boosting the ill- treated category. The constitution of Nepal has also concentrated on
community development through improvement of local public participation, by
encouraging and mobilizing the innovation of local communities in social, culture and
service oriented works.
Two cultures of outsiders" describes pluralism in rural development has
a third leg. The two cultures academic and practical-share the top-down, core periphery,
center-outwards biases of knowledge. The third culture, of the people in a particular
place, is the true center of attention and of learning. Culture is that complex whole which
includes understanding, trust, art, morals, legislation, tradition, and any other capabilities
and routine acquired by man as a member of society. Thus the issues raised by the writer
to give priority on local culture as the core of unexplored knowledge in third world
countries. But the writer has failed to dissect the dark sides of traditional culture like
discrimination, dominance, and superstition beliefs which can be only uprooted by
the development of citizens through education. In Nepal, the education plan has
vision for the development of self-sustainable, competitive, innovative and value-
oriented citizens for the socio economic modification of the nation. This book is a great
attempt to talk to both academics and practitioners. It is about the rural poverty and the
perception, attitudes, learning‟s, ways of thinking and behavior of professionals.
The chapter- “How outsiders learn” states three poles of concentration to
address the rural poverty. first long term, careful investigation, including statistical
analysis, and involving social, medical and natural scientists; second, ad hoc, inventive
work, improvising and adapting for the sake of timeliness and cost effectiveness; third
sensitive research which shifts initiative to rural people as partners in learning, enabling
them to use and augment their own skills, knowledge and power. Here the writer has
5. critically presented outsiders role as knowledge absorber only. Rather the outside
expertise will help to link to local issue with national scenario and global scenario also.
Here we can take one example."Nepal has been integrating millennium development
goals which were dedicated to achieve by 2015 in its scheme and programs of since
its tenth periodic scheme and there has been extra ordinary progress by the end of this
period. The number of people living below poverty line has fall down to 21.6 percent in
2016 AD from 42 percent of 1995 AD. However, poverty situation is still miserable in
dalit and other back warded communities of far-western and Karnali regions and in rural
communities as compared to that of urban areas.” The overview of the scenario of the
poverty has been nationalized by the central government of Nepal which principally
means some positive interferences are still needed there to overcome the poverty. "
Who's Knowledge?" focuses that in most countries of the third world; rural
people's understanding is vast and underemployed national resource. But in terms of
technology, absolute indigenous understanding can't trigger the growth. So the
appropriate technologies are needed in development which acts as a midway
between capital incentive technology and indigenous technology. Some examples of
appropriate technologies are improved water mill, bio gas system, rain water
harvesting, green roads, improved cooking stoves etc which address energy security, do
environment preservation and promote economic development also. I agree with the
writer that the joint use of professional outsider and rural people knowledge, skills and
resources may be the best way forward. There is appalling urban poverty in the third
world and there is richer poverty in the richer world.
Integrated rural poverty" describes there are many faces of poverty which are
needed to be addressed in integrated way. Because the direction of change varies by
country, by region, by social group and by gender. In Nepal, the living standard survey
also tries to dig out the living standard indicators in multiple ways like
demography, housing, access to facilities, migration, consumer expenditure,
education, health, marriage and maternity history, work and time use, employment
and unemployment, wage and salary, agriculture, non-agricultural activities, credit
and savings, absentees population, remittances and transfers, social assistances,
adequacy of consumption and government services/facilities, anthropometry and
6. following of households list. This is because as poverty has diverse faces, a single
identification and solution cannot bring the desired result.
Seeing what to do" elaborates rural development has been identified
variously with economic growth, with modernization, with increased agricultural
production, with socialist forms of organization, and with services for basic needs such as
health, education, transport and water supply. The priorities of the poor often surprise
outsiders, and those of the poorer will often differ from those of the less poor. As the
view of writer, it is really difficult tasks for prioritizing what to do first. But the time and
context have changed now. As we are the member of United Nations, the Sustainable
development goals (2016-30) are the key indicators of development to achieve for
development which is possible with global partnership only as stated in goal no. 17.
In the chapter- The new professionalism: putting the last first" vocals that for
the rural poor to lose less and gain more require reversals; spatial u turn in where
professional live and work, and in decentralization of materials and separation. The
author views are interrelated with the constitution of Nepal, which has also stressed on
incorporating the principle of proportional participation in the system of governance
on the basis of local autonomy and decentralization to establish public welfare system
of governance.
Practical action" focuses on appreciative inquiry method and rather being
problem oriented we have to be an opportunity finder. The basic things needed for
progressive practical action is reversal which includes sitting, asking and listening;
learning from the poorest, learning indigenous technical knowledge; joint R and D with
rural people; learning by working. But the author here failed to suggest the ideas to
materialize those local learning‟s and linked it with development process.
This book, was published in 1983 in United States, America, the issues
covered by it are still relevant in the developing countries like Nepal. The examples
highlighted, really show the ascendancy of outsiders' understanding and its exploitation
on the indigenous understanding. In Nepal, the new constitution 2015, progressed with a
bulk of peoples' participation, after decade long inner violent conflict and peoples'
movement against feudal monarchy, has documented that Nepal will be a "Federal,
Democratic and Republic state". The Chambers concept of putting the last first:
7. Reversals for rural development can be observed in historical social development of
Nepal. The last here refers to underprivileged ethnic groups, so called untouchable
castes, females, geographically excluded groups who are also seeking their share in the
main stream of development process and the constitution has guaranteed it, though it is
yet to see the implementation part. This book helps readers to understand rural settings
with their in-depth local knowledge and requirement of fusion between outsiders'
expertise for a sustainable and welfare based development model. To sum up, the
writer has achieved the stated purpose in the book that a reversal is needed in the
planning and development process in rural villages and in developing countries
itself. If the lasts are put first, the visible development can be observed.
Some of the lines that I personally liked the most are:-
“Ignorant and stupid poor people are often the creation of ignorant and stupid
outsiders ... People so close to the edge cannot afford laziness or stupidity. They have to
work and work hard, whenever and however they can. Many of the lazy and stupid
poor are dead.”
“The priorities of the poor are not general – they are not agricultural production,
equality or the environment. They are particular, immediate, personal.”
“The litanies of rural developers include „We must educate the farmers‟ and „We must
uplift the rural poor.‟ These can be stood on their heads. Outsiders have first to learn
from farmers and from the rural poor.”
“So we come to the final, paradoxical reversal: to start by acting. It is often best to
start, and do something, to learn by doing. For the test is what people do.”
My Rating:-
9/10. I liked all the chapters of the book. I was more inspired by the initial 3 chapters as it
focus on the 6 biases in rural poverty, about we, the outsiders, rural development tourism,
about the unseen and the unknown. It also talked about the 2 cultures and the third world.
On the whole I found the book was interesting and knowledgeable in it, and is also
8. applicable in the today‟s world. But the focus is limited to rural poverty and to the third
world. There are too the limitations of the author. Most of these will be transparent
enough. The best thing I found in the book is that content is designed both for the person
who reads from cover to cover and for the one who goes deep into it.
