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NGO Behavior and Development Discourse: Cases From Western India

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Abstract

This paper examines the effects of shifts in “development discourse” on the behavior of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Drawing upon detailed case histories of two well-established NGOs in western India, it is demonstrated that (1) the case NGOs have been profoundly influenced by discourses prevailing during their initial, formative stages; (2) NGO behavior is subject to changes in global development discourses that are transmitted to them via a range of mechanisms including consultants, conditions of funding, and reporting requirements; and (3) these NGOs have been able to challenge and adapt certain discourses to suit their own needs and circumstances, sometimes even sparking wider structural change.

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  1. Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech, 200 Architecture Annex (0113), Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061

    Alnoor Ebrahim

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Ebrahim, A. NGO Behavior and Development Discourse: Cases From Western India. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 12, 79–101 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011259801647

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