Development and public policies

Abstract

This paper examines the idea of __”development” and its relation to public policies that have been implemented in the second half of the twentieth century, seeking to offer alternative approaches to overcome the contradictions that have operated in this relationship. In order to do this in the first part we critically review the notion of development as an indicator of social welfare, notion which has focused public policies implemented in the period. In the second part, the paper proposes to reconsider the area of __”public” as a mechanism to overcome the contradictions of development policies. Finally, the third part presents the notion of territory as the space in which to reconsider the idea of __development and of the public sphere. This, together with new approaches to development including interculturalism, ecologic conscience and subordination of capital in personal and social life, could guide theoretical and empirical perspectives that could support public policies consistent with contemporary requirements.