Development
Meaning
Like evolution and progress, ‘development’ is also a social process. Development is change that moves towards improvement.
Along with the continuity of change of development, a direction is also necessary. Although this direction is not predetermined, yet it is progressive. it always moves up. It just presents the speed of progress from one condition to another. In fact, social development is needed to achieve social progress. For example, after attaining independence, the ultimate aim of the society was to establish a socialist society. If we achieve this, we will say that we have made progress. But if we could not achieve it, yet keep moving towards the objective, then it will be called social development.
Development is not limited to specific regions and times. It is the overall improvement of economic, social, and political conditions.The concept of development varies from region to region over time.
Definition
As a definition, it can be said that development is the change in which a society is able to achieve social progress. Therefore, it can be said that development is also a means of social progress.
Hurlock(1959) defines, “Development means a progressive series of changes that occur in an orderly, predictable pattern as a result of maturation and experience.”
Pearson (1992) defines development as “an improvement, qualitative, quantitative, or both, in the use of available resources.”
Characteristics of Development
The following are the important characteristics of development.
1. Development is a continuous process
The process of development continues from the moment of inception of the
society. The society always marches forward. Sometimes the process of development is faster and under some situations it slows down. However, it
witnesses no complete halting point. It is ongoing in nature.
2. Development is irreversible
Development as a process is always forward looking and has no look back.
There may be temporary stalemates but once a society is into the process of
development, it will never revert back to its original state. So development is always progressive.
3. Development has a direction
It runs as corollary from the above said feature that the process of
development follows a definite direction. The direction is always forward and
never backward.
4.Development always has positive yields
The outcomes of development are always positive. It is for the betterment of
the society. Development thus is progressive. But sometimes when
development outcomes are used by human beings in a negative way its
consequences become disastrous. For e.g. Development of technology
necessarily improves human quality of life. But when men blindly use it for
destructive purpose the outcomes become sorrowful.
5. Development has got its qualitative and quantitative connotations
Development as a process can be judged through the qualitative improvement
human conditions of living. For example when there is a reduction of house
hold drudgery for the women we find a qualitative change in their living conditions and term it as development of women. Similarly when there is a
quantum lift or there is an increase in number of some institution, then also
we feel the impact of development. For example the increase in the number of educational institutions is also described as development. Thus the qualitative aspects of development are felt while the quantitative aspects of development are observed.
6. Development process is universal
Development is a common process witnessed by every society however primitive or modern it is. Every society witnesses the process of development in some form or the other. Time and space cannot arrest it.
7. Development process is multidimensional.
Development is a complex and multi-dimensional process. It involves a lot of economic, behavioural and institutional rearrangements. It involves equity, socio-economic and political participation, and so on.