Tensions and Reflections About the Domination of Technical Knowledge in Community Development

Abstract It can be argued there are three dimensions of knowledge for sustainable community development: technical, hermeneutic and emancipatory knowledge. Technical knowledge is associated with dominant technical, political and corporate approaches while hermeneutic knowledge is about practical interests, mutual self.understanding and is rooted in action, Emancipatory knowledge transcends and synthesizes the first two kinds of knowledge and leads to a liberation of self-consciousness and new freedoms. This empirical study is about the tensions and reflections of Japanese and South American change agents who work within a technically-driven community development initiative in South America. One of the conclusions is that technical change agents are not detached but are also changed by the communities they serve. Shared learning can emerge if there are opportunities for reflection and a greater openness to hermeneutic knowledge from the participants, Keywords: Habermas, technical knowledge, hermeneutic knowledge, emancipatory knowledge, change agents, domination, reflective learning, South America, ********** Discourses about development often revolve around the concepts of participation, empowerment and the knowledge and power of those involved in the development process. While participation is viewed as the sine qua non of development, it is often treated as a buzzword by technicians with the expectation that community members will passively accept the changes proposed by external agents. Increasingly, social scientists have explored the intervention by outsiders as an underlying feature of the development process (Escobar, 1995; Gardner & Lewis, 1996; Ito, 2000; Long, 2001; Saito, 2000). For example, Saito (2000) points out that contemporary development can be deemed as extended colonialism in terms of the power that lies between those who intervene and those who are subject to interventions, The frequent awkward relationship between these two groups and the role of participation needs further exploration. Social scientists discussing the context of development have focused on the actor-oriented approach (Long, 2001). "Social actors" include those individuals subject to interventions and individual "interveners." These "change agents" or community development practitioners have received scant attention in community development research; Chambers (1997) suggests, "'perhaps the most neglected aspect of development is the personal psychology of what powerful professionals believe and do" (p. 232). The relevance of focusing on change agents lies in their knowledge bases embedded in social processes, which imply power, authority, and legitimacy. These processes are "just as likely to reflect and contribute to the conflict between social groups as they lead to the establishment of common perceptions, interests and intentionalities" (Long, 2001, p. 19). As this statement notes, examination of social actors' perceptions and knowledge processes in development can provide insights about participation entailing negotiation of diverse interests. Thus, it is anticipated that the study of these interrelated concepts (participation, actors' perceptions, knowledge, and power) will provide practical and intellectual insights about community development. Through an understanding of the actors' diverse perceptions one can gain knowledge to better encourage people's participation in development implementation. In addition, an examination of knowledge, which the actors maintain and employ, will provide insights about its attached power and rationality which should add significantly to the community development literature. The focus of this empirical research lies in exploring some of the diverse actors' perceptions, including tensions and knowledge processes that are reflected in the discourses emerging in the development field. Specific attention will be directed towards the technical change agents working in a rural development project in a South American country. …