Development and Social Change

Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective, 8th Edition, by Philip McMichael and Heloise Weber, is a textbook published by SAGE Publications, Inc. It examines historical, socio-political, and ecological dimensions of global development as a contested project shaped by unequal power relationships between peoples and states.

The text critiques Western conventions that normatively frame societal progress as a linear transition from tradition to modernity based on a Eurocentric narrative. The authors trace how Western colonialism established long-term economic patterns by extracting raw materials and labor. Furthermore, multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund worked alongside private interests to build economic infrastructures for a global capitalist economy.

By incorporating case studies and real-world examples, the volume describes a complex world navigating systemic transitions. It supports students in evaluating neoliberal free-market trade relations alongside economic nationalism and industrial policies across diverse regions.