Cohesive Development: The old is dying, and the new cannot be born | Deborah Darlianmawii, Manik Kumar, Keyoor Pathak

BOOK REVIEW

Birth of an Alternative Development Paradigm: Unfolding of Transformative Mode of Production
by Sunil Ray

Germinal Publications, Kolkata
2024

The author is hopeful about the future of the world and “rectifies” the view of Italian scholar Gramsci, whether “The old is dying and the new cannot be born”, and further brings a ray of hope as- “The old is indeed dying, but the new is also born now”. A common perception about the world order is that it cannot be changed, so we must kneel down before the oppressive market-driven development. Once we surrender before the existing world order, we legitimize the injustice around us; we accept the economic disparity, we accept the social disparity, and we accept the environmental crisis as well. So, in all the domains of the society and economy, a system is developed, which is no longer working in order to make inclusion of all. The systemic movements of the world, which have been argued by the author, is the reflection of the rejection of the very capital motivated system. The book ‘Birth of an Alternative Development Paradigm: Unfolding of Transformative Mode of Production’ (2024) rigorously explores the limitations and challenges of the contemporary developmental model and produces an alternative economic paradigm to make an inclusive development, what the author termed as ‘Cohesive Development’. Interestingly, while going through the book, we felt that the book is a further step of the series of the intellectual debates developed during the 1980s, especially that of the ‘justice-globalism’ movement. The ‘justice-globalism’ movement is a critique of ‘market-globalism’, and offers a model of ‘globalization from below’ rather the ‘globalization from top’. The book comes with a ‘new logic of capital’ that is alienation to integration. For the author, “capitalist development means destruction. Capitalist development means unlimited loot of natural resources, ruining of environmental and ecological disaster”. In fact, the contemporary neo-classical economy is the economy of war; hence violence, discrimination, injustice, disparity, environmental crisis and et cetera are inevitable part of the economic world system.

The principle argument of the book revolves around the question: what transformative process should be brought to lead the people of the world to get rid of a ‘catastrophe-like-situation’? Undoubtedly, among mainstream academic platforms, there are less writings on the alternative model of development compared to that of the neo-classical political economic model; there is whisperings which compel us to think within the existing system, courageously the book contemplate and offers beyond the existing system. The author is inspired by the anti-systemic movements, which took place in different span of the time across the globe, and recited- “another world is possible”. ‘Zapatista movement’ of Mexico during the early 1990s, and the movements which happened in Ecuador, Bolivia and in many other countries receiving ideological strength from the philosophy of ‘Buen Vivir’ (good life or living well), have been discussed to forge the theoretical framework of the concept of ‘cohesive development’. Indeed, these anti-globalization movements have had much potency to raise the voices of the oppressed; the books deals with those issues in such contexts too.

To explain the theoretical model of ‘cohesive development’, author proposes few propositions: Firstly; ‘holistic cosmovision with diversity’, presents a world view which constitutes a view pertaining the diversity of the social and natural world. Secondly; ‘solidarity between humans and nature’, infuses a sense of bonding between human being and natural world. The author talks about the need of to replace the role of capital in the capitalist system with a new economic order, which is founded on the solidarity between human and nature. Peeping back into human civilization, we come to know that nature has always been the foundation of our survival, enabling generations to thrive. A significant portion of our socially constructed reality is deeply influenced by nature. Recognizing our interconnectedness with nature and the need to think about their sustainability is crucial, as its disruptions impact us directly, like tsunami, flood, and earthquake and so on. Thirdly; ‘equity and justice for harmony’, is a crucial aspect that must be integrated into today’s development framework, especially in a time when people are increasingly aware of their rights and the demand for equity has evolved into a widespread movement. As the author suggests, achieving true equity and justice in the development requires a “deep structural change from the grassroots” is certainly achievable. Fourth; ‘principle of sufficiency’, is a concept that emphasizes the importance of using what is necessary to meet one’s needs while avoiding excess. This principle is commonly focus on ethical consumption of natural resources. The chapter on sufficiency discusses how over-consumption leads to resource depletion, environmental degradation, and social inequalities, making sufficiency a crucial guideline for sustainable living. A key takeaway from the chapter is that sufficiency does not mean deprivation but rather sustainability and prudence. The chapter also explores real-world examples, such as energy conservation, sustainable agriculture, and minimalist lifestyles, illustrating how sufficiency can be practically implemented. By adopting sufficiency, individuals and societies can create a more equitable and environmentally responsible world without sacrificing quality of life. Fifth; ‘new logic of capital’, explores the evolving nature of capitalism in the modern era which is creating alienation rather integration. It argues that traditional capital accumulation, based on industrial production and tangible assets, has shifted toward a system where digital platforms, data, and financial instruments play a dominant role. This is about how capital has become more abstract and is detached from the real life production. The rise of digital capitalism, characterized by tech monopolies, algorithm-driven markets, and intangible assets like intellectual property, is reshaping economic power structures. The chapter also discusses how financialization has led to speculative investments, stock buybacks, and debt-driven growth, often prioritizing shareholder value over long-term economic stability. Sixth, ‘participatory democracy and communal self-management’, means active participation of people in decision making and is crucial for a thriving democracy. The participation of community in development is highly essential as their presence fosters a sense of ownership and ensures sustainability. Communities themselves are best suited to determine their needs and suggest strategies for a new development paradigm based on local participation. Since they possess firsthand knowledge of their surroundings, making them realize their strengths and significance can lead to a meaningful change. Community participation in decision-making can result in effective management of the “development” steps suggested, as it allows them to be directly involved rather than solely relying on elected representatives. Just like how Community-based Ecotourism (CBET) has become a big part of environmental conservation, community-based development can also become a part of the new development paradigm. This can greatly foster greater civic engagement and ensures that development efforts align with the needs and aspirations of the people. Seventh, the chapter on ‘Reciprocal Altruism’, explores the evolutionary and psychological foundations of cooperative behavior, particularly the idea that individuals help others with the expectation of future benefits. The concept, first proposed by Robert Trivers, explains why altruistic actions persist in nature despite the apparent advantage of selfishness. The chapter discusses how reciprocal altruism plays a crucial role in human and animal societies, fostering social bonds and long-term cooperation. Overall, the chapter effectively explains how reciprocal altruism shapes social interactions, highlighting its importance in fostering trust, cooperation, and long-term societal stability. Eighth, the chapter on ‘Expansion of Commons’ explores the growing role of shared resources in modern society, emphasizing how the concept of the commons extends beyond traditional natural resources to include digital, cultural, and knowledge-based assets. It argues that as privatization and market-driven policies dominate, expanding the commons provides an alternative model for equitable resource management. A key theme of the chapter is the shift from viewing commons as limited to land, water, and forests to recognizing new forms, such as open-source software, scientific research, and creative content. The chapter highlights successful case studies, including Wikipedia, community-managed fisheries, and cooperative economic models, showing how collective ownership fosters sustainable and inclusive development. Overall, the chapter presents a compelling case for expanding the commons as a means of promoting collaboration, sustainability, and social justice. It argues that in an era of increasing privatization, strengthening communal resources is essential for a more balanced and resilient society. Ninth; ‘qualitative metamorphosis ’ is focused towards the transformation through quality of life rather quantity of life. Today, neo-classical economy is transforming and deciding the life in material achievements merely. Qualitative metamorphisms is not only about the size and the amount of the economy, but it must produce a sense of happiness and solidarity. The book is readable to all who love social, economic and environmental justice. This is not merely the critique of modern capitalist development, simultaneously, it comes with the alternative of development as ‘cohesive development’.

(Review Authors: Deborah Darlianmawii, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Allahabad; Manik Kumar, Assistant Professor, G. B. Pant Institute of Social Sciences, Jhunsi, Allahabad; Keyoor Pathak, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Allahabad)