National development discourses within the global development hegemony : a case study of the post-2015 consultations in Tanzania

Abstract

This study appears at a time when the new global post-2015 development agenda is being formed. In contrast to previous global development frameworks, we are now facing a universal agenda that sees development as a shared concern between the global North and South. Moreover, the new agenda is supposed to respond to many of the fallbacks of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), the lack of voice for ordinary people in particular.

This research examines how the concept of development is constructed in national policy consultations and how such constructions resonate with global development hegemony. It draws attention to the fact that development discourses are built, maintained and rearranged in local contexts. The data is based on Tanzanian consultations, namely one national and seven zonal post-2015 consultation reports gathered by the Tanzanian President’s Office Planning Commission in 2012.

The methodological foundation of the research is based on critical discourse analysis, which draws particular attention to discreet belief systems and the role of power in the text. The data analysis identified five discourses: participatory neoliberalism, patriotism, self-help, spirit of ujamaa and good governance. The methodological framework applied here specifically emphasizes the role of institutions and identities in the formation and reproduction of discourses. Moreover, the data analysis looks into the argumentation and legitimization strategies behind the discourses.

The findings suggest that Tanzanian development is based on a neoliberal regime coupled with a mixture of cultural and political elements of past and present. The hegemonic understanding of development is affected by the country’s unique socialist history, the prevailing national policies, as well as Tanzania’s global identity as a Least Developed Country (LDC). The desired development is legitimized with individual moral responsibility towards community and nation. Transformative traces were found in reference to narrow participation space. Yet, the findings suggest that although Tanzanians are disappointed with the heavily politicized and corrupted governance system, the familiarity of the past also unites the nation in front of global changes. Overall, the Tanzanian development discourses reinforce the neoliberal model of development where structural economic changes are placed above more multifaceted people-centered views.